Reinventing Corrections Through Project Management

Abstract

Correctional agencies follow traditional organizational structures. The chief executive officer is at the top of the pyramid, with functions grouped and dispersed at various layers down through the pyramid. Many are paramilitary in structure and operations. While this classical organization has permitted correctional agencies to accomplish clearly defined routine missions, the organizational structure and operation often stand in the way of change. Establishing and initiating a project management group provides an opportunity for staff from various functional areas to devote their time to the project. With a multi-discipline group, each member can contribute the expertise of his or her particular functional area, and the contributions this function can make toward the resolution of the problem. The use of project management in corrections offers a method for concentrating the resources of the agency on specific problems or activities. Through a project management approach, change can be implemented in a correctional environment much more readily than through the traditional organizational structure.