I work in a men's psychiatric prison. There are many constraints to working in the prison. For many years, one constraint has been the locked restrooms. Each ward has restrooms, and outside of each office suite there are restrooms. These are all locked, and the keys to the restrooms were available from correctional officers on each ward, the nurses on each ward, and one set of keys for each office suite.
Can you imagine how difficult it might be to deal with having to find a key for a restroom when you are in urgent need of using the restroom? And, sometimes, if you went to the ward, the officers made rude comments about your bathroom activities.
Over the years, we have devised multiple strategies to have the office suite key available for staff: One staff member checks out the key, but shares it with others. One staff member checks out the key, and locks it in a cabinet that other staff have access to. These solutions have their upsides, but mostly their downsides.
Most recently, a staff member requested a bathroom key, and was denied. He was denied because the prison really tries to limit keys. But the key controller suggested that the bathroom key core be changed, so it is accessible by the key that provides access to the office suite area.
That was implemented Monday afternoon, late. Wednesday, several of us in the administrative area, physicians, security staff, and clerical staff, as well as myself, remarked at how empowered and freed we feel because we basically have unlimited access to the restroom.
This is a small thing. But this is a reminder about how important the respect of human dignity is in the grand scheme of things.
I find myself saying daily "YES" I have power: I have a bathroom key!
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