Vantaggi
Working Alternatives Inc. provides a lot of experience that can prepare you for any field due to developing communication skills, de-escalation skills, report writing, and criminal justice experience (searches, rules/regulations). I did have good relationships with my coworkers and management and truly adored them, but I would get frustrated with their work ethics or inconsistency. If you want overtime and many hours, this is the place. It did give me good experience to talk about in interviews. If you want experience in the criminal justice system, this place will give you all the experience to use at other jobs.
Svantaggi
I worked in multiple departments. Unfortunately, if you are a good employee, you will be used and abused. Management cannot get on the same page, which results in Security Monitors being viewed as "kids" by the residents because of the lack of inconsistent rules and communication. While I liked most of my coworkers, some were lazy and didn't pull their weight, leaving me to do all the work without any consequences for them. The residents can get argumentative and violent, creating a hostile environment. Anything can happen, which keeps you on edge about what might occur each day. The pay is poor for the amount of work and responsibility the director expects from you beyond your job description. Micromanagement is rampant, and there are many "small rules" that are inconsistently enforced. The facility's security is also poor, with no effective measures to protect staff. At times, the residents seem to run the facility because staff are too nervous to speak up or enforce rules consistently. The scheduling is terrible. You will be scheduled against your availability. They say it is "part-time" for school. Good luck. They will constantly schedule you against that or during classes because, even if they say they will accommodate you, they do not. Students be careful when applying here. You cannot have a work-life balance due to inconsistent schedules. There are no set schedules, so you can be scheduled differently each week, including working doubles or turnaround shifts (working a graveyard one day and a swing shift the next day). When I tell you management only cares if you fill in a shift, I mean it—they don't care about your sleep, life, or schooling.