By Ashley Quadros, Public Information Officer
This year marks 25 years since Rob Flecksteiner joined the team at Wayne Brown Correctional Facility. He didn’t know when he accepted a part-time gig working at the jail that it would one day turn into his long-time career. At the time, he was fresh out of the United States Marine Corps, having served his country for six years with two deployments to Kuwait.
As a sergeant in the Marine Corps, he was responsible for a helicopter maintenance flight line, scheduling flight crews and maintenance tasks, and was primary crew chief on medium-lift helicopters. He was also skilled at defusing highly stressful situations and overcoming adverse circumstances, making him a great fit for jail work, or so his dad thought.
His dad was a correctional officer at Wayne Brown and was the one who suggested he join the ranks. Correctional Officer Flecksteiner soon realized a career in corrections was the perfect fit. Through the years, he’s worked in a variety of capacities for the jail, including inmate worker, classification, facility training, and transportation. He’s also not only certified in CPR/First Aid and Firearms but is an official instructor at the facility, responsible for training other staff on life-saving procedures and firearm safety.
One of his favorite aspects of being a correctional officer is having an opportunity to be part of courtroom proceedings, where time and time again, he’s watched people get their second chance at a better tomorrow.
“I was in court one day when a former IP (incarcerated person) came to court to ask for a reduction of her charges to a misdemeanor,” he recalled. “The inmate was working to change their life and move on from their former life. The judge granted their request and from what I learned they were able to make a good life for themselves.”
On another occasion, Officer Flecksteiner bumped into a formerly incarcerated person on the street and the person was overjoyed to see him.
“The former IP came up to me, gave me a hug, and told me that how I held them accountable for their actions helped them change their behavior and their life,” he said.
While not every outcome is as successful, Officer Flecksteiner remains committed to helping others and serving his community. When he’s not in the jail, the water is his calling. As a certified scuba diving instructor, he can often be found underwater, finding new treasures and aquatic life, and teaching others how to swim in more ways than one.
Thank you, Correctional Officer Flecksteiner, for your dedication and commitment to public service and safety.
