Working

by Jeanne M. Delaney

working at a place where people are patted down before entering, where permission is needed to pass through each door, and where barbed wire and cement walls close you in from the outside. Doris Monroe, RDH doesn’t just imagine it, she lives it. Doris is a dental hygienist at the Cook County Correctional Detention Center, in Chicago, Illinois; she’s the only one, in fact.

The correctional center houses detainees, not inmates. They are there for an unknown amount of time, awaiting their trials. Monroe works right beside them in the health services area, along with two dentists. She coordinates health fairs for the detainees, employees, and civilians; does clinical work; explains dental procedures; and spends time on the tiers demonstrating dental hygiene techniques and answering questions about overall health. If detainees are in need of clinical work, they send in a request and a follow-up appointment is set. While the patients wait, Monroe has videotapes of National Geographic playing. Most the detainees find the tapes fascinating, she explains.

A lot of them have never seen the world outside of their own streets—an onsite educator for the Cook County schooling facility interjects. Many of them never had the option of staying indoors and access to cable television, he adds.

Now, one might wonder, why Monroe chooses to work here? Or rather, why it is that Monroe absolutely loves her job.

"This is my chance to give back," Monroe explains. "I’ve been lucky."

Is there anything Monroe doesn’t like about working at the detention center? Monroe says that being the only dental hygienist in the entire system makes it hard to do the amount of clinical work she wishes she could. She said that one downside of her job is "seeing a lot of tooth decay from drugs."

Monroe explains that the staff at the Cook County Department of Corrections is so close-knit, that they are like family. "Best lady in the house, that Ms. Monroe," a passing guard interjects. "If anyone calls with a problem, she helps them out in minutes." Monroe just shakes her head and smiles, as she makes her way around Section D, of Division 11, which like several of the other divisions, which houses more than 15,500 detainees.

When Monroe had glaucoma surgery two years ago, it was no surprise that everyone worried about her. She still gets a kick out of one welcome back card in particular. It was a talented cartoon drawing of her and her section done by one of the detainees.

Monroe has a creative way of presenting what she has to offer-dental hygiene education and lesser-known brands of toothpaste and toothbrushes. "First, I explain that I cannot speak too loudly and then I kind of well, whisper. This makes them strain themselves to listen, then I’ve got their attention."

"I tell them that this toothpaste has much more to offer than any other brand of toothpaste. And then they say, ‘what do you mean Ms. Monroe?’ And I tell them, because it’s free." She explains to the audience crowded around her that not only is toothpaste good for your teeth, but that it’s helpful in drying up blemishes. Monroe answers questions from the detainees and passes out educational material. The appointments are supervised by an officer and Monroe explains "the detainees are respectful and never give me any problems. They even refer to me as ‘grandma’ or ‘momma,’ most are very appreciative to have help with their dental hygiene."

Monrow received her education at Prairie State, in Chicago Heights, Illinois. She started out teaching dental assistants and became an RDH in 1994. One of her students told Monroe about the dental hygienist position at the Correctional Center, Monroe has worked there ever since 1995 and was named Employee of the Year, in 1996. "It’s very, very rewarding work," Monroe says.