Problem
For 2 years, you have been the director of a prison system for adults in a medium-sized state. As a result of revenue shortfalls for several years, it has been a constant struggle to keep a full labor force in your state's 10 prisons and to lure professional staff members to work and live in the more rural areas where they are located. During the past 6 months, however, you have assembled a fine staff of wardens and other prisoners' subordinates. You have implemented several policies that provide educational, vocational, and treatment opportunities, which have been gaining national attention for their effectiveness. Recidivism has been reduced to 30 percent, and your policies are beginning to be accepted by staff and citizens alike. Running a "Take Back the Streets" anticrime campaign, a politically inexperienced person (formerly a popular college quarterback playing at a state university) was recently elected governor. The new governor has just sent you a letter stating in effect that your institution is not the "Ritz" and demanding that all "frivolous, namby-pamby programs teaching the ABCs and where cons learn how to hammer nails" cease immediately. He asks for your written response, a plan for tightening security, and the implementation of tougher inmate programs within 1 month.
Is there any room to negotiate with the governor? As a trade-off, would you offer to put in place some programs known to be tough on inmates? If so, what kind?