It the usual horseshit from someone who thinks they know all about us and the conditions that we work in, the so called “Experts”. These people spend most of their adult life in academia with no experience of real life never mind Corrections. And whats worse is our political masters actually listen to this crap and take it as gospel.

I see that same article is posted today on this website. I would like to post what I said below in CAPITAL letters so the goofball, elitist, all seeing, all knowing philosopher could know what a real CO does and thinks. I don’t mind if you have a Doctorate in Theology or Law or whatever but do not insult me and my fellow officers by comparing me to METAL fatigue. How stupid. I wish that person would come to our jail, take them for a tour and lock them in the SHU for a week by themselves with a couple of wackos and murderers then tell me what they think. I guess I shouldn’t get upset but people who write this crap really tick me off.

I did not have the dis-pleasure of reading that. There is an old saying that I will probably screw up but you will get the gist, “Unless you walk a mile in my shoes, you can not judge me.” Metal fatigue and corrections fatigue. I guess they are similar if you live on MARS…… I have always hated any person claiming to be a expert, trying to tell other people what is right or wrong with us. OK Mr. Professional put yourself in my head during this scenario: 6-7-90, I was working a segregation block as an Officer on 1st shift. J-Corridor Officer tells us we have a silent alarm in the school. Several minutes pass and I enter the corridor as a secondary responder. A gurney is pushed past us on the other side of the crash gates and the sheet slips off the person’s head. It was female teacher who had been dragged into a closet and had her head almost cut off by and Inmate with a coffee can lid. She died instantly. On 4-15-93, during a riot at my prison, I was in the same segregation block (permanent bid) making a range check. An old convict looked at me and said, “Sorry to hear about the Officer, he was a good Officer.” I asked what he was talking about and he told me that Officer ___________ had just been murdered by Inmates who were holding him hostage along with several other Officers. It still today, hurts me that I heard this from an Inmate. I asked the corridor Officer if he had heard and 20 minutes later we were told by an Administration person. From that point on we referred to ourselves as MUSHROOMS. We got fed shit and kept in the dark. So, Mr. Professional Doctor or whoever, could you bury that in your mind and continue to do your job properly 19 plus years???? I don’t believe so.

Comparing COs with metal fatigue,WOW,that is just as bad as a certain politician in the late 90’s here in NJ comparing us to overpaid babysitters.

Like to meet the numbnuts who came up with that metaphor.New to the business ,but to all of you CO’s out there on the beat or retired.God Bless,Be safe…

At a Linkin website an author who obviously knows nothing about corrections wrote that Corrections fatigue was comparable to metal fatigue. I wasn’t too pleased to read that article and here is what I wrote back:
I’m not sure the author should compare being a correction officer akin to metal fatigue. After 22 years in corrections though hundreds of fights, several hang-ups, knifing s, inmate abuse and a myriad of other issues its simply stress. Unlike police officers who can leave a scene, go in the patrol car to get a cup of coffee or a pop, correction officers cannot leave the jails or prisons for any reason other than sickness or at the end of the shift. Stress therefore is the main cause of issues with all correction officers regardless if they are newbies or seasoned officers. How an officer handles stress on the job obviously affects their ability to cope with the daily pressures of inmates taunting them, fights, outbreaks, feeding inmates, taking them to court, taking them to visits and a host of other duties. I have always told new officers that your family comes first, you come second and the job third. It’s difficult to leave a stressful day at the jail or prison but officers need to walk out the door and pretend they don’t work there until the next day or night shift. Taking issues home with you creates tremendous problems with spouses, girlfriends and acquaintances. Stress relievers are helpful such as exercise at a gym, running, walking, swimming, fishing and other activities that officers enjoy. Let’s not compare COs with metal fatigue.