There is a big difference in being new with limited experience and being incompetent. I tend to have a great deal of patience with the new jacks. All it takes is showing me they actually don’t know and they want to learn. I remember when I was new to this job, yes I asked a lot of questions but I always showed the senior officers or supervisors I wanted to learn as much as possible. Nobody finds it easy to have patience when the person your trying to teach just doesn’t make an effort. I’ll make time and effort to teach the rookies the same way I was taught. All it takes is some effort and willingness to learn.

I can’t say for sure commander but I have my ideas. I can think of a few who might of fit the discription, but nobody called me for that type of stuff. (one of the small perks to not being a supervisor) Sadly the shot callers I work for now want us to hit our alarms for almost everything. They act like they have no faith in the officers to know how or be able to do our jobs without backup. Yes having backup available when they are really needed is a GREAT thing. But if an officer has to call for help before they have any kind of confrontation with an inmate is a good indicator that they are unwilling or unable to do the job they signed up for. Inmates will not respect this kind of officer, hell I’d find it hard to respect myself in that situation.

I’m not saying try to break up a huge gang fight by yourself, lets use some common sense. However an inmate talking trash from a closed cell, covered up cell bars/windows, or an Inmate with a stash of shit paper does not meet the emergency criterias. Now an inmate beating the living hell out of someone else does. Hmmm can we see the difference here?

I remember being a new C.O. I wouldn’t call an emergency but I had no clue so I would ask questions and as I remember back I know how funny and stupid they sound to me now. Though back then I seriously didn’t know things like what should I do when I find a jug of hooch. I remember the reply though that to this day still is funny to me.
“Well are you sure its hooch?”
“I think so.”
“Well take a sip and see”
“Hell no it smells like sewage.”
Well I blame it on just lack of experience and now have a lot of patience with the newer C.O.s because there really is no way to prepare people for this job other then throwing them in and seeing if they sink or swim.

I had an Officer on 3rd shift, and Irish, you gotta know who I am talking about, who would call everytime the Inmates got loud. I would tell him to learn to handle is block and then hang up. Each General Population block has between 72 to 80 inmates in single cells. There are 4 ranges with 20 cells and a shower on each range. I got tired of the calls one night and I went to his block unexpected. I had the rover relieve him and we walked the range. The Officer had 15 or more years in corrections, he was not new. When we got to the first cell of an Inmate who had his cell window blocked with a towel, the Officer yelled, “Hey bitch, uncover your f****n window.” The inmate started to answer until he seen me. After walking all four ranges, I had the Officer relieved and sent to me in the Captain’s office. After ripping 3 layers of skin off his ass and inviting him to come to 1st or 2nd shift and work the chow hall and talk to Inmates that way, I never got another phone call from him. I explained to him that it is easy to act tough when all the Inmates are locked in their cells for your entire shift. The next time I went into his block, I walked the range and the same Inmate had his cell window covered up. I gently tugged the towel out of his cell bars and threw it in the middle of the bottom range. The Inmate asked me why I did that and in a very low voice I answered, it is much easier than writing you up and walking you to the hole, if you want it back, fish it off the range. I then left. Until I retired, I don’t think he ever covered his cell window again.

Jamestown I being there.Love my new jail and bid.My old one,well,they complaint I didn’t call them enought..I think at first is part of the learning process.The officer at first is unsure of themselves,blown counts ,or to afraid to just grab the inmate ID,or priorities,think outside the box. …
Where I am at they won’t call a backup ‘cause they think they can handle the situation …Me.If the inmate see me coming down the dorm and has a cigarette in his hand,smoking.He takes it out puts it out,no write up,just how I do things.i seen officer that just can’t think in that situation.I always tell them identify the inmate,ID or his bunk.when done making your rounds just call the sarge .is all about communication and some just don’t have it..I seem blown counts on midnight,hard to believed,officer does his paperwork 2 hours before 4 am count ,wakes the workers at 330am ,finds out one of the is on a medical lay-in but doesn’t change the count slip…. Even on midnights they still don’t think outside the box,gotta have someone do the thinking for them…,

Have you experienced an officer who constantly calls for assistance/backup for insignificant things? Just when a team of 15 officers arrive for a backup call on a tier or block the officer called because: “the inmate had an extra roll of toilet paper and wouldn’t give it to me” “the inmate called me a &&^%$#@” “the inmates toilet plugged up and it’s a mess on the floor” I compare it to the famous Chicken Little who thought the sky was falling, running around screaming and hollering to everyone what dire things were about to happen. Granted these officers more often than not are probationary, just came out of the academy or perhaps one of a few who cannot handle anything without asking for help. Hopefully if you do have such officers they are few and far between (maybe that’s why the supervisor puts them on midnights). Stay safe.