Topic: A Broader View / Again pulling a double (big money!)

Just watched a pretty fuuny movie called Juan Of The Dead. It is simular to Shaun Of The Dead, but in Cuba. The words are in spanish, but there is subtitles. It was a pretty good movie.

Topic: The Club House / Inmate entitlement!?!?

We got a new policy about a year or so ago which allows us to use OC to reclaim food ports. So far as I’ve seen it hasn’t been used yet due to the threat usually working. We now also have triangles that go above the handcuffs when placing an inmate in their cell. It keeps them from pulling their hands in and holding handcuffs hostage. The only time it doesn’t work is when someone is too lazy to use it.

As a supervisor, I have made it my personal policy to never reward an inmate for bad behavior. I would never give an inmate a phone call for vandalizing a sprinkler or anything else. I do know however that some supervisors would rather give in to an inmate then have to do the paperwork. I hate the paperwork too, but I’ve found that once inmates relalize you won’t give in, they stop trying. That in itself usually keeps me doing less paperwork than the other supervisors.

Topic: The Club House / Glad to to be back

Hope you are doing well Jamestown. Take care of yourself. Correctional Officers are high risk for heart attacks.

Topic: Letter of The Law / Use of Chemical Agents

When it rains and they want to come in I always tell them that only witches melt, and I only see bitches.

Topic: Everything Education / Stay Connected To Lower Recidivism Rates

This sounds like spam for the website mentioned below that I will not bother to visit.

Topic: Security Central / Contraband Bust

I hate when grandma calls. She’s all worried about about why her poor baby doesn’t get fed and has no blankets, and how she can’t afford to send money because she is on a fixed income. Then you get to tell her that her favorite granchild is a liar, and that he probably only needs money to pay off drug debts.

Topic: The Club House / Why???

Welcome to the glamorous of a correctional officer.

Topic: Security Central / Contraband Bust

Oh, by the way Mick, I can’t go into details because it is confidential, but KVSP has an electrified fence. It is highly unlikely that they threw the bags over the fence.

Topic: Security Central / Contraband Bust

I don’t work KVSP, so I only know what was in the article. I would assume someone brought the contraband in for the inmates. If so, I hope they catch them. As for the cheeseburgers, they are not contrabnd for staff to bring in, but the inmates are not allowed to have them. Maybe the person bringing them in forgot his lunch when he made the pass? Could be the cheeseburgers were meant to throw off the dogs.Either way, I’m sure a cheesburger from Carls Junior is almost as valuble as the drugs to the inmates.

Topic: A Broader View / prison-sanctioned tatoo program for inmates? Good or bad?

Funny Commander. I used to say that the state could save money by pulling all officers out of prisons except the tower officers. They could do a monthly supply drop in the middle of the yard from helicopters and let the strong survive. When an inmate’s parole date comes up the tower officer would make an announcement that the inmate has 24 hours to reach the gate for parole. If he doesn’t show up he is considered dead.

Topic: The Club House / Why???

Everyone gets worried. Soemtimes you can just feel that something is going to go wrong, but you don’t know what. Sometimes things just look wrong or you sense something out of order. It’s creepy, but most times something does happen. Sometimes you just start asking the inmates in the area what’s going on, or walk around their area, and what ever was going to happen doesn’t, but you still wonder what you just prevented.

Topic: Security Central / Contraband Bust

Check here if you would like to see a real nice bust of contraband at Kern Valley State Prison in California.

http://www.pacovilla.com/?p=80499

Pictures are included.

Topic: A Broader View / prison-sanctioned tatoo program for inmates? Good or bad?

Have to say I got a kick out of reading the first couple of responces to this thread. I say bad idea to give inmates needles that staff can get stuck with. They can give each other all the diseases they want, but I don’t want to get them.

Topic: Letter of The Law / Use of Chemical Agents

I bought my wife a stun gun a few years ago for christmas which she keeps in her purse. One time we were in the Wallmart parking lot when this beggar came up to the window wanting money. I told him he should never approach a car with women and children in it. He kept knocking on the window trying to get me to give him money. My wife pulled out her stun gun and puled the trigger. The guy stared at the lightining bolts for a second and then said “that’s alright man”, then left to beg from someone else. I looked at my wife and she just shrugged and said “Works every time”.

Topic: The Club House / Why???

DT is right. It’s not always cowardice. I have seen people that are willing and do respond to emergencies, they just don’t seem to be able to function once they get there. For some people that’s just the way it is I suppose, for others it’s just not paying attention to training, or planning out what they should do in a emergency situation. It’s always good to run some “what ifs” through your mind so you are prepared for anything. Read the policies for your area so you know what to do before you have to do it.

Topic: The Club House / Why???

A lot of times this is an easy job. I would much rather do this than manual labor. But we do earn our money in those time of emergency. Unfortunately, this is also the time many staff fail to act accordingly. I have seen to many people who 90% of the time they are doing a good job, but when the crap hits the fan they are unable to function. It takes a certain kind of person to function at a high level when blood is being spilled. I have seen that blank stare many times.

Topic: Security Central / Checking doors

I do the same thing. Quite a few years back when I worked graveyard I would always find doors unlocked. Also found out that in some of our housing units that the inmates can put their ID card in the latch and it will show locked on the control board. Now that I’m a supervisor it’s no longer my duty, but I stll pull on doors as I walk around. Get some funny looks once in awhile when someone wonders why I pulled their door open then let it shut without saying anything.

Topic: The Club House / Police have no clue what we do

The salt trick has been around awhile. Hand Sanitizer was removed from our prison after several inmates OD’d on the stuff. Some of the dummys don’t even bother to seperate it.

Topic: A Broader View / Writing a Book.

We’ve busted women trying to bring in drugs and tobacco in thier baby’s diapers. Moms go to jail, baby to Child Protective Services. Sad what these people will put their families through.

Funny but true story: One time I’m in court for a work related case. This was a while back, and I was outside in uniform smoking a cigarette. This guy walks up to me in a suit and asks me if he can bum a smoke. I assume he is a public defender from the look of him. I give him a smoke and bullshit with him for a while. When we go back into the courtroom they call a case for a guy who was caught brining drugs into my prison through visiting. The suit guy gets up, and again I assume he is the lawyer for the dumb idiot who was brining in the drugs. Turns out, the idiot brining in the drugs was the suit guy.

You just never know who your talking to, or who’s stupid enough to bring contraband into a prison. I felt pretty stupid myself I have to say.

Topic: The Club House / Why???

I will go out on a limb and say, be careful of wanting to report every error of other employees. While it is responsible, and sometimes the law to report certain offences by staff, you will quickly gain a reputation as someone who no one will want to work with if you are running to the supervisor over every little thing. You will find out that many new employees just need to learn things the hard way. You will find that many older employees are stuck in their ways. Let that employee know politely he is screwing up, and leave him to his own devices. Do your job to the best of your abilities, and try not to emulate lazy and corrupt staff, but be wary of becoming a self rightous do gooder.

Some here will probably say they disagree with me, but those who have worked in corrections long enough will know I’m right. Whether or not it should be right.

Topic: The Club House / Whats that in your pocket.

I have taken inmate’s ID cards home before, and handcuffs a couple of times.

Topic: The Club House / which shoes or boots?

I wouldn’t buy any patent leather or any boots that are supposed to stay shiny without polish. They don’t breath and hurt your feet, not to mention give you stinky feet. Putting a little polish on your boots will be better than suffering a long shift with uncomfortable boots. Trust me.

Topic: A Broader View / Cell Phones - A business opportunity?

$16000 isn’t worth 18 months for me. Not to mention being shunned by your friends and peers, and the loss of a good career.

Topic: The Club House / Police have no clue what we do

Even though we both do jobs that deal with criminals and danger, I would rather work in the prison than on the streets. At least we know our surroundings, and with enough practice, we become very good at dealing with most situations. They walk the unknown every day, and often don’t know who’s the good guy or the bad guy. You have to respect them for their courage.

Topic: A Broader View / Cell Phones - A business opportunity?

Just in case someone was considering taking Cell Phones in to inmates, a Correctional Officer from Ca recently received federal time for smuggling phones and tobacco in to his prison.

From : http://www.pacovilla.com/?p=79695
Former C/O to do time for phone and tobacco smuggling.

Bobby Joe Kirby, 54, used to be a Correctional Officer at CCC Susanville. He will now be a federal prisoner for 18 months, having been found guilty of smuggling cell phones and tobacco to prison inmates over a one-year period in 2010 and 2011. He is also having to forfeit $16,000 in money received for this enterprise. I would be willing to bet he doesn’t think it was such a smart move now.