Opinion of COs

[dsumner]

Just out of curriosity, I'd like to know some of the guys who post on the board's opinion of corrections officers (COs).

I hope you don't think we are all a bunch of over weight, under educated, knuckle draggers, who abuse and degrade inmates. (That's the image that is usually shown in the media.)

[jcollettusa]

In my opinion, you guys have one of the worst jobs in the world, at least police officers sometimes deal with good citizens; you guys deal with the scum of the earth 24/7. That is why I think that the media portrays you guys the way they do. You are never in the "spot-light," therefore, you never hear anything good about COs.

[mdb23]

Personally, I never form blanket opinions which cover an entire classification of individuals. Any assertion that all (x) is (y) is logically unsound, and therefore unacceptable.

In short, an individual's profession in no way assures me that they are either squared away or a sh*tbag. One will find both in any occupation in the world.

mdb23

[Swat1]

You've got my respect as a profession, but like mdb said, there's good and bad in every line of work. Personally, I couldn't do what you guys do. No way I could be locked up for 8 - 12 hours a day. Working back there is almost as bad as being an inmate. Like I said you've got my respect because I know I would go stir crazy in less than a shift.

Swat1*

[ski]

I had to work in the central holding facility for the St. Louis City Police Department for one day, because they sent all of the normal turnkeys (that's the official department title for the non commissioned jail personnel) to some sort of massive in-service training class. They randomly selected street police officers from all of the districts by computer to pull a shift. Of course having never worked in any correctional capacity before and not wanting to get selected, I got selected, and after fifteen minutes, my impressions of the job were confirmed. No freakin` way would I want to deal with these A holes without a weapon available. I have never had my "nerves" tested so completely. It was almost everything I could muster to not start going apeshit on these "people." "Man, I want some better toilet paper. I gotta have another honey bun for breakfast. etc...." Now keep in mind that where I was only for people awaiting warrant applications, municipal pretrial, and homicide/robbery/sex crimes lineups. Upstairs, it only got worse for the lucky ones chosen to work there! These people were not even doing any time yet! I could not wait to get back in the district. ALL COs have my automatic utmost respect unless proven otherwise by some extrodinary circumstance.

Ski

[jnc36rcpd]

Corrections officers have a tough, demanding beat to work. While I understand that some corrections officers and agencies are not very professional, the same could be said about police agencies. I believe corrections officers should be treated with the same respect we accord brother and sister officers.

[WS-G]

Four of my graduating classmates at the police academy I attended arrived as certified, experienced corrections officers. One was a part-time jailer with a local SO, the other three (one of whom was actually dropped from my class for academic failure, but graduated with a later class) were TDC officers with several years of experience. All four were among the better students in the class, IMO. The part-time county jailer even took the Leadership Excellence Award at graduation (this guy was also a recent ROTC grad, branching MP).

OTOH, the two biggest shit-bums of the class were also from corrections backgrounds, though one doesn't quite count, owing to the fact that his sole experience in "corrections" was as a part-time private detention officer for Wankinghut (don't even get me started about privatized jails! — IMO a private corporation has zero business running a jail/prison) and for some undiclosed reason didn't last more than a month there. The other was a 20-something, loudmouthed, pudgy (read that "grossly overweight"), 5'4" TDC "officer" who couldn't hang even on the least demanding of PT sessions and stayed on academic probation from the start.

Both of these two turdswallowers were expelled during the third week when — along with two other cadets — they were caught cheating... on a spelling test of all things! And yes, Mr. TDC was using a crib-sheet. Hopefully he's no longer employed as a CO. As mdb23 said above, there are good and bad examples in every profession.

[Sharky]

I was a CO for almost two years. As I have said in other posts, I learned more about criminals working in the jail than I did on the street. It was in the jail that I realized that their minds do not work like ours at all. I also got into more fights in the jail than I ever did on the street. People on the street are much easier to deal with because they still have something to lose. After they are convicted and are looking at a long stretch in the Pen they don't have a whole lot left that you can use against them. I did, however, learn that taking away phone priviledges, candy and coke machine priviledges, and visitation were far greater deterrents than pepper spray or an asswhipping ever were. I learned the finer points of diplomacy and bullshit which go hand in hand. We usually housed 180-220 prisoners with a staff of three on my shift which was 6P-6A. One female on the radio, one male in MAX locked inside the control pod and yours truly doing everything else to include entering and locking down all Max security pods every night, usually alone. Sometimes if there happened to be a Deputy or PD officer handy I would take them along but that was rare and they normally never wanted to go again. One of the biggest lessons that I learned was that the most dangerous and unpredictable pod in the whole jail was the juvenile pod. I hated it at the time but have been grateful ever since for everything that it taught me that made my life much easier after I hit the street.

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F.I.D.O.

[dsumner]

The lovely facility I work in is really strange. We are supposed to be the largest correctional drug treatment facility in the country. Inmates are supposed to be screen before coming to us.

It used to be they only had 3-5 years left on their sentance and had something to lose if they didn't complete the program (their good time was taken and they stayed in prison longer). That's all chnged thanks to truth in sentancing laws.

Guys are now going in doing 5-7 years with no good time and they are also getting a lot younger. The older inmates had been in the system for a while and were easier to deal with. These 18-25 year olds we getare a pain inthe ass. They fight, steal, bring in most of the drugs, and just flat out do anything they can to cuase problems.

We are also the regional receiving unit(the housing unit I work in). The receiving unit holds new intakes into the system (guys doing anywhere from a few years to guys who will never see freedom again), parole violators (some of these gys are back for the thrid or fourth time), and the other side holds the disciplinary problems. They come out of seg and come to use.

I've got anywhere from 140-160 guys and we either work with 2 or 3 officers in open bay dorms.

Most of my co-workers try not to work the building If we are off or on vacation. I had one guy working with me actually get on the phone an tell the watch commander he feared for his life in the building.

We've also been told we will be opening a youthfull offender unit in the first quarter of next year. I talked to a couple of the guys at the facility they are currently housed at, and said he would come in on his vaction to help get these idiots moved over to us.

[mdb23]

My hat goes off to you. I couldn't (and even if I could, wouldn't) do your job for any amount of money.

Off to work I go,
mdb23

[grrlcop74]

This past October I had the privilege of attending Angola's Prison Rodeo. Having only dealt with metro jails, it was rather eye-opening. I got a tour of the old death row (chair still intact) and the current execution chamber, along with going into the main jail area to see some of the dorms. That place is freakin' huge. And of course, the inmates were quite lovely. I do believe several took a shine to me LOL. There is no way as a female I would be able to put up with that crap on a regular basis without going apeshit. My hats are off to the CO's who work in prisons that house members of the opposite sex. I couldn't do it. I feel bad enough having to take somebody into Metro who has shit all over themselves and dropping him off for the CO's there to deal with.

Kristen
"I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!"

[RECON5]

Hat's off to you guys. My little bro is CO for Travis County, after working for TDC for over 5 years. Couldn't and Wouldn't do it.

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REMEMBER 1*

[1026]

dsumner- I see you're from Chesapeake. Do you by chance work at that facility out near Indian Creek and Northwest River Park?

[dsumner]

Yes,I work at the jewel of modern correctional facilities, known as Indian Creek Correctional Center (ICCC). We are on the cutting edge of corrections tecnology.

We are located inteh lovely city of Chesapeake ("Virginia's Future"), right next to another fine facility, St. Brides Correctional Center (SBCC).

We use only the latest equipment, and techniques to rehabilitate our guests before releasing them into society, to become the upstanding members of the community we always knew they could be.

Know if only all of those crooked cops, and PO's would qiut tryin to trick the brothers up, with all that stupid ass bullshit (like coming to your NA, AA, drug testing, your job, asking you why you are behind the while after having that twelve pack, searching you for the stolen gun you are carrying, arresting you for being high on crack, or shooting someone during an armed robbery, or some other trick desiged to keep you down), I'm sure they would all go on to lead happy and productive lives.

Come on know, how silly is it to think that someone should have to spend thirty years in prison for trying to help his girlfriend's four year old relax (by foundling her when her mothers not home, or get 87 years for kidnapping someone, shooting them three times, and dumping them on the side of the road (punk ass bitch should'n of stole on you, while you were talkin to your shorty).

After a few years of intensive treatment I'm sure they will be just fine.

[This message has been edited by dsumner (edited 12-19-2000).]

[This message has been edited by dsumner (edited 12-19-2000).]

[1026]

It's too bad they're developing much of the land along 168; those cypress swamps and water moccasins might provide a deterrent to escape. http://www.specialoperations.com/ubboard/icons/icon6.gif

[Gunpoint]

Need an ego boost or something? http://www.specialoperations.com/ubboard/smile.gif

Seriously, it doesn't matter what we think. It only matters what the chicks think.

Kristen excepted.




[This message has been edited by 1811 (edited 12-19-2000).]

[Sharky]

Well now, I see the FBI has returned. Where you been? Don't try telling me you've been busy with work. You know that won't fly.

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F.I.D.O.

[dsumner]

1811:I get all the ego bossting I need from our inmates, every night as I wave at them heading out the gate.

1026: I think the M-16s and attack dogs have more to do with it than a little swamp water and snakes.

[wolfhound227]

D.S.
Remember that snake idea I had?
Anyway,I don't know how you don't go nuts.I sure as hell don't know how you make it to lunch each day without beating the crap out of a couple of shitbags.
I looked at DOC here because Salinas Valley seems to be forever looking for new officers and I saw the pay was great.Then I found out why.I'm not sure on the actual numbers but a number of guards have been wounded this year alone.Salinas Valley is next to the old Solidad State CF and is a "Super-Max".
I've met a couple of CO's from there and they actually love their jobs.I also noticed that they're serious about their vacations.
My fear is that if I got a job there I'd become Dr.Mengele.

BTW,How's your knee?

[This message has been edited by wolfhound227 (edited 12-19-2000).]

[grrlcop74]

Originally posted by 1811:
Kristen excepted.[This message has been edited by 1811 (edited 12-19-2000).]

Dammit why don't I count?? I'm a hot piece of wench by God. Hmph.

Kristen
<pulling out SWAT brick>

[dsumner]

Wolf, the knee's better. On lite duty until the end of the month though. Think the whole situation could of been avoided if I only had one SWAT rock, or Da Turd to throw into the middle of the crowd.

[dtj]

As a Watch Commander in slower lower Delaware, I can't get the job done without good professional CO's, but there are a few times I wish some would stay home.
If you feel unappreciated in VA, or looking for a change, the Delaware Department of Correction is nearing the end of a big hiring push, but we've always got vacancies.
http://www.state.de.us/correct/index.htm

[dsumner]

I havn't seen a time when we didn't have vacancies.

[Erick]

CO's or Correctional Officers? Same title, two ways of saying of saying it.

Like those of us that work the road (or in any other profession) there are good ones & bad.

My better, far better, half works custody & she loves it. From what I've seen, she's damn good at it. I couldn't do her job, then again, I wouldn't. However, we talk about what we really do & have / get to deal with, she realizes why she never came out to the Road.

Comparing those who work Custody to those who work the Road or Street, is Apples & Oranges. I get along just fine with those, on both sides, who realize they are two totally different jobs.