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| Feeding the soul. What we do after the shift. |
| By Our Readers |
| Published: 08/20/2007 |
Editor’s note: This week and next, we let the practitioners tell their stories about what hobbies, jobs and interests they pursue to let off steam, feed their soul and get away from it all. Notes from Maine From Sgt. Sean P. Maguire, ACA Compliance Manager, Maine State Prison I am a Correctional Sergeant working as the Maine State Prison Compliance Manager. With 15 years on night shift in our Supermax facility and Special Management Unit my stress relief comes from my other life. I am a professional rock climbing and Whitewater guide. I am surrounded by people having fun and enjoying the great outdoors on a weekly basis. I also teach Tai Chi Chuan and various weapons associated with the martial art. This, through the years, has become, along with my family, the core of my life. Fortunately, I have been able to follow my father's advice to me when I was a young man: To survive in Maine, you will have to have multiple jobs, so make one of them something you love. I have the good fortune to be doing a needed job for the DOC here in Maine as well as have fun guiding and teaching people from around the world. Notes from Ohio 
From professional rock and roll drummer, John Popp, Ohio State PenitentiaryI currently work at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Youngstown. July marked my eighth year there. Prior to that, I worked at Youngstown’s N.E. Ohio Correctional Center. At both jobs I began as a CO and have worked with most every security classification of inmate from various states, including Ohio’s death row population. In all these years I have seen it all, stabbings (both staff and inmate), inmate murders, suicides, and countless fights. I have had a number of substances thrown on me, been assaulted, and have come in contact with a number of the prison gang groups. As you can imagine, all this can cause a lot of stress, and I needed an outlet to deal with it. For me, that outlet is playing the drums in a band on a semi-pro basis. I am, and have always been, first and foremost, a drummer. I started playing at the age of nine, going on to major in music at the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University. Over the years, I had played with such greats as Rock-N-Roll Hall of Famers “Left End”, and Auburn Records Recording Artist “Wretch.” I have shared the stage with many national acts such as Quiet Riot, Bad Company, Blue Oyster Cult, Saliva, Jackyl, The Bullet Boys, and CC Deville from Poison to name just a few. I have had articles about me in the national magazines “Modern Drummer”, “DRUM! Magazine”, “PIZZAZZ Magazine”, along with numerous other local publications. I have appeared on local television shows and commercials, radio, Internet, had various drum company endorsements, and toured most of the United States playing shows. It does not matter to me the size of the show, from a packed bar of local customers, to an arena full of thousands, because I have done both, it’s just the love of playing. Once in a previous band, we rented out the old (and supposedly haunted) Mansfield Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio to shoot one of our music videos. This is the same location that numerous movies and other music videos were like the “Shaw Shank Redemption” movie, and Godsmack’s video “Awake.” It was only after the urging of friends and family that I changed my major in college from music to criminal justice, and went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Law Enforcement Administration, and an Associate’s in Police Science Technology. Corrections has proved to be a very stable career for the most part, however, my ability to advance is futile. Though I have tried for numerous years, I was forced to take a position in the prison warehouse simply to secure weekends and holidays off. This has given me the opportunity to continue the passion that I enjoy so much, to continue to play music. Read about, listen to , and watch video clips of Popp’s passion at, www.myspace.com/johnnypopp Notes from Oregon From wild turkey call maker, Scott Bartholomew, Production Coordinator for OCE’s Garment Factory at EOCI. In my off-duty hours, I am a professional call maker. I specialize in Wild Turkey calls, but I do also build single reed duck calls. Most of my calls have been sold to customers (mostly collectors) in the Midwest and Eastern states. Last September, I was interviewed and photographed by the editor of the Call Makers and Call Collectors Association of America’s quarterly publication. That interview was used for the front page feature article highlighting my skills as a custom call maker. To hear samples of Bartholomew’s work, go to his site at www.goldenwoodgamecalls.com Notes from Guam From sole lady softball player, June Uson, CO III. My off time, which is Saturday and Sunday is either spent with my three grand kids, taking them to their basketball games or hanging out with my mother at her house. Presently, I enjoy playing softball with my co-workers. I really enjoy this sport, especially when I'm the only female who plays in the men's league. I also enjoy going out on Thursday nights with a few of my co-workers just to relax and just sing songs all night. Other than that I enjoy my time just relaxing, watch movies, or just window shopping. Notes from Colorado From nonprofit hospice founder, Dana Wilks, Management Analyst, Division of Probation Services My mom died a few years ago at the local hospice. I was so impressed with their services, I started making small donations. I have felt my donations are insignificant compared to the benefits we received from the hospice, so I knew I needed to do more. In October 2006, I started a nonprofit project, Trek for Hospice. We are having fundraisers throughout the summer, until the project culminates in a charity climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro in October 2007. When I’m not working or fundraising, I’m hiking in the Rocky Mountains to prepare for October. It’s been easy to set the time aside, knowing hospice will benefit. I’m fortunate to have the support of my colleagues in probation; although July 1st, I transferred from the field to the state office. For more about Wilks’ project, go to www.trekforhospice.org. Notes from Virginia From the Corrections.com MySpace page, by http://www.myspace.com/ RedOnionCO On my time off, I get a kick out of watching my kids play ball. I coach little League baseball, basketball, and football when I can. I love being outdoors (especially fishing). I am a sports nut in general, so I'll watch just about anything. I also spend too much time on MySpace, lol! Notes from Kentucky From jeweler extraordinaire, Beth M. Beck, Payroll Branch Manager Division of Personnel Services 
Beth at "play"I operate a jewelry business and attend to my six –month-old son. I also created and maintain a website www.kyandbeyond.com for this. My husband and I were also featured in an Indiana article which tells about how I got started in my jewelry business . From animal lover, Tanya Stevens, Administrative Specialist III, Home Incarceration and Offender Re-Entry In my off time, I work another job at O’Charleys in Frankfort, and I volunteer at the LIFE house for animals. I take care of various dogs from shelters that are on “Death Row.” I am also going back to school for my Master’s degree in my spare time, which there is not a lot of!! Notes from Tennessee From Deputy Sheriff, Minus Adams, Manager, Education & Vocation Shelby County Division of Corrections Although many may consider this as a job, I consider this my off duty hobby. I am a reserve Deputy Sheriff. As a Shelby County Deputy Sheriff and Education and Vocational Manager at the Shelby County Division of Corrections, I have gained a better understanding of two separate law enforcement entities. I also have the opportunity to arrest a suspect and then try to rehabilitate him. I consider it a hobby because it is something that I wanted to do and enjoy doing, and I get a dollar a year. Notes from California 
From Sankai Kenpo Karate System founder, Tim Sebra, Correctional Business Manager, North Kern State PrisonI have been a corrections employee for more than 13 years. I also own and operate Mountain Martial Arts in my spare time. I am a fourth degree black belt in Kenpo Karate and founder of the Sankai Kenpo Karate System. I have been inducted into the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame as instructor of the year. I was inducted in 2006 and again in 2007. My school participates in the annual Relay for Life Campaign in Tehachapi, Ca where I live and operate my school. Also in my spare time, I am the Cubmaster for Pack 78 in Tehachapi. My other hobbies include religion, family, martial arts, running. Notes from North Dakota From CO Sara Doe, Dakota Women's Correctional and Rehab Center When my shift is over I usually go home and do my "farming" thing which consists of milking cows, helping w/harvesting. I also like to hang out with my family and pets. I never have a "day off" because of my home lifestyle so I am always working!! Check out more stories next week! |
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