Byron Blackmar never wanted to work in the corrections field, let alone make it his lifelong career.  Yet, after 16 years in the business, the former waiter believes that he is an effective communicator, which makes him good at his job as a CO.

And others share in that opinion, as well.  This year, the Rhode Island Department of Corrections named Blackmar its Officer of the Year and he was also a finalist for the International Association of Correctional Officers' 2005 National Correctional Officer of the Year Award. 

Soon after he returned from the IACO awards luncheon in Washington, D.C., where he was recognized for his outstanding job performance, The Corrections Network News talked with Blackmar about his accomplishments and how he came to settle in the corrections profession. 

Q: How did you find your way into the corrections field?

Blackmar: Really, it was, I'd say, an accident.  I was in the restaurant business for eight years before I came to corrections in 1989.  I joined the military in 1981 and I just retired last April (2004) as a First Sergeant.  That is the top of the company.  I ran a drill sergeant unit for a lot of years and I finally got out of that.  I was a waiter and I was making tons of money.  I was making good money, but the IRS wanted a lot of it.  [My wife wanted me to get another job, too].  I have always held two jobs, all my life. I saw an advertisement in the paper [for a corrections job] and I applied.  I really didn't want to do this kind of work, but I said I will give it a shot because God gives you gifts and you really don't know what gift you have until you at least experiment and try [different things].  That is how I ended up in corrections.

I applied the first time and I didn't pass the interview.  I was probably a little too hard- core because I was a drill sergeant.  I waited another year.  I applied again and I got in this time.  Back then to get up here, it was very, very hard.  The classes were small and the training was demanding.

That is how I got my foot in the door. I started at a high security facility.  It was tough.  I got spit on.  There were no cell extraction teams at that time.  I don't know.  For some reason, I started liking what I was doing.  I guess I had that gift.  I had that gift with people.  I guess what helped me survive was I got to go away all the time - for [National Guard] drills.  I slowly developed [in corrections], from that point on, and I ended up staying here for a quite a while.

I started in high security and a year-and-half later, I ended up in a riot in a yard at a maximum security facility.  I have worked all over.

Q: What do you do in your current position?

Blackmar:  I am at Donald Price Facility, which is medium security facility.  Basically, what I do is I just help people out.  I didn't think this would all happen to me.  I have been named Officer of the Year department-wide and I am a finalist for [International Association of Correctional Officers'] Officer of the Year.

Currently I work in the utility office, but I can get pulled at any time and get do all kinds of stuff.  I am also currently a member of the cell extraction team in our building.  Every other Wednesday, I am a hostage negotiator and I train a minimum of eight to 16 hours a month.  I leave my regular post to go do that job for a drill.  I am part of the crisis intervention team.  I get pulled at times to do cell take-outs or respond to life threatening situations and any other dangerous situations that occur in the workplace.  I am also a chief steward for the union. 

Q: How do you feel about being nominated for a national award?

Blackmar:  I am on this wave and just can't get off this big giant wave that I am on.  I am just at a loss for words.  I just got back from Washington, D.C. [for the IACO Awards Luncheon].  What I don't want to do is run out of gas and let this get to my head.  I just want to continue to help people and give them whatever they need.  [Being recognized for this award] has really taken a lot of time from what I am all about and what I do.  I am playing catch up, but I have a lot of other union stewards and people that help me.  That is one of the gifts that I have - I can get people to [help] for me.

Q: What are some of your greatest accomplishments?

Blackmar: I am a survivor.  I have had urine thrown on me and I have been in riots.  I have been in wrestling matches with inmates and I have taken shanks away from inmates in high security.  I think that that would be one of my greatest accomplishments - just coming out with no injuries.  I have never come out with a physical injury that would keep me out of work for a long, long time.  What I learned at the academy, my military training, whatever I learned on the street and my wrestling skills have helped me a lot.  I am just grateful that I survived a lot of battles.

Q: What do you do during your down time?

Blackmar: I have three kids.  I have a 21-year old daughter and then my two sons, who are 11 and 14.  I have coached seven years of hockey and I am coaching basketball now.  I coached five or six years of girls' softball.  We won a championship and that was a great day for me and my daughter and the whole family.  I am constantly working with people.  Just now, I am trying to develop other skills, like golf.  I even tried bowling out for the first time a couple of weeks ago, but I am sticking with golf right now. 

Q: What advice do you have for others working in the field?

Blackmar: I think they just need good negotiating skills.  They need to be good communicators. They need to know how to speak to people and not to look down on people.