Topic: The Club House / Welcome to the Jungle

From my own point of view latex gloves doubled up are the best. I find the anti-stick gloves to thick to feel much unless you are planning to turn the cell upside down. First rule of a body/clothes search: don’t stick your hands in the pockets or anywhere you can’t see. Get them to turn their pockets out. Same applies to cell searches don’t put you hand/fingers into areas you can’t clearly see into. Use a mirror for awkward areas or if you facility has them Snake cams.

Topic: Everything Education / New Officer

I had a friend join the Job a few years ago. I remember her telling me she was terrified at the thoughts of working on the floor. To see her now you would think she was a 20 yr veteran. She runs her own landing and the inmates jump when she roars. After her first few weeks when she first came in I asked her how she was getting on and she said that the imagined problems were 10 times worse than the reality. You will find the same.
Follow your training, watch and listen to the senior staff, Be consistant in your dealings with the prisoners and be fair but firm in your decisions. Don’t tell them any personal info or discuss any with another officer within hearing of any of them. Don’t try and pretend to know more than you do (they can spot a rookie a mile off). And take each day as it comes. You will be tested to see how you will react (they do it to every rookie). Keep calm and deal with the situation as you were trained to do and if you are unsure ask another member of staff. Nobdy expects you to know everything so ask ask ask.

Topic: Everything Education / New Officer

djwolfen. Relax and your training will take over. After a few weeks you will wonder what your were worrying about.

Topic: The Club House / Army Medic turned Correctional Officer

Doc. As the Old saying goes don’t judge a book by its cover. To look at me you would say " Fat Old Man" but just last week I took down a Guy half my age on my own. The thing about this job is you will find that those not suited to the Job won’t stay too long. When I joined we had a class of 20. After the first 6 months there was 14 of us, in the first year that had reduced to 9 and after 15 years there are 7 left including me. Although this Job can be physical, 99% of the time it’s your mouth that will control a situation and get you out of trouble. A twisted sense of humour is also a big help.

Topic: The Club House / Army Medic turned Correctional Officer

Welcome to your new family. Many of the people you will be working with will be ex-military too so you will find that you have a lot in common. The best advise is watch what the senior officers do. Never take an inmates word always check and check again. And don’t be shy about asking questions of other staff. Better to ask than wing it and get it wrong. The best way to describe a prison to military is think of yourself and your colleagues as being deep behind enemy lines. You have the firepower but they have the numbers.

Topic: The Club House / Fighting with a inmate?

To be honest the first thing going through your head is putting the inmate down. You most likely won’t have a chance to hit an alarm at first as most attacks will come with very little warning. If you get a chance to back away from the inmate after the initial assault then you will have time to think about alarms. But if you can’t yell, scream make as much noise as you can someone will hear it. And use every dirty nasty fighting trick you can think of and worry about the paper work later. If you have to bite, gouge or rip any soft part of his body. Because your life may depend on you coming out on top.

Topic: The Club House / Criminal Rehab Program

totallackey speaking form an Irish point of view many of the criminals I have dealt with that have either lived in the Netherlands or have links there have said that the Dutch view on both Cannabis and MDMA was a factor for them plus having access to other players in the narcotics market. As for the port of Rotterdam being a factor yes it is but so could the ports of Le Havre (France), Antwerp (Belgium) and Hamburg (Germany) all have the same international shipping routes but don’t have the same level of foreign drug dealers resident in their countries as does the Netherlands.

Topic: The Club House / Criminal Rehab Program

totallacky. While you are quite correct in saying that cannabis has not been legalized in the Netherlands what decriminalization has done is attract major drug dealers from across Europe to base themselves there. Simple perceived legality of drugs has lead the Netherlands to become the major hub for illegal drug distribution in Europe.

Topic: The Club House / Just saying Hi

Welcome to the Family

Topic: The Club House / Retired military, just hired at womens prison, Ohio, Advice?

First thing to remember that although you were an NCO in the military when you begin training you will be the low man on the Totem pole so just keep that in the back of your mind. Corrections has many similarities to the Military but it also requires you to learn a completely different way of thinking. Don’t expect inmates to jump to attention when you speak they are more likely to tell you to F*** off than give you immediate obedience and female inmates are 10 times worse than males. Your previous military training should help you fly through the academy. And welcome to the weird and wonderful world of Corrections.

Topic: The Club House / Just Hired

LOL Augustus. You have it easy. If we get stung for a double shift it’s 24hrs long

Topic: Everything Education / Success of Direct Supervision

Not Angry just some home truths.

I have no problem helping someone wanting answers that are thinking about joining the Job or have a loved one in the Job but what don’t I agree with is someone being to lazy to go and do their own homework. And just look at the questions. "Do you enjoy working with the inmates? Really.

How successful have you found Direct Supervision to be in stress reduction of inmates? Do we care!!!

Do you think Direct Supervision creates an environment that allows the inmate to better focus on his/her rehabilitation? She having a laugh!!!

Topic: Everything Education / Success of Direct Supervision

I will Give you this.
I have worked directly with inmates since I joined the Job over 14 yrs ago.
The best way to describe our Job is like this. It’s like being a Police Officer in a town populated entirely by criminals who given half a chance would slit your throat, Beat you to Death and Rape your Dead body.

Do I enjoy interacting with inmates? Ask yourself this would you enjoy interacting with people that would like to do the above to you?

Stress Reduction in Inmates? I couldn’t really give a shit about their stress lvls.

Inmate rehabilitation. Is a myth. A myth made up by left wing do-gooders. I would estimate that 1 out every 1000 inmates wants to rehabilitate. You can have as many Courses, Programes and events as you like but as the old saying goes You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.

Our Job is to contain the dangerous. We are the watchers on the walls, The Gate Keepers, We are the one’s that keep the monsters securely contained and that allow you and the rest of society sleep easy and safely in your beds. We are not their social workers or their pastors. We are not there to hold their hand. We are there to keep control of the nasty people the killers, rapists, gang bangers, Armed Robbers, Child Molsters and general all round bad people.

Topic: Everything Education / New Officer

I concur with everything Irish has said.

Topic: The Club House / Total newbee

Watch what the veterans do. But don’t try pretend to the inmates that you know more than you do. They will know you are green. Be firm but fair. You are not going to save the world so don’t try you will only end up looking silly. Your voice and the tone you use it in is your best tool. And most importantly relax and enjoy the ride. And welcome to your new life.

Topic: Letter of The Law / Internal Training and Education

LegalGuardian. When a Juvenile is sentenced to custodial care they become the responsibility of the State “Wards of the State” (if you will) even though they have Parents/Guardians. The State becomes their Guardian for the time they are in custody and can make any Medical steps to ensure that inmates safety. Now if the State has that power for Juveniles if has the same power for Adults that require a Guardian. And to answer your querie about how we handle these individuals. We have in our Prison. Qualified Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Psychiatric Nurses that run our High Dependency Unit.

Topic: Letter of The Law / Internal Training and Education

Is the inmate you are the Guardian for Mentally Handicapped? The reason I ask is if the person is an adult it would be the only reason to have a Legal Guardian.

Topic: The Club House / Just Hired

The most important thing is a good comfortable pair of Boots/Shoes as Shakey has said. You will be on your feet a lot so it’s in your own interest. Good key holders is a must. One’s that you have to loop your belt through. Don’t worry about all the latest accessories . Stick to just the basics.

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

With us Kitchen work is classed as great privilege. Refuse to get out of bed when they were told to go to the kitchen and they would be sacked on the spot. Plenty more inmates more than willing to take their place.

Topic: The Club House / Women working in Corrections

Leorising. That is a very pessimistic outlook, I have been in the Job for 15 years. I dont have High Blood pressure, I dont have anxiety and I never treat any inmate as “Special”. And as for their friends on the outside. I give them no heed. Watching your back becomes second nature and you do it without even thinking about it. And under no circumstances have I ever found it difficult to remain professional. And I have worked in the roughest toughest parts of our prison. It’s a Job. You don’t take it personally. When I enter the through the prison gates at the start of the shift I put on my “Game face” until I walk out the gate at the end of my shift and I leave the shit behind me. It sounds like that is something you are unable to do.

Topic: The Club House / Co from New Zealand

Hi Kiwi. And welcome. Most of the folks on here are American But like you there a few of us from different parts of the globe.

Topic: The Club House / new to this site/corrections rookie

As Shakey said welcome to the Mad House

Topic: The Club House / New guy

Welcome

Topic: The Club House / Starting Career in Corrections

Again Giants2008 I can’t speak for NY DOC but here it’s 50.

Topic: Everything Education / Informational Interview

Hate working nights. Give me days anytime.