Topic: Everything Education / C.O. Combat Training.

I agree it makes no sense to eliminate the training we were making progresas on with the ERU, Cert etc.. But I still recommend to officersa that if they are serious about survival skills the seek appropriate training on there own. The main focus here is survival. I my 30 years of experience involving officer assaults most end up on th ground or multiple assailants. Currently few defensive systems teach ground tactics. PPCT has a component called GAGE (ground avoidance, ground escape) however we don’t teach it. I agree with you that those with some experience had to be restrained to following the PPCT force continuem but ultimately survival is the goal. In my current facility those skills are not tauight to new hires. My opinion is having some skills is better than having no skills. I can and have defended (in court) officers using skills not taught within the training curricullem under the presumption that the current system does not address ground skills. The burden of proof for the inmate’s attorney is that the force was excessive and malicious. My sole point is again that in my facility we have digressed in the area of defensive tactics training and training for ERU, CERT appropriate applications. This is a result of lack of leadership from our current administration and lack of a stable leadership establishment. We have had 7 director/wardens for this facility in the 16 years I have been here.

Topic: Everything Education / C.O. Combat Training.

Smetimes we go backward. In the 90’s we here in my county in Ne. we began training CERT for forced cell moves and other Emergency responses, but during the current administration all our CERT and ERU training has been abandoned. No OC, no CERT or ERU teams. We even gave away our dog. We spent so much on ACA accreditation but 0 on tactical emergency response. I am concerned that if needed we cannot respond to any small inmate disobedience in any form of organized manner. We don’t even train new hires for forced cell moves. We are retreating.

Topic: Everything Education / C.O. Combat Training.

Here in Nebraska we are taught PPCT/Warrior Science for certification on the initial year with yearly re-certification. Never enough training though. Like COGRIM I too have been an instructor and competitor in MMA long before it was MMA. When I started some 30 years ago training was purely rudimentary. Even today the training for most Corrections is minimal as compared to Law Enforcement, ie police/sheriff/patrol. While we have made inroads to the level of professionalism equivelent to Patrol we are still limited by our own Crminal Justice community to “less than Police”. We still are considered by many in our own community as “guards”. So the training is subsequently less intensive or extensive. In some facilities County Corrections Officers are even less trained than State Officers. Due to legal issues the counties don’t have the finacial resources to contest litigation concerning excessive force allegations. This sometimes ends in sacrificing the officer. I worked in several facilities including state(2) and Jails (2) and see the difference in training and standards of training. So in light of these issues some of use take the initiative to seek additional training on our own. For our own sake I encourage Corrections officers to do so if you intend to make Corrections a career.

Topic: A Broader View / Federal Bureau of Prisons

Hey prznboss, I am 3 1/2 years away from retirement here in a county jail next door to the east. I’ll have 32 years, 3 prisons 2 jails and a need to move west. Got room there for an old country boy? We here in the county have to mee the rule of 75 for pension eligibility. 20 yrs gets you 40%, 25 gets 50% and 30 gets 60% maxed out. I’ve got alot left and with a 6 year old I am not ready to quit yet. BOP is a good deal unless your over 37 to start. Trained with some BOP people and they were good folks. CERT, PPCT etc…

Topic: Letter of The Law / Use of Force

I know of two jails that allow the use of Chemical agents. Collin Cnty in Plano ,Tx. and I believe Grand Rapids Mi. I went on a tour way back in 2000 visiting several jails and those two were issuing OC to line staff. you may want to contact those facilities to see if they keep stats to support the use at the line staff level. I absolutely suport the use of OC at line staff. At my age I just too darn old to keep fighting the young guys. (thats what I want them to believe). :-)

Topic: Letter of The Law / Use of Force

Thats fine prznboss, no one says not to do what is neccesary to go home in one piece. But I was simply responding to the question. I’v been in 106 altercations in the last 28 years and so far not too worse for the wear.That time includes stints as CERT Supervisor and Instructor. Point is the these are tools for us as proffessional Corrections officers and the question was asked.

Topic: Health & Wellness / External Peer Review

Is your facility contracting with a medical services provider. We are an ACA accreditied Jail in Omaha and we contract with a private medical provider that is NCCHC accredited. Is your medical services in house.

Topic: Letter of The Law / Use of Force

Here where I work in a large jail in NE we are required to follow our force continuum as prescribed by PPCT/Warrior Science. While that companies force continuum does not specify a particular intermediate weapon, there is room there for us to write our policy specifying what and how to deploy those tools. Unfortunately here in NE we as usual, we are well behind the times when it comes to tools to use in such cases. PPCT does not endorse the use of OC as there is too much controversy with the validation of the risks vs. benefits. Many studies have been done, however most have been funded by manufacturers and not so scientific research. I as an instructor personally believe the benefits outweigh the risks based on empirical data collected from thousands of uses. Currently only secondary causes of deaths have been attributed to use. Use of the OC has not been attributed to the death of inmates resulting in anaphylactic reactions. Abuse of the OC has caused several deaths due to using a whole dispenser on inmates at one discharge causing a respiratory crisis due to anxiety resulting in an asthma attack. The use of tazers isn’t even in the picture yet for us. The force cont. can be found at:http://www.warriorsciencegroup.com/human_factor_training_systems.html
We still go hands on too often. We do use OC on Rare occaisions but only a Supervisor is allowed to dispence and we haven’t had them trainer in quite some time. Note that the only Offficial Training comes from the manufacturers of that specific brand.

Topic: The Club House / Comebacks

By the way, God love you texans. Will you please secede from the union so I can move there. It’s in your state constitution. :-)

Topic: The Club House / Comebacks

Inmate: Don’t hide behind that Badge!
Myself; This badge protects you. I like my job and if I did what I do naturally I would lose it.

Inmate: I’ll see you on the outside!1
Myself: I’m always protected and i practice more than you do! Ends with a smile and a finger gun!!

Topic: Everything Education / Turn over of new Staff

I apologize for my spelling, obviously my keyboarding skills are suspect. especially in between classifying inmates.

Topic: Everything Education / Turn over of new Staff

I like that Idea. As a former trainer that idea appears to be a sound solution to the issue. Unfortunately in Nebraska although we are a right to work state we do have a union and they would be totally against that practice. Ummmm I have to tell you the more I think of that idea the better it sounds. We do have a program at the local community college for a associate degree in corrections management, I think an internship in a form as you describe would be workable. Thanks!!

Topic: Everything Education / Turn over of new Staff

Not if the Gov grants amnesty to illegals.I did my part, 5 kids. read Ben Steins book and you will see the fasted growing segment of our society is Hispanics and Muslims with high birth rates.

Topic: Everything Education / Turn over of new Staff

Neal is correct. The historical pattern has been for the youg recruits want to go into the Law Enforcement street patrol end of the criminal justice system for various reasons. The corrections end was to get a foot in the door. Then after getting some experience move on to street partrol. This occurs because corrections historically didn’t have as high a hiring standard. That is changing. The other issue has been that even within our own criminal justice community correction has been treated as the ugly third cousin. That too is changing. When I first startd in 81 I was told not to tell my neighbors where I worked because we were looked at as being two steps below a crooked cop. So improvements in professionalism and organizations like the American Corrections Assoc. and the American Jail Assoc work hard to change our image. retention of professionals in our business is getting better as well as pay. Corrections is a big business now and we should benifit from it.

Topic: Everything Education / Turn over of new Staff

Not the department of corrections or the counties here in Nebraska. Corrections ahs always been a stepping stone for those who wish to move on into street service.However our State Patrol requires service for a designated time and if the recruit does not satisfy that requirement and moves on into another department or other service the costs are prorated to time of service. This was enacted because here in Nebraska many counties and municipalities paid a better wage and benefits. Since their certification follows the person they figured the othger agency was getting the benefit without the investment.

Topic: Letter of The Law / No lunch breaks?

While we have a union (FOP00) in our facility and are curently on an extended contract (ended 07/01/09) the issue of breaks has only been brought to the attention of the negotiators once. At one time the admin asked the union what they though of 12 hour shifts. The union agreed to a pilot trial period in the old part of the jail attatched to the courthouse. The provisions were a 1/2 hour break (paid) somewjere in the middle of that shift. When the pilot period concluded the officers overwhelmingly wanted to return to 8 hr shift with no set break period. I as a classification officer back then did reciewv 1/2 hour lunch break but found I was working most of those and decided to just work the 8. Later we were addee dto the bargaining unit and worked just the 8. Our admin has been very flexible with the time off post for small breaks as needed and didn’t believe the need for designated non-paid breaks. When I worked in Oregon Stae facilitry it was the opposite. Maybe the difference is state prison vs county jail. I was a deputy in Wa state back in the 80’s and our jail staff preferred a straight 8. Wa is a closed shop state as well as not a right to work state.

Topic: Letter of The Law / No lunch breaks?

A county in nebraska. The issue if you read the statute indicates that the HIPPA exemption may not supercede a state statute that may be more restrictive. However you can always go the legal route and make a motion for discovery pertaining to that particular incident. I am not sure if a state can force a blood test for pathogens. However I was involved in an altercation with an inmate and was tested for 6 months courtesy of the institution. But that was pre-HIPPA. I will research this issue further. It seems to me that a “victim” should have right to protected health information on an inmate in circumstances such as yours. Given proper protection of that information of course once disseminated to the victin.

Topic: Letter of The Law / No lunch breaks?

164.512

5) Correctional institutions and other law enforcement custodial situations.

(i) Permitted disclosures. A covered entity may disclose to a correctional institution or a law enforcement official having lawful custody of an inmate or other individual protected health information about such inmate or individual, if the correctional institution or such law enforcement official represents that such protected health information is necessary for:

(A) The provision of health care to such individuals;

(B) The health and safety of such individual or other inmates;

© The health and safety of the officers or employees of or others at the correctional institution;

(D) The health and safety of such individuals and officers or other persons responsible for the transporting of inmates or their transfer from one institution, facility, or setting to another;

(E) Law enforcement on the premises of the correctional institution; and

(F) The administration and maintenance of the safety, security, and good order of the correctional institution.

(ii) Permitted uses. A covered entity that is a correctional institution may use protected health information of individuals who are inmates for any purpose for which such protected health information may be disclosed.

(iii) No application after release. For the purposes of this provision, an individual is no longer an inmate when released on parole, probation, supervised release, or otherwise is no longer in lawful custody

Topic: Letter of The Law / No lunch breaks?

I will look up the exemption clause and quote it to you!

Topic: Letter of The Law / No lunch breaks?

No disagreement on that point. But we have access to health information on inmates that other employees of non law enforcement personel don’t have. Protecting an inmates health information is not what I am talking about. For an illustration I can access through proper channels health information that is privilaged and not accessable to say a school teacher in the context of their job. Should I be exposed to bloodborne pathogens while working in a correction facility i have a right to that information. Yes we practice universal precautions but I still have a legal right to pertinent health information on that inmate. Keep in mind we are talking in context of law enforcement and corrections. If you want to discuss the broader issues in general public we can go there to as i have worked security in a local hosptal for 20 years as well as corrections. Ther are also rules that govern medical issues if your med services are contracted and accredited throught the NCCHC or ACA accreditation. So my statement that we are exempt from HIPPA is strictly in the context of access to that pertinant information given certain circumstances. Does that clear things up?

Topic: Letter of The Law / No lunch breaks?

Sorry folks. Federal Laws do not apply to certain carrer fields. Don’t mistakes general rules for accross the board. I challenge anyone to show me a Federal statute, mandate etc… that states everyone gets a break. I live in a right to work state and we don’t get regular breaks at our county. Some state facilities do because of contractual agreements.Law enforcement and corrections are one of those career fields exempt. Just as we are exempt from HIPPA laws. Even the legislators congressmen/senators exempt themselves from labor laws.r

Topic: A Broader View / the economy and corrections

Sorry to hear that.maybe the state should impose a small sales tax. When I was there in the 80’s there wasn’t a sales tax so all the people from Wa would come accross the border and buy things. Then there was Wa where there wasn’t any state income tax. I know taxes aren’t popular but a sales tax could be imposed. Here in Ne there is state income tax and sales tax but some things are exempt like food and other neccessities. It seems to me that the state government is placing the public in jeopardy by cutting back on security. I remember Marion County releasing dozens of inmates in 87 because of overcrowding. I used to live just off of “felony flats” when Diane Downs escaped. I gotta tell myou I was really considering retiring to OR or WA in 6 years. Maybe I’ll have to stay here. We just hired 11 new officers for our jail. Doesn’t OR have some kind of universal health care in that state?

Topic: A Broader View / the economy and corrections

Sorry to hear that. One of my best friends just retired in Pottowattamie County on the Iowa side of the river and moved to Corvalis. She was hoping to get employement there as her husband is retired sheriff capt from Ne. Iowa isn’t doing too bad on their state budgets either. Seems like the lesser populated staes aren’t as hard hit as the coasts states.

Topic: A Broader View / the economy and corrections

Wow. Doesn’t make sense. Where is your facility? I worked for a year at OSCI in Salem back in 87-88 before going back to Wa then back to Ne. Is the facility in Coos Bay still open? We just took back an officer who was working in Washington County Oregon. I still have alot of friends in Corvallis, Multnomah, Astoria. It must really be tough there.

Topic: A Broader View / the economy and corrections

So far here in Nebraska we haven’t been hurt as bad as some other states. I can’t talk for the state system although they have cut a few positions but no one I know has lost their job. As for the county I work for (largest in Ne) we haven’t lost anything but we have cut back on housing units and packed our inmates in leaving fewer housing options. We came in under budget by driving our housing by budget not classification. Ouir state also requires that we have a balanced budget. I’m from, used to live/work in Washington in corrections and I know you guys are having problems. I sympathize with your circumstances. It really is up to your state politicians to cut your state budget in other places and get that money to public safety/ corrections. Maybe some alternative corrections.