I'll be starting at Bowie County Correctional Facility as a guard tomorrow. Had to shave my beard of 20 years. The better half is still deciding if she'll stay with me without the beard. First week is just class. Gotta say that at 62, after 30 years in IT, I'm a little nervous.
ETA: It is a mid level facility. We don't get the hard cases.
Last edited by Bigguy; 04-21-2019 at 08:06 PM.
Originally Posted by Bigguy
The worst I’ve been hurt was over what started out as a very minor arrest. You never know how people are going to act, so just because they are not the “hard cases”, they can still fight.
Besides you’re in east Texas on the Arkansas line. You know how those east Texas peeps are....
Take nothing for granted. Trust your gut and your instincts. You'll be fine. Be safe.
There's nothing civil about this war.
Give them what they have coming, no more, no less.The worst I’ve been hurt was over what started out as a very minor arrest. You never know how people are going to act, so just because they are not the “hard cases”, they can still fight.
Besides you’re in east Texas on the Arkansas line. You know how those east Texas peeps are....
Trust no one, especially the inmates.
Some will be people who made big mistakes and some will be your “hard cases” who either haven’t been caught yet or are working their way up.
Danger is not just physical. Your training will include some variation of a “games inmates play” class. Take it seriously, many of these people are master manipulators.
Last edited by HCM; 04-21-2019 at 09:26 PM.
This is a very wise post.
Some inmates will be rather likable, some maybe even decent people who just screwed up. You can treat them professionally, but never do favors for them. Once you do them an outside of policy favor, they have you.
I worked in a group home for juvenile offenders several years ago and I found it almost impossible to stay on my side of the line because they were kids and it caused problems. I've worked as a security guard since and I've developed the following list of rules that I abide by that I think would be applicable to this situation. Just substitute "prisoners" for Client employees.
Do your job
Don't start unnecessary conversations with client employees (really with anyone)
Never forget that client employees are not your friends. They won't even remember your name two weeks after you're gone.
You will NEVER win an "ego" measuring contest with a client employee.
Your personal life begins and ends at the front gate. Client employees, client customers and your coworkers don't need to know what you do on your off time.
If I work with you you're not on my social media period.
Mind your own business. If it doesn't have to do specifically with your job stay out of it.
If it didn't happen on your shift you're not accountable for it and it's none of your business.
Security guards are to be seen and not heard. Keep your political and religious opinions to yourself. You're a security guard, Client employees don't care what you think and they don't want to hear it.
Always be polite , never be familiar, never be their friend.
When in doubt follow your WRITTEN orders and DOCUMENT that you followed your written orders.
Never make decisions. If your written orders don't cover a given situation contact your supervisor, let them make the call and document who made the decision and what they instructed you to do.
Keep your written reports as concise as possible. Do not put anything in them that is not an objective, provable, fact. "On this date. At this time. In this location. I observed the following condition. I reported it to the person whose duty it is to receive such reports and took the following action as directed by him or her."
Abide by your post orders at all times. If you break a rule for a client employee once they will expect you to break it every single time.
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A couple of suggestions:
Pay Attention: Take the time to learn the agency administrative regulations. Those are the standards you'll be evaluated on. Learn the offender rules (normally referred to as Code of Penal Discipline) in and out. Get a thorough understanding of your post orders. They'll vary according to the post you work i.e. housing, security, control center, perimeter, medical, transport. Be meticulous. A misplaced piece of equipment will cause the facility to get locked down until it's located.
Offenders: They study you 24/7 and have nothing but free time to figure out how to compromise you. Once you bend the smallest rule for one they'll try to expand on it. If you get one attempting to ingratiate themselves to you, call them on it immediately. Don't seek or expect thanks or gratitude from offenders. It's a manipulation technique. If you say you're going to do something, write it down and when completed -cross it off. Always, Always follow-through. Offender's have great memories and gossip like crazy. If you get a reputation as following through on what you say you will do, they'll be easier to manage. If you get the rep as a bullshit artist or easy to bullshit, you're nothing more than a chew-toy. Get a pocket-sized moleskine notebook to document things you need to do or offender behaviors. Be firm, fair and consistent in dealing with all offenders regardless of their crime. They're there as punishment -not- for you to punish. Look for patterns of behavior, if something changes -something is up. If you present yourself in a professional manner, stay in decent shape and follow through on things you say you'll do, you'll have a far easier time dealing with offenders than if you're lax or sloppy. If you stay in the game, you'll be amazed at how many staff end up getting walked out due to being compromised.
One gem of knowledge I was given at the start of my LE career was: "When you go to the zoo to look at the animals, the animals are looking at you too." I'm in no way saying offenders are animals -just that they pay attention and just like wolves or other pack hunters, they look for easy prey.
Good Luck & Shine those boots!
Last edited by FNFAN; 04-22-2019 at 02:25 AM.
-All views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect those of the author's employer-
Because the inmate is currently incarcerated at the "mid level" shouldn't necessarily indicate that they not hard cases. I see a lot of good advice throughout this thread and would like to add one more.
Just be yourself, it is very easy when you have control of others to become someone you are not. Good luck. ps. whenever possible keep your back to the wall
Thanks for all of the advice. I'll take it to heart.
Do not underestimate any of the prisoners. Do not assume that just because the institution is medium security the inmates are not dangerous. Mistakes are made in placement, plea bargains, deals for good behavior or cooperating are made. Prison overcrowding. These are all reasons for very dangerous inmates to be there. Always remember the inmate is only sentenced for a crime that he has been convicted off. The inmate could be a serial murderer but has not been caught yet. My Dept had a guy who murdered a woman; drove an hour away to set a barn on fire just so he could confess to the fire and use it as an alibi for the murder. Lastly- be wary of the other COs. Some will be corrupt and or so institutionalized there is not much difference from the inmates
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