I only put in 5 years at a 500 man Med/Min Risk facility, but I agree with everything everybody above has posted.
Inmates will always be inmates. Never forget that. Watch your back and the backs of your fellow officers. The number one goal is that everybody goes home with only as many holes in them as they went in with. Be very mindful of complacency. And no matter of what is going on remember to just breathe...
Be safe and watch your six.
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You will observe that many staff members will display careless behavior that includes inattentiveness and lack of common sense. Many will not be task oriented. Some will be lazy. Others will show pettiness and emotional immaturity. You will be in a world that operates on the snitch system. You will find that some supervisors have inmate snitches who report on employees. You have entered a profession with most high employee turnover. Certain jobs on the unit are much more desirable than other jobs. Hang in there and land one of the plum jobs. You will be chosen because you can cut the mustard.
Fact. You will encounter much tattletale behavior among employees who will stand in line to snitch off their colleagues. So you have to keep opinions to yourself. You will be in a position to help others by being a responsible employee carrying out important tasks that contribute to inmate safety. Try to be upfront and sincere. The inmates will respect you for that. Keep your cool by not losing your temper. If you can leave that place there when you go home, you will sleep like and baby and be ready for the next day. I loved working in corrections and would be there today if I were younger and in better health.
Please be aware that most dope and tobacco and other contraband are brought in by employees. It's a big dollar game. Be careful. Be aware that inmates have illegal cell phones with the capability to record voice and image. You must decide what you will and will not ignore.
Enjoy your new career. Been there and done that.
Be prepared...
There's nothing civil about this war.
A couple of things to remember. People are not in prison for what they did, they are in prison for what they were caught and convicted of doing. You will be around some really clever psychopaths who possibly got away with rape or murder but only got caught committing a property crime. secondly, it is not necessarily the giant muscle apes that you have to fear, it is the weaselly little guy who will try to put something in your coffee. The worst scenario of course is being alone with a bunch of inmates who will try to gang up on you. Good luck and pay special attention to Cyphers rules.
Good advice given to me at the engulf my LE career. When the fight is on, get into the fight.
I worked every level in the Prison system.
Saw a guy get killed in a medium Security Prison... in the yard.
I had many use of force working there .. It's a different world than being a Cop.
Being a big crazy Bastard helped me avoid a lot of shit from Inmates working Corrections.
Prison is a fucked up Bazar world... filled with every low life on Gods Earth.
Some times other staff can be your worst enemy.
Last edited by Robert Mitchum; 04-22-2019 at 11:25 PM.
The only real experience I have with the prison system is as an outsider. My former son in law spent seven years in FCI Florence medium security.
One weekend I took his son (my grandson) to visit him. When we got there the guard told us that we couldn't go in because our shirts were to close in color to the inmate uniforms. I started to argue the point then stopped and told the woman that I'd abide by her decision. I left the prison with my grandson and drove to Walmart, bought 2 plain black T shirts and drove back to the prison.
When we go there the guard turned ghost white but let us in to see my SIL.
Long story short I later found out that the guard told SIL that I had beat the stuffing out of his soon in the waiting room and been kicked out. According to the guard who reported her, her intent was for the SIL to be mad enough to attack me as soon as I walked into the visiting room. Then she was going to throw him in the hole.
Everyone who works in the prison system isn't like that but some are and you won't know who's who until it's too late.
Watch your back
War Story ..Dude I worked with almost got killed by a Inmate who was very good with his hands.
Saw the video... he got punched 17 times in the face ..only thing that saved him was other Inmates who stopped the guy from hitting him any more.
He was never the same after that ..
Than there was the riot that broke out (Medium Security Prison).
They beat the $uck out of a CO so bad he never came back to work.. saw him a year later he looked like shit .. (Medium Security Prison).
Put in 25 years .. I don't need any Force on Force training or what makes a bad guy tick.
In a Prison you will get found out fast if you are all show and no go.
I offer you any help if you want it ..
Good Luck and stay safe !
Getting interesting. Second night as OJT, and I'm at a station by myself. (All OJTs are because we're so undermanned) Call goes out on a 10-10 at another staton. We all scramble and wind up with 8 - 10 guys in the pod. I wind up being the guy who goes hands on. Nobody else engaging, sarge screaming to take him. Sarge thanked me and said I did good. This was on the "calm" deck.
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