Dyin’ over here, readin’ comments !

I’m college educated and most of my friends and family are in law enforcement or are rescue & medical professionals so I really don’t get much stereotyping. I do on rare occasions have to explain the difference between a “Jailer” (aka “guard”) and “Corrections Officer” but for the most part everyone around me knows what I do and all the training I have gone through for the sake of the job. I think the BEST remedy for the image of CO as goon lies with the officers themselves. If more CO’s had more interest in training, education, professionalism and physical conditioning then that stereotype wouldn’t be quite as widespread. How many of you work with at least ONE semi-literate, overweight, lazy, rude (or any combination thereof) CO? How many of your coworkers are just there for a paycheck and aren’t very committed to the job itself? How we conduct ourselves on the job and off goes a long way towards shaping how people regard our profession.

Yeah Cq I know they lowered the standards. I’ve seen a few of ‘em, and frankly I think one CO is a bit on the mental slow side. It’s scary. Knuckle Dragger? Naw.. most of my inmates look at me 1) Like I’m crazier than they are, 2) Know I’m prior military, 3) Don’t put up with any crap, and finally 4) Know I don’t mind a good fight. So it all tends to keep things on an even keel in my part of the “insane wing”. I push education with the ones that are the medical detainees, and will work with them if they need help with their studies. Hell I don’t mind as long as they want it. I’ve told ’em that I have a B.A., M.A., and M.B.A. mebbe I can figure things out a little.

Of all the Public and Law Enforcement services I would have to say that we in Corrections would have the Darkest and most Twisted sense of humour of all. But then again look at the environment that we work in and the people we work and deal with. Is it any surprise. Our Job is completely unique in every way. Sure we even have our own language.
I remember being out one night with friends from work and some Humans (what we call civilians). Half the time the Humans couldn’t understand what we were saying and the other half puzzled and at times horrified by what we found funny.

I’m fairly short so my knuckles are close to the ground, but they don’t quite drag! Good thing, draging my knuckles would totally ruin my nails!

And to think that I thought that it was only the dry air and old age making my hands cracked and calloused. It wasn’t untill tonight, after I got to work and found a few peddles and dirt in my knuckles that I realized what you all where talking about.

I need a banana.

It looks like every state has openings in corrections but few answer the call. We’ve had posts in the past where we talked about seeing corrections staff who don’t take care of their uniforms or even attempt to look professional. Is it possible that a lot of potential new-hires shy away because they think the job is beneath them and only a Neanderthal will do it?

I totally agree that you can’t understand working in corrections and can’t appreciate the humor unless you’ve worked in corrections.

Hey Sniper7310, got to agree with the humor aspect. If someone were to tell me the things these idiots do before I got into this business I’d never believed them. As for the recession, look around. It’s nation…scratch that, World Wide as our economey effects the World. DSHS is dropping claims as families have exceeded the time frames and are no longer elligable for benefits. For those who are dealing with Labor & Industries in a fight for disability, only adds to the stress and depression. The result will increase in crime and suicide.
In WA, they have lowered the standards so new recruits may get hired on….lol

No one will really understand what we do until they have done it themselves. No documentary can begin to show what it is like and what we put up with every day. I will give some credit Hard Time (nice job ODRC) is good but still will never be able to show what its really like. Then they think they know what its like and look at us like we are completly nuts because of our warped sense of humor. If you cant laugh about the warped things you will go crazy. One thing though that I cannot figure out. Ohio is in a huge recession, highest unemployment rate in how long, so the new officers coming in ARE THE BEST WE CAN FIND…..REALLY?

Thank you, guys.

Unfortunately unlike the Police whom the public see every day and look upon as Guardians of their safety, we are hidden behind high walls and razor wire. And apart from a few Documentaries on TV. Most of the media portray us as lowly educated Neanderthals in uniform. What they don’t see is the work involved. Let me take one example. Criminal Intelligence gathering. My colleagues and I in O.S.G. (Operational Support Group) work very closely with the Police sharing gathered intel. Which has lead to some stunning victories against the criminal gangs both inside and outside the prison system. And until the day comes when the media give us a fair shake we will always be thought of as Knuckle Dragger’s.

I have a couple of nephews that have been in and out of jail/prison and like most all inmate mothers/grandmothers/girlfriends they believe everything they tell them hook, line and sinker. So them I’M the one that’s looked on with suspicion because I’m one of them big, mean prison guards their little darling told them all about. I’ve tried to set the record straight a couple times in as gentle a manner as possible but you can tell they’re always going to believe them more than me.

There is a lot of buzz about the economy, especially here in Ohio. When state workers (in general) complain about cutbacks, a common response is “If the job is so bad, quit!” It’s difficult to respond to that statement in a sentence or two, but one reply might be “If the job is so good, come join us.”

Money is a big consideration to just about any job, regardless of what the job is, and I freely admit that I wouldn’t be working Corrections if the state paid minimum wage with benefits like most private employers offer.

We work side by side with people that the general public wouldn’t want as next door neighbors, and the general public doesn’t realize what we deal with day after day. It’s more than simply watching and feeding prisoners. My friends and family understand what I do, but even they don’t REALLY understand what the job is all about. They do, however, know me on a personal level and they know I’m not in this job because I think I’m going to get rich.

Do you have any neighbors, friends or family who still think we are knuckle dragging “prison guards?” Do you still respond to their inaccurate perceptions of what you do, or have you given up?