I did have a couple burritos from the local stop ‘n’ rob earlier.

No, not at all. I belive that would either be pride or gas.

Is it wrong that I get that warm ray of sunshine feeling every time I read something like this?

I come back to a conversation that I had with an inmate in the blocks. He said to me, “you know I make more in one week selling drugs than you make in a year.” I replied, “well that might be true, but I can live with myself, can you?” So to those very few COs who wish to bring in contraband, be held hostage by inmates needing drugs, etc., I say to you “can you live with yourself?”

$16000 isn’t worth 18 months for me. Not to mention being shunned by your friends and peers, and the loss of a good career.

Hummm my math must be off but he threw away pretty much his current life and who knows what in the future for $16,000. Just for the not math savy thats about $27 per day in prison IF he got to keep his profits.

Good I like when dirty staff go down and catch a case. Should be more of that.

Just in case someone was considering taking Cell Phones in to inmates, a Correctional Officer from Ca recently received federal time for smuggling phones and tobacco in to his prison.

From : http://www.pacovilla.com/?p=79695
Former C/O to do time for phone and tobacco smuggling.

Bobby Joe Kirby, 54, used to be a Correctional Officer at CCC Susanville. He will now be a federal prisoner for 18 months, having been found guilty of smuggling cell phones and tobacco to prison inmates over a one-year period in 2010 and 2011. He is also having to forfeit $16,000 in money received for this enterprise. I would be willing to bet he doesn’t think it was such a smart move now.

It has happened before, and sadly chances are it will again. Never let your guard down out on the road.

Simple solution.

Cell phone jammers.

I suspect administration might not like losing their phone in the blocks.

The sad thing is they could jam every phone in an institution but congress is dragging ass on amending an act that prevents it. They can get jammers fairly cheap (in my opinion much cheaper then the cost of a single life). They just haven’t gotten around to it. The selective call technology has a place but I assume there are ways around that too. They have trained dogs to sniff out phones but they are expensive to train and only good for a few years like most contraband dogs. Also you have to keep in mind the powers that be only care about safety of ourselves, the prisoners, and the public enough to cover them legally. I find it hard to prove that them not buying any of these things lead to the escape or death of an officer or civilian. If nothing else they can hire a lawyer to convince a judge of their attempt to prevent it from happening

Yea transporter I’ve gotta agree that scenario is quite scary and sadly too likely to come true for some transportation officer.

“Hello…Joe? Yeah, this is Tom. Listen. They are moving me to a prison inXYZ today. I don’t wanna go, so have the boys ready to spring me along the way. Thanks!” My biggest fear as a transport officer.

Our jail used to house Federal inmates. They normally had access to lots of cash. A dirty officer could sell a phone to them for a minimum of $1000. (Cigarettes were going for $200 a pack and a grand a carton!) I was hired just after the powers that be caught up to the little game. lol A cell phone was found in the ceiling area of a fed cell. The tank boss in there was a very well connected guy who had made the statement that he could make one phone call and have the whole place blown up. He was not kidding BTW. He COULD do it. Lots of cash. Lots of associates. They tore that cell apart to find the phone.He made another inmate in the cell mad and the guy squeeled on him about an escape plan. They had the US Marshalls relocate both of them. Later the guy who squeeled came back (about 4 months had passed.) Within 15 minutes of being housed (with all new celies) he was nearly beaten to death. Yeah…Give em phones. What could happen, right???

They have cell phones and they use them. In my eyes it is just as dangerous as a loaded gun. For anyone who would state that inmates should have cell phones ask them if they would give a loaded gun to them or their child.

What a bunch of crap…inmates need cellphones. We got into a heated discussion on Linked when some person who must have been a salesman tried to tell everyone how inmates need cellphones to contact their families. Really? I pointed out many of the problems with cellphones to him and others on the message group but he insisted inmates need to call mom and dad. Guess they had no idea that inmates have access to phones in the blocks, they can call collect all they want.

So this inmate just “calls the press reporter on a smart phone from prison” and they willingly conceal his identity… Does nobody who works for this publication see a problem with this? Furthermore why does a place with the name “business insider” care about cell phones in prison? Sounds kinda connected to me. This kind of blatant risk to the safety of the public and staff from a and I use the term very loosely neutral source is just disgusting. I hope nobody is put in harms way by this seroiusly way off base article.

He never thought of who he was talking to either, obviously. Just like when they are caught with the cell phones, they have no problem giving up who brought it to them. We took an Officer to the investigators office after he was caught bringing in a cell phone. I remember the Investigator told me to stick around and I heard the Officer say, “What do you mean he (the inmate) told you I was bringing it to him, he wouldn’t do that. Me and him are cool.” Imagine that…………………. Couldn’t believe how gullible the officer was. Didn’t surprise me, just saddened me.

The funny thing is that the inmate in the story was interviewed via a cell phone. I’m sure the writer didn’t even think about calling the prison to tell them that the inmate had a phone, or that the officers were sneaking them in. I’m sure he feels that keeping his informant’s confidentiality is more important than the victims that will surely be hurt by the actions of this inmate and the staff.

We all know the dangers of Cell Phones in the hands of inmates. But the thing is most civilians don’t really understand just how dangerous. About a year ago I was giving evidence in court. We were prosecuting an inmates visitor for attempting to smuggle in a phone. And I had to explain to the court just how dangerous a simple phone could be. The fact that Hit’s had been ordered, other criminal enterprises could and were being carried out and both Officers and inmates had been injured because of them. Most of the ppl in the court had not considered the implactions until it was spelled out for them.

Not only are they illegal and should remain so, they are extremely dangerous. Just think, you piss an inmate off and he knows you are leaving at 10:00pm. He calls a few of his dudes and at 10:03pm, they find you shot to death in the parking lot. WOW…… how ridiculous is that article???

There is a story on the front page of Corrections.Com today from a website called Businessinsider.com. The story realy agrivated me. Their premiss is that it is a good business opportunity for inmates to buy cell phones from officers. They can make lots of money, and help fellow inmate’s make Facebook accounts to “meet girls and get them to send money”, and have “precious moments to call friends and family”. They totally wash over the dangers of smuggling contraband into prisons.

Here is the story:
http://www.corrections.com/news/article/31174-inmate-talks-to-us-over-an-illegal-cell-phone-about-working-the-jailhouse-black-market

My response is at the bottom.