Remain focused…your there to perform a job and nothing else, work stays at work..it’s a paycheck and sometimes it’s a sense of pride that you are giving to the community the books that were mentioned are good ones and you would benifit from reading them..it always pays to obtain as much information as possible…good luck

Thank you very much for your advice, I plan to implement it. I am going to pick up the books you advised also.

You let them know from the beginning that using put up with any form of disrespect show them through disciplinary reports, always be fair firm and consistant, don’t let them into your personal space, don’t let them kep u in one place a ling time talking to u let them know " say what u need to say and move on inmate", watch the other officers and be careful who youtry to follow in their footsteps they could lead u the wrong way. There are dirty officers everywhere. I have 20 years in and I have seen a lot and been through a lot so first and formost is your safety, your fellow officer’s safety, non security staff safety, then the inmate’s safety. Love those elevator rides LOL

The Art of the Con is a bewtter book than Games Criiminals Play-more recent. “Games” is OK, but The Art of the Con discusses staff sexual misconduct. Check it out at www.aca.org.

First and foremost, ALWAYS BE YOURSELF, keep your head held high and your chin up. I’ve read the other postings and they’re right. Stay true to yourself and the position. You’re there to do a job. That’s it, nothing more or nothing less. Good Luck.

I’ve been on the job for 10 years. Read the book, “Games Criminals Play.” You can get a used copy on Amazon for just a couple bucks, and it will save you some grief, as well as potentially saving your career. A few quick bits of advice….
1. Do NOT discuss your personal life at work. Not with co-workers and NEVER with inmates. Not even the smallest details, like what kind of music you like, sports teams you like, what you do in your spare time, are you married, do you have children and how many, and so forth. The smallest tidbit of information will be passed on and used to chip away at you later. You don’t have to be rude or a bitch to defer the questions. Simply state that your life is personal, and you will not discuss it. May sound silly, but read that book and you’ll know why.
2. Piggy-backing off the first point, it may seem weird not to discuss your personal life with co-workers, but you don’t know who is who when you first get there, and those guys will talk about you when you’re not around. Many times these conversations take place in ear-shot of inmates. All of a sudden, Inmate Jones knows that you’re single, you love football, and that you’re recently single because your boyfriend cheated on you. He tells you that all the other CO’s are talking crap about you when you’re not around, but “he’s got your back and he tells them that you’re a good CO.” Or, “You’re the best CO he’s ever met, and you’re the only one who understands him and the only one he trusts.” BS… it’s all crap and he’s trying to divide you from your co-workers. There is so much more you need to know, but start with the recommended reading and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you have a gut feeling that something is wrong, it probably is, so go to an experienced CO and ask! Good luck to you and stay safe!

As a sheriff deputy working at the county jail for over 8 years, I have seen female deputies “go” to the other side. One brought in marijuana for her friend from the streets, hidden in a burrito. Never, and I mean NEVER, let your guard down. The inmates will never be your friend. The inmates have all the time in the world to think of ways to try to get you fired. I don’t have any friends that are inmates, however, I do know of some inmates that would help me out if the situation would arise. The inmates that have my respect and that respect me will help me run the housing unit by keeping the other inmates in line.

Be strong,It’s especially hard for females in corrections.Say what and mean what you say.Allways be professional,if you tell an inmate that you will do somethingfor him/her and it’s within your institutions reg,do it,it will help to build respect among the inmates.Building respect does not mean befriend…Do not get the two mixed up.Please keep inmates out of your face…It dosent take all day to take care of an inmates’problem.In short do the job that you were trained to do…

I second adjinstructor’s ideas. We are all subject to manipulation. On the surface, it would seem that an identified sexual predator would not be a problem; however, it is quite the opposite. Some are quite adept at it. There is an inmate in the system I work in who has turned 5 females during his incarceration. The department made a video and in it, during a series of interviews, he says it is the pride of turning, the pride of getting over the ‘system’ that motivates him. The victim is secondary to the result.

Men are subject to their own issues and all CO’s are subject to being manipulated. Just be aware of your surroundings. And always report any incident, no matter how seemingly insignificant. That will always keep you safe.

And remember, true love is not found within the confines of a prison.

Hello and congratulations on a rewarding career. I workede 27 years in a jail. The best advice I can give to a new female CO is to watch out for the sexual predator-the inmate who will use emotional feedback-wanting to be loved, cared for, etc. on you. They are masters at it. Staff sexuakl misconduct where staff become involved with inmates is a serious problem. Please check out The Art of the Con: Avoiding Offender Manipulation Second Edition-available from ACA.

adjinstructor

Hello, I am starting a new job, and I am wondering if anyone has any advice on what I should now or should do being a female officer? Any tricks of the trade or things I need to watch out for.

Thank u

femco1