Hey Transporter you did what I liked to do in the catwalks by listening to inmates when they were passing information. We also used to stop the wall banging and the screaming in a block by using a bell ringer. That is a steel window crankshaft that only we could use to open windows with would be taken into the catwalk then you hit the steel window behind the inmate’s cell thus causing a “bell ringer” that immediately stops all the crap and talking. BTW…another trick for some of you new officers is to tape a black garbage bag in the catwalk behind a mirror or window if they have one in the back of the cell. It catches all kinds of cigarettes, contraband and M.J.

Never relied on or trusted snitches myself either.

The guys in seg are always sharing their stories. I like to slip into the pipe chases behind the seg cells and listen. That’s how my Captain (who was a floor officer at the time) overheard an inmate tell another that he was going to shank me and another guard the next morning. A search of the guy’s cell turned up a nice sized shank made from part of the mop bucket. As far as a snitch goes…whatever they give you they are hiding 10 times as much. I don’t give a rip what they tell me I don’t trust any of them.

I honestly never trust a snitch. When I am given info in any shape or form I check it out and also check out the snitch. I have found most of the time the guy giving you info is doing so to get you off his back. The best thing I have found is simply listening to inmates talk. They tell on themselves when kicking it with their buddies time and time again. This information is free all you have to do is creep around your living areas a little. Also inmates tend to write things down. I shake down inmates and see who they have photos with in the visiting room or who they get letters from in seg and so on. Then I start hitting the whole social network. I have found when you do this they move the contraband within the people they are friends with and trust if you stick to this group eventually you’ll get a bingo.

We pay our snitches with tobacco. And we get it from Management . A good snitch can be worth his weight in gold. But you never trust them. When I worked in the Intelligence Unit we would always cross check any info we got. And if it turned out to be good the snitch got paid. A lot of the time they would start as a revenge thing but like they have us if we cross over to their side we have them when they come over to ours. They know themselves what happens to someone that Rats. So it’s in their interest to play ball.

All true,my few good ones,snitches.revenge,they have canteen stolen from them,and they where about to max out ,or parole….going away present.But like you said,two way street,inmate wanting favors or in one case I knew,getting rid of the opposition.Be safe.

For those of you out there walking the catwalks here is a thought. Have you been approached by any inmate who “snitches” on other inmates? These people seem to delight in telling officers who has a “stash, pipe, shiv” if the supervisor can move them from the block or tier to a better area of the prison. It’s difficult for officers to believe anything the inmates tell you because behind that free advice is some truth mixed with a lot of lies and deceit. Sometimes these snitches will get you information that could be very helpful in finding contraband or preventing a fight or stabbing. There are officers who use snitches to get information on other prisoners but the slippery slope is just around the corner when officers realize that such snitches might be setting up that officer so the inmate gets “favors” down the road. Stay safe.