DT is right. It’s not always cowardice. I have seen people that are willing and do respond to emergencies, they just don’t seem to be able to function once they get there. For some people that’s just the way it is I suppose, for others it’s just not paying attention to training, or planning out what they should do in a emergency situation. It’s always good to run some “what ifs” through your mind so you are prepared for anything. Read the policies for your area so you know what to do before you have to do it.

Inexperience isn’t the same as cowardice as someone stated earlier, I believe it was commander. All you can do is what you can do. Freezing up happens to some people, it’s one of your natural responses to stress. Fleeing is also a natural response, yet in this career field it isn’t acceptable most of the time. If another staff member is in a physical confrontation with an inmate then you need to assist them. By that I mean put your hands on someone, crowd control or presence.

I do worry about what I will do when the fit hits the shan, in my mind I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do and I do a great job, but what if I’m wrong? I’m very confident and I’m the type to help, no matter what, but I guess I just hope that what is in my mind during the ‘what if’ game is what I do.

Yea I’ve seen it a lot here when it gets dicey. Some of us step up to the plate and handle our business. BUT others tend to be busy doing other things. I keep my group small and they are generally like minded individuals that move towards the sound of chaos, not away from it. There are 2 things you have in this career field, Tony Montana said it best, “my b*lls and my word”. You need to be firm fair and consistent when dealing with inmates and you also have to be the baddest MF in the valley when the situation calls for it. Those of us on here, for the most part, seem to be of the same mindset. Sadly we all know too many that talk the talk…….

I concur Slim. A few months before I retired, the Hearless Felons (previously juvenile gang) and the Bloods went to war. We had between 8 to 12 inmates fighting in the chow hall and another 4 or 5 fighting in the hallway at the same time. I never doubted any of my officers as we had critical incidents happen daily. When the smoke (OC Fog) cleared, we won again and the bad guys went to the hole. Several hours afterward, I was told that a certain Officer wouldn’t respond to the fights. First I jumped the Officer for telling me so long after the fact, I let this Officer know, that was not snitching. When a person’s actions or the lack thereof, could cause us to get hurt or killed, that was getting rid of a potential problem. Then I called the Officer in question in and his first excuse was, I didn’t feel good. I let him know quick, fast and in a hurry that I would not tolerate his excuses or behavior. I told him that several Officers had indicated that he froze up and if they wrote him up, I would be glad to fire him. Wasn’t long after our talk, he went to 3rd shift. The Officers wouldn’t speak to him and I don’t know to this day whether or not he still works there but, I hope he stays on 3rd until he grows a set or quits. Prison is no place for a coward. He didn’t just freeze up, he hid, I later found out. Can’t tolerate that. Yall’s lives are tolo important to take that chance.

A lot of times this is an easy job. I would much rather do this than manual labor. But we do earn our money in those time of emergency. Unfortunately, this is also the time many staff fail to act accordingly. I have seen to many people who 90% of the time they are doing a good job, but when the crap hits the fan they are unable to function. It takes a certain kind of person to function at a high level when blood is being spilled. I have seen that blank stare many times.

Thanks so much everyone (I know I say that a lot, but I mean it every time). I’m just going to keep doing what I know to do and know that my efforts will pay off and before I know it they will be gone and I will be moving up and making a difference.

A lot of these Generation X think is supposed to be am easy job,hate to break it to them…is not..,,old saying easy job to do,easy job to loose…………Let them learn on their own but document everything….

I was the same way Bridgeport. Used to piss me off when I would come into work and find out everyone didn’t want to do what we were supposed to do. I always kept my uniform pressed and my boots spit shined. Habit I picked up in the Military. Always was gung ho. Just remember, everyone won’t be as good as you or as motivated as you, there will be some that are better and more motivated. I always tried to be better than most, never tried to be better than all. That is quite the accomplishment. You will be rewarded one day for your efforts. Might not be nothing big but, it will be something. My greatest reward was a Glock 23 .40cal from my fellow Lt’s and Capt’s upon my retirement and a CVA Optima .50cal muzzleloader with a scope from my Officers. WHat a send off. I will never forget them and hope to get a lot of use out of my pistol and muzzleloader.

I think my main problem is I’m just so eager, and I want to learn EVERYTHING, like, RIGHT NOW and I know in my mind it’s unrealistic, but I keep wanting everyone else to feel the same way I do and, of course, they don’t.

The logbook I keep at home has more than saved my butt many times. I have to remind other officers to get off their pedestal because everyone of us make mistakes or miss things. That usually is all that is needed even with supervisors. No one is without fault and when I pull the invisible note pad out of m pocket and remind them of it they tend to be much more lenient. The key thing is people will probably not write you up if you do the same. Now if can prove that they are dealing/ sleeping with an inmate or doing things that put your job or life at risk you better get out a bull horn and jump up and down and scream.

Sad but true commander… Sometimes I’d like to see karma get on the gas a lil harder and make that loop a bit faster.

Thanks guys, I honestly did worry about being seen as a do gooder snitch, but I really don’t want someone to get hurt because one coworker is too big to get there in time and the other one doesn’t care enough to get there in time. Hopefully something I said will sink in to him and he will either sink or swim, and I’ll work on trying not to save everyone :) Never thought about documenting it, great idea, thanks! Don’t have a union to worry about, but being short staffed tends to make supervisors more lenient :/

That’s why I always documented everything,kept a copy of it at home. You never know when it will come in handy. If you don’t write it down, it didn’t happen, management always wants documentation. Unions don’t always have a determining factor in a disciplinary action. Sometimes management will go the legal way though a civil service hearing to get rid of an officer. Of course if the officer is probationary they are out of luck, management can fire them for any reason.

But, Irish, as you know personally, a good Supervisor will just sit back and let the idiot talk him/herself into a 5 or 10 day suspension only to have the union grieve it and win. Then the good officer sits back with their mouth gaping open and wonders why. Just remember,,,,, Karma is a B####….What goes around, comes around for sure.

I agree with Slim, but always remember to make sure your butt is covered. Usually they ones who don’t care about the job also don’t care about throwing someone else under the bus to save themselfs. I like to call it the misdirection play. (inmates are good at it too) When said person is caught and in deep crap, they like to draw attention towards something else someone else did wrong in an attempt to get attention away from their screw up.

BUT, if you have to work with this person in a pod and they’re not pulling their weight or not security minded and it makes your day more difficult…… Well then sometimes a little word with the supes on their security rounds never hurts, just to let them know what’s going on in your area. Just sayin.

Gotta agree with the “let ’em sink or swim” on their own. Unless it poses a threat to security of the institution or staff. As Mick said earlier most of your class will be gone in a year, came in a group of 8, just me and another guy left now. A lot of people aren’t cut out for this line of work.

Slim is absolutley right. There are other ways to handle the situation at hand. Some supervisors will tell their buddies that you tell on them all the time. Use discretion. If it is a situation that left unattended or unreported, could breach the security of the institution or cause physical harm to staff or inmates, it is an immediate reporting offense. Otherwise, talk to them in private, don’t coach them, talk to them. If that doesn’t work, let them learn on their own. At least you tried.

Scare the hell of a me too!Work with one that likes to tell us how he goes to the gym everyday but he is scare to write inmates up…Use of Force and report written,must not forget the rule books..Essential knowledge…
Bridge it sounds like this person needs a healthy dose of reality…..
The other one….heck what can I said ,I dealt with them before.Try to tell them and the next thing I know I am talking to the supervisor…Harresment..
I just let them learn on their own while I watch from a distance…..Safety..Safety.oops Security too.
Good luck be safe.

Slim is right. Sometimes you have to let people make a shite of it. They wont/cant learn any other way.

I will go out on a limb and say, be careful of wanting to report every error of other employees. While it is responsible, and sometimes the law to report certain offences by staff, you will quickly gain a reputation as someone who no one will want to work with if you are running to the supervisor over every little thing. You will find out that many new employees just need to learn things the hard way. You will find that many older employees are stuck in their ways. Let that employee know politely he is screwing up, and leave him to his own devices. Do your job to the best of your abilities, and try not to emulate lazy and corrupt staff, but be wary of becoming a self rightous do gooder.

Some here will probably say they disagree with me, but those who have worked in corrections long enough will know I’m right. Whether or not it should be right.

I just put it in the training managers ear that maybe we should do the ‘con games’ portion of our training, like, NOW. I’ve already been through it, but will be happy to go through it again because he hasn’t. I had him read ‘Downing The Duck’ but again he didn’t act like it was anything serious. At least I can say I tried, and will keep trying even though I know you can’t save everyone.

That is all you can do. If he gets caught up in the inmates games that is his fault and life. You can remind him of how women really are and point out the legal repercussions of his actions like possible prison time and financial ruin but from the sound of it he already knows better. I was told by a very intelligent person once told me you can cut down a tree with a pocket knife given enough time. That’s how the inmates look at corrupting staff. They simply come in and take a few slices at it and if they find the soft spot they will work on it till they can watch us fall. That would be a good line to tell your friend. So if he cannot play the game well he will lose.

Yeah, I’ve already had to pull him away from an inmate and have a talk with him because it took about 20 seconds for her to get some pretty personal information from him and they were surrounded by other inmates. She looked at me and smiled because she knew that I knew what she was doing because she’s already tried it on me. It just doesn’t seem like he believes the gravity of what he’s doing and I’m afraid for him, but what do you do but try to warn him?