Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying we only hire hot young females. But they get much attention from male staff which is a shame as they become jadded.
We have some great female staff here. Promotion doesn’t play a part in promotion We have to Board for it so it’s pretty equal.

I totally agree with you. I have seem less qualified, good looking, skinny, young females get hired over more qualified individuals. That have job or military experience. Nepotism plays the strong role in getting hired or promotions in my jail.

I’m up in Canada. The pretty CO’s get a lot of attention from other male staff.
It’s common up here in Corrections to cheat on your spouse with staff. It happens all the time. If you’re a prima donna then you may be targeted.
Be Alpha, strong and show you belong. Don’t wear make up/ high heels / and have perfect hair for the interview.
Good luck.

www.work_that_bass.com good luck finding the love of your life.

Challenge accepted sir

BTW…. whats the name of that frozen flounder website?

Sadly you are right we have had males fall in love too. Though I see how it can happen I still don’t understand what a prisoner can do for you that anyone not locked up cant. Wanna make money? Do some over time or side work. Wanna find love? Talk up people you meet outside of work or heck the internet is a magical place if you want to find someone who like midnight walks on the beach as you flog each other with frozen flounders in animal costumes there is a site for that.
As for tea and coffee it still happens but I am old fashioned I don’t tweet I just used the jhon or brushing my teeth is fun. I like to keep some of my life off the internet. Who knows there are some pics of me at a Rocky Horror Picture Show floating around out there that would ruin my chances for being a senator. Though that was a night to remember. Points if you can find them Irish.

People still go out for coffee and or tea? I thought everyone just sat around and twitter each other or something like that now. Eh, I’m kinda ugly and don’t get many dates so what do I know….

Sadly Campi, that wouldn’t stop the folders. Just make them a little smaller and a lot more disturbing.

Well from the sounds of it I would ask you out to coffee/tea if I wasn’t married but if things do not work out I will call. Women have been working on corrections for awhile and if people cannot come to terms with that its on them. I still think we should go a same sex first approach though. Men watch men and women watch women. Then if say the female prison is full up on guards they can then be distributed to other prisons and vice versa. This would put a end to the giant folders that are at entry points full of people who fell in love. But perfect world right? As for looks as long as you can pull the weight looks don’t matter.

Keep in mind the time tested thought of “be cautious of the quiet people”. I’d say about 80 to 90% of those who go out of the way to come off like Billy Badass are quite the opposite, staff and inmate alike in this case. Granted I’m not much for the kind and gentle ways of today, but I make a point not to go causing unwaranted problems. Give everyone what they have coming to them, nothing less and nothing more. I.E. if inmate A hasn’t been marked for his rec on my shift then he gets his rec time, yet inmate B has been marked off from the shift before then he has nothing owed and nothing coming from me for rec. Same with staff members, if we get along and like each other than I’ll be more personable with them. If we don’t I’ll still do my best to make sure you go home safe and the job is done but don’t expect me to come by and be your best friend. Once you’ve hit the point where inmates and coworkers know how you function the job becomes much easier. Same for the new hires. Once you understand how those your surrounded by every day function then you’ll have an easier time dealing with the games inmates play along with the off beat humor and other quirks correctional employees are known for.

I honestly don’t believe that anything unusual happened in your interview process. I guess all of my job interviews have been in a traditionally male environment and that’s always how I was treated, too. Especially at the marina. I am happy everything is going well with your job and am happy you like it. One of my friends has just started working in a jail and she loves it.

That is a pretty good analogy Mick, I’ll have to remember that one.

Mick, thank you for sharing that perspective. It helps me better understand what takes place.

TimD. We like the Police deal with societies underbelly. And that makes one rather callous and hard. You say we seem unique in the need to be Tough but Professional. But we are far from unique. All you have to do is look at any good parents and you will see the same thing. Think of like this. A set of Foster Parents have a house full of wild unruly kids. By necessity they need to use a firm hand to control them but the parents need to know that a firm hand by itself is not enough. They also have responsibilities to ensure the kids are cared for. That is the Job of a Corrections Officer but instead of a house full of unruly kids we have a Prison full of violent adults.

I am currently taking a corrections course in college and from these posts it sounds like there is something unique to the correctional facility culture. You have to be tough, yet professional. Vasilisa, I am glad everything worked out and you got the job. Once you were on the inside, you were able to learn more about your co-workers, which can mean better understanding and better communication.

I agree with everyone saying “Be the Professional” along with that, I would add, “Treat everyone, with dignity and respect”.

Though they have committed crimes, and sometimes they can be the dregs of our society, when you treat each individual with Dignity and Respect you can almost always be guaranteed to get it in return. Most of the populations we work with, on some level know when we are doing something for them (helpful) and when we are doing something to them (harmful).

They know when they are dealing with a professional or a philosopher (BS Artist, Mel Brookes-History of the World).
One of the biggest mistakes I see new officers make is promising something they can’t deliver, either because it’s against policy, or because they don’t have the authority. You always want to avoid promising anything.

The other thing to always remember and some people will disagree, but I have found from personal experience that when I screw up, I man up and apologize. I have, believe me, and at some point we all do. But by apologizing for my error, I have; 1) Shown, I am human and make mistakes too. 2) I take responsibility for my mistakes. 3) Model the behavior for inmates to see and learn. 4) It shows the inmate Dignity and Respect and carries the weight that I will treat them fairly.

You have to remain consistent in dealing with inmate. From inmate to inmate, hour to hour, day to day and year to year. Consistency is one of those tools a lot of people forget about.

Thank you. I appreciate that advice. In my class, there are so many other females with a badass complex. I’m trying to avoid that. I like them they are cool people regardless of that. I am confident in my abilities though. I don’t have to prove anything by acting like an ass.

The main thing to remember Vasilisa is be the professional you are being trained to be. Firm but Fair is the mantra. Don’t try be a hard ass but don’t take any crap either. Most inmates have seen Officers of every kind come and go and they will tell you themselves that only one’s they respected were the ones that behaved in a professional manner towards them.

Oh and no worries about the bitch comment that the corporal made. I know what she means. If someone crosses the line, shut em’ down and be firm. It really takes so much for a coworker to piss me off though. I’m not worried about that with flirting and such, as long as no one tried to set me up for termination over spilled milk, puts me in a dangerous situation cause they think it’s funny… serious stuff like that.

My first day that Seargant said, "Now let me make something clear. We do not have sexual harassment around here. We call it, “morale boosting.”

I about died laughing. I honestly laughed almost the whole day at while I was at booking that day.

Guys, THANK YOU!!! I didn’t respond. It took a while. I’ve been so busy, but I got the job!

I really needed this. In my career, financial and geographic location situation I had nowhere else to turn other than this. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been thinking about this career for a long long time, but I waited and waited till I put myself in a desperate situation, and then as you can see, psyched myself all the hell out over getting it.

The staff is cool as hell. The Captain that hit me right between the eyes and tried his damnedest to intimidate me, was pretty much doing that to test me. The Seargent that made the pretty girls comment, is the jail clown and flirt. He goofs around and messes with everyone equally. Attention really doesn’t bother me -not that I’m seeking it by any means, but I’ll clown around when it’s cool to clown.

I’m a month through the academy. I have an awesome class and an awesome instructor.

The agency isn’t having is start field training until we pass the exam so I’m on nights one shift every other weekend. I get to go in the blocks and work with the women and trustees, with another officer of course. All good so far. I’m taking the, “stay suspicious, come in strong and I can get softer later, you don’t aggravate me and I won’t aggravate you” approach. I really like one thing the instructor said: “You are not there to punish the inmates. The jail and the time does that.” I’m going to make sure that stance is clear. Our purpose is care custody and control… firm fair consistent. I have heard the officers I’ve been with say that many times to the inmates. “No ma’am. We have to be consistent.” Or “No Sir. We are going to be fair.”

I really feel like I’m in a great place with great people. They have good rapport with the inmates in general. Most of them treat them like humans, but they don’t take any **** either.

I’ll make other topics as things come up. Thanks again!

Be professional in your job, that is all that matters. Yes us staff members do tend to joke around to relieve some of the negative energy and that’s all good long as lines don’t get crossed. I’ve worked with multiple females both in the Army and in corrections, both good looking and some not so much. Main difference I’ve noticed is mostly the way management treats them. I myself act the same towards everyone, male and female alike. Not everyone likes me and that’s cool, long as we all go home safe.

Best advice, just get in there and find out for yourself what it is like and deal with it as it comes along, you will make mistakes, we all have but it’s what you learn from them that will make or break ya.
I’m a damn good looking officer myself (my wife said so) and I have no problems in this environment , I found that when I grow a five o’clock shadow and pass gas they leave me alone (not sure you should try that). Anyway good luck and remember just because we are the pretty ones, that’s no reason for us to be singled out, they are all just envious of us that’s all.

I am dissapointed in the advice given on this posting to “be a bitch”??? how is this an acceptable way to role model for new staff who are needing help? how will this make their job any easier? I can almost bet if this is your out look on how to handle problems then you got way more problems in life than work.

When I was in Iraq in the Infantry I taught my men to try and look at things differently in life when you don’t like what you are seeing. Some times it is what we are taught in our past that molds how we look at things in our future. If you see trouble then chances are you will find it and if you see positive outcomes then you will make them happen. Do you think anything can come of acting anti social in a jail setting or state prison, I can almost bet it will be bad any way you slice it.

Please don’t follow negative, anti social advice from a disgruntled employee who thinks her co-workers are perverts. Sorry but you posted your true thoughts and feelings so you opened yourself up to this response.

In closing also remember if you intentionally act in a negative manner towards your fellow employees then you are responsible for your actions of creating a “hostile work environment” and subject to disciplinary action up to termination of employment. It is the person who makes the uniform not the uniform who makes the person, be safe and try being nice you might be surprised what will happen :)

Corporal-Sassy, 115 times faster seems to me that you must do your job very well. You must solve problems long before they happen. Do you read cards or is it a crystal ball that you use? Where I work male and female officers are treated the same. I have also observed that looks aren’t that important when it comes to the perverts.

Vasilisa, as others on this sight have said, be proffesional, get to know your coworkers and you will fit in just fine.

If you do your job in a most professional manner, make yourself look as prim and proper(ironed uniform, makeup etc…) and let the staff know you are unavailable you shouldn’t have any problems with them. Enforce the rules with the inmates and appropriate behavior with the staff you will be ok. As time and respect grows with the staff you will find that you can relax a little bit but once you get to know your co-workers personalities you will discover who you can joke with and those you can’t. I can tell you from my own experience, never get involved personally with other staff, it can destroy your career. That doesn’t mean you cant be civil though.

As a female, I can say this. Your looks will get you unwanted attention…ALL THE TIME. No matter how rough I look, or how baggy my uniforms are, the males (and sometimes females) will always look. The biggest perverts are going to be your male coworkers, not all of them, but some. Because y’all are one in the same, they’re going to think it’s ok to “joke” around with you. Best thing you can do is ignore it. If that doesn’t work, go to your supervisor. And if that STILL doesn’t work, be a bitch! It’ll keep the unwanted attention at bay.
But on a plus side, being a female CO has it’s perks. I’ve noticed I can diffuse a situation 115 times faster than a male officer. We don’t seem as threatening as males do so inmates are more likely to back off.
Trust me, I know my stuff. Just because I’m a pretty girl doesn’t mean I can’t handle myself. Prove it. That’ll be your best weapon. I’m the night corporal plus the Detention Response Team captain. This pretty face has fooled every one. Best of luck to you!