Topic: The Club House / 12 Hour Shifts

My department converted from 8.3 hour shift to 12.2 hour shift about 3 years ago. We work 6-6:12 It was a difficult transition at first but it does have its benefits. One such benefit is we only need to use 24 hours of vacation to have 7 days off as opposed to using 40 hours of vacation leave to have 7 days off. Another benefit to the officer is you only have to drive to work 7 days out of two weeks instead of 10 days. This cuts back on my gas expense.

As far as negative side of 12 hours. To take one day off, you have to use 12 hours of leave instead of 8. The hours are long and some officers become tired towards the end of shift and take “short cuts”. Also, you are in contact with the inmates for the entire 12 hours instead of just 8. This means if you have an a**hole of an inmate, you have to deal with that individual for an extra 4 hours. If you have a family, the transition from sleeping during the day to sleeping at night on your days off may difficult. The 8 hour shifts gave staff more flexibility during their time away from work. You could rest and still have almost 8 hours of free time before you reported back to work.

I have worked the day shift and night shift and found the night shift to work best for me. As long as you discipline yourself during the day to receive enough rest, the night shift won’t be a problem. To be honest, I prefer the night shift more than days. I find some of the biggest challenges for staff at night is to keep their mind stimulated so they do not get into trouble from being so bored. I have seen staff become so bored they tend to create issues just to have something to do.

Depending on which squad you work, (we have four squads), the work schedule falls like this: Sun (off), Mon/Tue(work), Wed/Thur (off), Fri/Sat/Sun (work), Mon/Tue (off), Wed/Thur (work), Fri/Sat/Sun (off)….then repeats. Every other weekend we have 3 days off.

There are a few positions in our jail that use the 10 hours or 8 hours. These positions are what we consider our “specialty” positions and generally do not work in a facility. An example will be our medical officers or road crew.

As far as family issues go, I have two very young kids (17 months and 5 years old). With 12 hours, even working overnight, I manage to see my kids more often because I have more days off.

There are many other advantages and disadvantages. The trick is how each individual will modify their lifestyle to accommodate the 12 hour shift.

Topic: Security Central / Tasers in the Jail?

Does anyone use tasers in their facilities?

Topic: The Club House / Hospitalized Inmates getting visits?

hevvyn_synn, I feel sorry about the position you are in. However, it is the policy of my department, and I totally agree with it, that no family member will be contacted unless death is imminent. At that moment, our facility Chaplain will notify the family to make arrangements to visit. But for the safety of the officers AND inmate, the inmate will have an alias or the hospital will keep the information from the public. This is to prevent escapes, public endangerment, and prevent any type of violent retaliation against an inmate who may have wronged someone. I feel you are genuine about your brother, but in today’s world, there are family members killing each other so we cannot take any chances. So who do we trust? For everyone’s safety, I think it is best we trust no one and not reveal any information about an inmate to anyone. Discussing the injuries sustained in an attack pose a security threat or could hurt an investigation. With all the legal crap that go on, as hard as it is to understand, it is in the best interest not to disclose any information until he investigation is completed. I am not trying to sound cold-hearted hevvyn_synn, but it is my opinion we should not jeopardize the officer, inmate, or public’s life. (How would you feel as a patient, that the local news and family/friends knew an inmate was in a room next door and the possibility of a confrontation could occur?)

As for as the hospital care, once an inmate is admitted into the hospital, it is reasonable to assume that inmate will receive the best care available to him just like any free person from the street would receive. Only difference is, the inmate will not have to pay the bill because they are under the CARE of the jail. (Remember the old saying, “Care, Custody, and Control”?) In order to limit liability and prevent lawsuits, it is much cheaper to provide the best healthcare available rather than provide inadequate healthcare which results in a death and a multi-million dollar lawsuit. I have escorted many inmates to the hospital and I must admit, they receive plenty of extra care and are afforded all opportunities to recover fully. I am sure he is receiving the proper nourishment and treatment. Inmate or not, I hope your brother will get the treatment he deserves and recovers fully so that he may repay his debt to society for the crime he committed. (Or be a free and healthy man if he is innocent)

Topic: The Club House / If corrections had a slogan what would it be?

Corrections: If these walls could talk, the stories we would hear.

Corrections: Not your usual 9 to 5 job.

Corrections: Everyone wants to know what happens behind the walls, but only we really know.

Topic: The Club House / Starting Career in Corrections

I agree with InCO. Chilled, I’m not sure where you work, but you may need to transfer out. It is sad we still live in an age of discrimination and sexism. I am a male Corporal at my facility and some of our highest ranking staff members are females. We have plenty of female Corporals, Sergeants, Lieutenants, and Captains. A female was just promoted to Major this past November and one of our two Deputy Chiefs is a female. I also find that most of the time, a female can deescalate a situation quicker than a male. I am proud to have a female officer work on my shift and it is horrible that your agency does not recognize your abilities that you bring to their agency.

Topic: Letter of The Law / Can we deny inmates access to newspapers, magazines as an incentive for better behavior?

To us, it may be a simple newspaper or magazine. To an inmates that lives behind a cell door, the magazine and newspapers are one of the greatest things they can own in a jail/prison. At our jail, if the inmates misbehave and demonstrates negative behavior, then they are stripped of everything except for the mattress they sleep on. Once their behavior improves, the jail will determine if the inmate will get back his property and how slow or quickly it will be returned.

There is a difference between privileges and rights. Books, newspapers, and magazine are privileges that must be earned and can be taken away.

Topic: The Club House / Logbooks

My jail converted to “electronic logs” approximately 3 years ago. At first the officers rejected the idea but eventually embraced it. After a few months, many of the officers who hated the idea now love it. They no longer need to write the entire entry every time because the electronic log has multiple prewritten entries. For example, instead of typing “Headcount conducted” each time, you simply click the entry and it is automatically entered into your electronic log. You can type a brief note after the entry if you wish, but most of the time it is not necessary.

If we lose power or need routine maintenance on the datebase, we simply use the old manual log books which we keep on post at all times. Once the system is back online, we enter an electronic entry explaining what happened and that a manual log was used. That way, we will know to refer to the book for the missing entries in the event something happens. We do not need to enter the manual entries into the electronic log. My jail employs nearly 1,100 correctional staff with nearly 4,100 inmates. Every post has a computer and electronic log. The only down side is the newer officers are not trained properly on how to enter the log entries manually. Also, you must be on time with your entries because the date and time is electronically “stamped” in your log book.

Topic: Security Central / Tasers in the Jail?

What are your feelings of a jail/prison introducing Tasers? If your jail/prison already has tasers, how did your institution introduce them within your facility and how what was the inmates’ initial response?

Topic: The Club House / Starting Career in Corrections

For those thinking of a career in corrections, it is a very rewarding place. It isn’t anything you see in movies or tv, so don’t feel everyday you will be fighting riots. Being a Correctional Officer is like being in an exclusive fraternity. The same as Fire Fighters, Police Officers, Deputies, and Highway Patrol, there is a sense of brotherhood that exists and not everyone is capable of doing the job. David was right, do not pretend to be something you are not, inmates will see right through you and lose respect. There will be days you will have to give the unpopular answer, but it is the honest answer. Finding a mentor is a great idea. When I first started, I learned alot from those who had 15 years or more on the job. But do not get caught up in the wrong crowd. Just like any job, there is always the one person that sets the bad example. Show interest in the job and be a team player and your peers will recognize this and have your back. As for your family life, be prepared because it will change. Talk with your family about what you are considering. Most problems come from not talking to your family and hiding your emotions. If you know a correctional officer, have them talk with your family also. I do firmly believe, a correctional officer is a rewarding career and is a close brotherhood of special kind of people. Good luck to you.