Topic: The Club House / best shift to learn on

Definitely 2nd shift. I’ve worked third, but it was so dang boring. Things are different from shift to shift, but I definitely prefer 2nd.

Topic: The Club House / Women working in Corrections

WOW, DSF! I’m impressed. For the most part, it is dog eat dog among the CO’s. The younger COs, both male and female, range from overt hatefulness to simply ignoring you when you need assistance. There are a few of us, male and female, that get along much better with the clients (community corrections) because we show them respect, and they return it. They will comply with our requests because we ask them to rather that barking orders and calling them names. It amazes me how some staff get away with treating clients like dirt. I rarely, if ever, have a client who will not do what I ask them to do. Sometimes a little kindness works a lot better and lasts a lot longer. I’ve been written up for “being too nice to the clients.” Yet, not once have I had a written comment about how I have stemmed a crisis with clients by talking to them and de-escalating the situation, or talked a client out of escaping, or talked to Spanish speaking clients with my broken border Spanish. I guess that’s how it rolls in our county. It’s discouraging, but I end my shift knowing I did a good job each night, even if I am the only one who recognizes it.

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

“corrections…..thanks for nothing.”

I love that! When law enforcement comes to the facility after a fight or escape, they walk in with their vests, tasers, guns, night sticks, and pepper spray. Then they treat us like we are the lowest of the low. Heck, anyone can be tough with all that gear to protect themselves. We face the same felons day after day with only a radio. So I figure, don’t look down your nose at me, buddy.

Topic: The Club House / Women working in Corrections

I haven’t been in corrections long, but I really thought I’d move up given my education and experience. I’d like to be an intensive supervision officer, but I’ve applied repeatedly and have only had one interview. I like working at our facility, but I know I don’t have a ghost of a chance for advancement. I don’t know why…or maybe I do…the coordinator (who does the hiring) really likes the young women he hires. One 25 yr old got promoted to asst shift supervisor four days after she was hired to be a line officer. She hadn’t even finished her training and didn’t even have her badge yet. Right now she is gunning for the coordinator’s job. What goes around comes around. LOL

Good luck on the possibility of the new job.

Topic: The Club House / Working 3 to 11 Shift

I started out on third shift but after a year, I was able to transfer to second (3:00 to 11:00). It is so boring on third shift. What I like on 2nd is something is always happening and the time flies.

Topic: The Club House / Where in the world are you

I am a native Texan but live in OZ (Kansas). I’ve worked in corrections for 2.5 years. I was a psychologist working with battered women, rape victims, and child abuse victims for over 20 years and wanted a change. I’ve always been interested in corrections, so I thought I’d give that a try.

Topic: The Club House / Women working in Corrections

Oh my gosh, can I ever agree with you. It’s like I wrote your post for you. I work in the same kind of facility. This is a second career for me, so I am older that my co-workers, a fact they like to point out with comments like “You’re too old to be working here.” or “Get out of the way, old lady.” But this comes from both younger female and male co-workers. I have a PhD but I simply cannot get promoted…I keep applying for other jobs within the county, and I’ve volunteered to do a number of things that I think would really help the inmates (we have to call them clients), such as a support group for our female clients who have been in abusive relationships. But they keep turning me down. I wanted to get involved in the juvenile program at our facility and volunteered several times. Instead they gave the assignment to another CO, who ultimately ended up having affairs with several clients. WHAT IS GOING ON? I like the job, and it’s nowhere near as hard as my previous career field. But it is hard on my self esteem.

Topic: Letter of The Law / No lunch breaks?

I work in a minimum security county community corrections facility, and no, we do not get breaks or lunch. We can grab a bite while at our post, if things aren’t too crazy, but no “coffee breaks.” Smokers sneak out to smoke, when they can, which is a pet peeve since one of us non-smokers have to cover their post while they are outside. But that’s another story. LOL. I’m pretty sure that our admin. could get into some trouble for not allowing meal breaks. However, the way it is, if we are able to eat at our post, we are paid for it…so I can’t complain.

My son works for the city, and they must take breaks even if they are in the middle of something important. They also get surprise bonuses just for doing a good job. Can you imagine that? The county would dry up and blow away before they would do anything like that.

Topic: Security Central / Crisis Intervention Training

I will check this out for you. In most cases, people who threaten suicide are in an immediate crisis. If you can distract them, point out the effect suicide has on family/friends, etc. the immediate crisis will pass. However, for those that are strongly set on ending their lives, they don’t talk about it. You may notice some significant signs however. You might notice that the person is giving some or all of his/her property away, that he/she seems unusually at peace or almost joyful. He/she may start thanking COs that have been kind or understanding. These are the folks you really need to worry about. They have given a lot of thought to ending their lives and are determined to do so successfully.

Topic: A Broader View / New guy here, juvenile jail staff

I can identify with a lot of what you said, Grumpy. I work in a similar facility with similar problems, however administration would drop dead before they would give us any overtime, and in this economy we all could use it. This is a second career for me and I make about half what I used to make, but I don’t work nearly as hard. I enjoy working with the “clients” and have only experienced a couple of situations where I was threatened or hurt in a scuffle. For the most part, I have the kids’ respect, probably because I am older, female, and can talk to them about things other than their crimes. Is that making a difference? Who knows? Probably not, but for the moment someone is listening to them and encouraging them. Don’t get me wrong…I’ve had plenty of problems too. When things get out of hand, I follow protocol and use the available methods to get things under control. However, like you expressed, administration doesn’t support those actions, and most of the time any punitive measures are dropped.

Have you thought about going to school for another type career? If I was younger, I’d go into the medical field. It is an “in demand” career field and always will be. You are young enough to retrain and get yourself into something that you might really enjoy…and even make better money. Good luck.

Topic: A Broader View / Do treatment programs reduce recidivism?

I think it depends on the crime. I work with both men, women, and adolescents. Most of the crimes the women are convicted of are fraud, identity theft, and of course, the ever popular drug possession. We have a lot of guys who are there for multiple DUI, possession, assault, and dealing. For some crimes, I think programming does help the inmates, but dealing is just too dang lucrative. Family criminal history is another factor that should be considered when thinking about recidivism.

Topic: A Broader View / Want to Start A Female Correctional Support Group

I got cut off yesterday…sorry. Two things that are very important when facilitating a support group are (1) confidentiality and (2) a location that will make it easy for members to attend. For example, if you can arrange a meeting room in your facility, it would be more likely that you would have participants than if you had the meeting off campus. Where I work, they would never allow us to have an off-the-clock meeting at the facility. They don’t even want us on the property for a few minutes after our shift ends. If there are any churches near by, they are usually happy to provide a meeting space.

Confidentiality is of the utmost importance. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” LOL Participants will not feel comfortable sharing their feelings, frustrations, and fears, if there is any chance that what they share will leak out of the meeting. I used to have clients sign a confidentiality promise when they started group. And if someone violated that promise, they were asked to leave.

’Hope this helps a little.

Topic: A Broader View / Want to Start A Female Correctional Support Group

I’ve facilitated support groups since 1984, but I retired from my previous work (psychologist working with crime victims) and began working as a corrections worker in 2007.