Topic: Letter of The Law / Mandated overtime?

Well, here we are…8 months since my last post in this thread. The law limiting mandates in Illinois has somehow been forgotten….the union doesn’t care….Our institution is back in the habit of 20 or 30 (sometimes more!) mandates a week. I realize some of you have more than that, but I bet your state did not outlaw mandates as a means to staffing a mere year and a half ago! The administration never disappoints.

IW

Topic: The Club House / I have a Question

TrichelleOD,
I absolutely agree with Mudflap!!! No matter what you do, never lie by omission. They will find out. Not getting the job is better than getting fired after you start. I had a misdemeanor charge in 1990 (DUI) and I was hired in Illinois corrections in 2001, the first time I applied. I have heard that there is a 5 year wait after a conviction in Illinois. I don’t swear by that, though. GOOD LUCK! Corrections is the best job I have ever hated.

Keb

Topic: Letter of The Law / Mandated overtime?

Sgt Mjr, I feel for you. I don’t know why some of the supervisors have to be such a@U&*^@$oles. I always say “It’s not an adventure, it’s just a job”. I have a nemesis too. Wow…a lot has changed since last I posted on this issue. In Jan of this year Illinois passed a law that basically outlaws mandating as a means to staffing. They can still mandate for call-ins, military weekends, weather emergencies, etc, but they can not use mandating as a source of basic institutional staffing. It is a huge step forward. The union and IDOC negotiated minimum staffing levels for Illinois institutions, and a result hundreds of C/O’s were hired. Just as a guess, our mandates have probably been reduced by 90%.

IW

Topic: Letter of The Law / No lunch breaks?

I won’t argue about the labor laws. You can be patronizing and espouse your opinion all you want to, but when you make a statement that is absolutely wrong you are putting others at major risk. We are not “exempt from HIPPA laws.” We are required to protect the privileged healthcare information of inmates with the same considerations and consequences as healthcare providers in the public sector, subject to discharge (being fired), along with potentially severe civil liabilities for violations. We have access to privileged health information for inmates as it relates to our duties. That DOES NOT exempt us from HIPPA laws. You are just wrong about that. No two ways about it. If I take an inmate on a med writ, it is a direct violation of HIPPA laws for me to say a word to another C/O (or anybody else, for that matter) about the medical reason, tests, or results of that writ. Likewise, if you have an exposure, healthcare staff is directly in violation of HIPPA laws if they tell you that your exposure has increased likelihood of disease threat. I’ve heard that you can sometimes get information about your exposure, but it is not legal. That is why law enforcement and corrections employees are supposed to practice “universal precautions”…because EVERY INMATE HAS THE PACKAGE.

IW

Topic: Letter of The Law / No lunch breaks?

Working in a right to work state doesn’t have anything to do with Federal Labor Laws. Working in a right to work state just means they cannot force you to join a union to work. Federal Labor laws are across the board unavoidable. They are as nationally universal as OSHA and the IRS.

Topic: Letter of The Law / No lunch breaks?

States HAVE TO…….. repeat HAVE TO……. follow Federal Labor Laws…no way around it…..you might want to look into it. Again, I am no expert. States have an amazing way of avoiding their own state laws, but they can not avoid federal labor laws.

IW

Topic: Everything Education / Hospitalized Inmates getting visits?

We are a level 2 in Illinois…absolutely no visitors in the hospital…none…zero…notta. To my knowledge, IDOC doesn’t even tell an inmate when or where he will have surgery. We show up at his cell bright & early, shower him, then he’s gone. I like it like that.

IW

Topic: Letter of The Law / Mandated overtime?

Hi Mudflap… I saw the push to outlaw mandating as an effort by the union trying to force the state to staff appropriately. Let’s face it….everybody….McDonalds, WalMart, and the State of Illinois, Department of Corrections, is understaffed. The Illinois Department of Corrections is GROSSLY understaffed, and I think the union was trying to fix that. Like I said, it was a failed effort, but it was honorable. In fact, it actually got a lot of press coverage….but in the end, it failed. My opinion….take the posts that are labeled “mandatory, as needed” (yes, that is a real phrase in IDOC…somebody PLEASE define mandatory for me!!!), man those posts, and take from THOSE posts for med writs, call offs, etc instead of unmanning those posts from the start…IDOC could do away with mandatory overtime. And yes, we have THAT MANY “mandatory, as needed” posts. If that were corrected, that would only leave a blizzard as a way to mandate…go ahead, legislators, I’m on your side. Make that exception.
That is the problem in IDOC. They have reduced staff to critical levels DAILY, relying on THEIR AUTHORITY alone to cover emergency situations. How’s about they make overtime attractive?……..Make it desirable to the ones that want it. I should not belly-ache. I have never in my 8 1/2 years been mandated, but it is purely luck of the draw. At times, there have been dozens of mandates a week, but I have just been in the top 1/3. Does that answer your ?’s??

Topic: Letter of The Law / Mandated overtime?

Hi Mudflap… I saw the push to outlaw mandating as an effort by the union trying to force the state to staff appropriately. Let’s face it….everybody….McDonalds, WalMart, and the State of Illinois, Department of Corrections, is understaffed. The Illinois Department of Corrections is GROSSLY understaffed, and I think the union was trying to fix that. Like I said, it was a failed effort, but it was honorable. In fact, it actually got a lot of press coverage….but in the end, it failed. My opinion….take the posts that are labeled “mandatory, as needed” (yes, that is a real phrase in IDOC…somebody PLEASE define mandatory for me!!!), man those posts, and take from THOSE posts for med writs, call offs, etc instead of unmanning those posts from the start…IDOC could do away with mandatory overtime. And yes, we have THAT MANY “mandatory, as needed” posts. If that were corrected, that would only leave a blizzard as a way to mandate…go ahead, legislators, I’m on your side. Make that exception.
That is the problem in IDOC. They have reduced staff to critical levels DAILY, relying on THEIR AUTHORITY alone to cover emergency situations. How’s about they make overtime attractive?……..Make it desirable to the ones that want it. I should not belly-ache. I have never in my 8 1/2 years been mandated, but it is purely luck of the draw. At times, there have been dozens of mandates a week, but I have just been in the top 1/3. Does that answer your ?’s??

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

Illionois Department of Corrections, Lawrence Correctional Center in east central Illinois. 8 1/2 years at it. Some days I love it, some days I hate it.

Topic: A Broader View / Is it really as negative as it sounds?

First of all, I am with Mick. The only way a C/O is going to get blackmailed is if he or she gives an inmate a tool to blackmail with. I wonder, though, if your friend is referring to inmates “spinning” the C/O. That is a daily pitfall that only experience and wisdom can keep in check. I’ve been a C/O over 8 years, and I still remember inmates spinning me daily for the first year or two. That was made worse by the fact that we were a brand new facility. 90% of us were new hires, without the wisdom, training, and support of experienced C/O’s. I still get spun occasionally, but I usually know it when it happens now.
At our institution, female C/O’s are usually well respected. Yes, there is way too much “reckless eyeballing”, but one word out of line to a female gets an inmate a one way ticket to seg for at least 30 days…zero tolerance. While our administration sux, they do get that right.

IW

Topic: Letter of The Law / Mandated overtime?

Illinois has a pretty complicated OT system. Over the past year there was a big push to outlaw mandatory overtime. That fizzled out. Volunteers will get OT before mandates. Mandates start at the bottom of the seniority list and work up until the bottom 2/3 of the roster has been mandated, then it goes back to the bottom. So the top 1/3 of the roster generally doesn’t get mandated. The mandates zero out every 30 days, so if there are 10 mandates in 30 days, the next day it goes back to the bottom of the seniority list.

IW

Topic: Letter of The Law / No lunch breaks?

Also, the following post is “as I understand it”. I do not claim to be an expert, but I believe Federal labor laws REQUIRE at least 20 minutes of break if a person is going to work 7 hours or more, and the break has to be in the first 5 hours of work. In other words, if you are assigned to 3pm to 11 pm shift, your employer is mandated to provide at least 20 minutes for you to take a break at or before 8pm. Check with your financial advisor before investing in gold. Not available in all states. May cause drowsiness. Use caution when operating heavy machinery. Wil not prevent STD’s.

IW

Topic: Letter of The Law / No lunch breaks?

I will speak for C/O’s in Illinois. We are union (for what it’s worth these days) and we are contractually assured of 30 minutes UNPAID lunch. We are paid for 37 1/2 hours a week (8 hours a day minus 30 minutes lunch). If we don’t get our lunch break through no fault of our own, we receive time and a half for the 30 minutes. That generally only happens when transporting writs, or in the event of a real uh-oh. Reading the other posts, that seems like a pretty decent policy…

Topic: The Club House / Concerned Christians for Inmates

I am employed by the Illinois Department of Corrections. When I came across this site I figured it was going to be grossly tainted by hug-a-thugs or green tea drinking conservatives. I viewed this thread and knew immediately that I was truly among like minds. I feel welcome already, and I haven’t even been welcomed….It is completely putrid how inmates use religion to spin C/O’s, chaplain volunteers, heck even their families. Just yesterday I received a grievance form an inmate that was a lie from beginning to end. On the back of his I.D…..Christian. I am a Christian, but I do not let inmates know. I will not be used like that. Sign me up in the CCJ…

IW