Topic: The Club House / Hello all

Hey everyone, sorry I disappeared for awhile, I’ve been on night’s, which I needed and I love, and so far everything is fantastic. Had to write some disciplinaries to let them know I wasn’t going to put up with their crap and other than just normal female drama (usually dealing with girlfriends and such) it’s a great place and turns out the staff irritates me more than the inmates! Just wanted to check in, I hope everyone is doing great and please stay safe!

Topic: The Club House / Why???

I can’t wait for OJT, and I did go home and hug my mattress and pillows and thanked the Lord for them after seeing what I saw.

Topic: The Club House / Why???

Yeah, I could see myself getting a bit TOO pumped. We searched a room today and it was naaastyyy! We are still training at a different facility and I asked if we could look at the dorms before we had to go back to our facility, and every single one of the outlets was black from them using them to light things, it stank to high heaven and tattoo periphanalia was EVERYWHERE. This dorm houses all of the mess hall workers so there was all kinds of stolen food and they said they found 7 bags of hooch on one floor the other day, wow!

Topic: The Club House / Why???

Oh, there will be no running away or hiding, that I know. It’s just nice hearing that being worried about what to do when I get there isn’t as uncommon as I thought. I would never be able to live with myself knowing something I did (or didn’t do) got someone hurt, or worse. Hopefully next week is my last week of classroom training, still gotta get gassed and sprayed then it’s OJT time!

Topic: Letter of The Law / Use of Chemical Agents

Hahaha, yeah my husband says he wants video when I get gassed and sprayed, he might want to remember he usually goes to sleep before I do :)

Topic: The Club House / Hello all

I definately let my actions speak, but I’m also a ‘compulsive voluteer’ and always have been (I’m on the board of two different youth associations plus have been a coach for 4 years) but I’m working on scaling back on the volunteer stuff to finally focus on a career and spending more time with my kids rather than the associations the do sports through.

Topic: The Club House / Why???

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.

Topic: The Club House / Hello all

Yeah, today one of the training managers at the facility we are training at this week (our training manager is out of town) pulled me outside and asked my permission to keep our group an extra hour and a half. It may seem small, but it made me feel good that she saw me as the leader of our group and didn’t even ask anyone else if they would mind staying, and of course I said yes maam we will be happy to stay.

Topic: The Club House / Why???

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.

Topic: The Club House / Hello all

Haha, yeah, I got a laugh the other day when I went to go check out a van and the guy radioed a Captain to ask permission for me to go in and she said, ‘Who is Winchester?’ which I’ve found funny because I’ve had multiple coversations with her. Guess it just shows how many officers come and go.

Topic: The Club House / Why???

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.

Topic: The Club House / Why???

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 :/

Topic: The Club House / Why???

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.

Topic: A Broader View / Writing a Book.

Had an instructor tell us of a day an elderly lady pulled up to the front of the prison and ask an officer for help throwing 5 bags of tobacco over the fence for her son because he told her he was out.

Topic: The Club House / Why???

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?

Topic: The Club House / Why???

I sure hope so, I don’t want anyone to lose their job, but I will be keeping a slightly paranoid eye on them, thanks!

Topic: The Club House / Why???

Sitting in training today, discussing Use of Force, and a co worker of mine says, ‘What? You think I actually pay attention to this s#@t? This is just a job.’ So I tactfully (it took A LOT to be tactful) told him, ‘I really hope you aren’t on my shift, because it would scare the hell out of me to have to rely on you for backup. You are going to get someone hurt, including probably yourself. If you can’t give 100% to this you need to go somewhere else. It takes a better person to admit they can’t, or won’t, do the job than to be the type of person who only sees this as something to pay the bills. Go back to Walmart, that attitude won’t get anyone hurt there.’
I really don’t think a single word I said made it through his head and I’ve thought about notifying a supervisor, would that do any good? Or would it go over as well as my concerns over the woman that can’t even do stretches without sitting down to rest and drops guns?

Topic: Health & Wellness / Washing your hands

I refuse to even search a property box until I have gloves and I won’t do anything without them.

Topic: The Club House / Police have no clue what we do

I think out of all of the things I’ve heard and read, the one that disturbs me the most is the fact our facility had to quit selling dill pickles because apparently women get pretty desperate…..I know I can’t judge, I’ve never been in their situation, but ew.

Topic: The Club House / Police have no clue what we do

Holy crap, I would never have figured that kind of stuff out! Research, here I come, cause I want to know what to look for.

Topic: The Club House / Hello all

Haha, thanks everyone, it’s good to know I’m doing good so far. Definately not worried about being popular, I’ve learned that doing the right thing is the toughest road but in the end I can look at myself and know I did what was needed. I know politics are a big part of this career choice and I like to think I’m good at being assertive without ruffling feathers too much. Respect is my main goal and the only way to do that is for everyone to know that I’m not going to sacrifice ANYONE’S safety just to save face. I might be overstepping my bounds since I’ve only been there three weeks, I’ll make sure to do plenty of observing before I keep opening my mouth :)

Topic: The Club House / Hello all

I’m kind of hoping I can put in some time, move up and be able to change things. Our training manager likes to change positions every few years and he is the one that does our initial physical assessment. Is it too much to hope for that I could be that person and not let things like that happen? With this company your opportunities and training are limitless and I would really like to try and make a difference there. Is my optimism showing too much?

Topic: The Club House / Police have no clue what we do

Is it weird that I tried on riot gear today and my adrenaline shot through the roof? Commander, how in the heck do things like a zip gun work?? No, I’m not going to make one, I just like knowing as much as I can.

Topic: The Club House / Hello all

Love ya back Commander! Yes, thank you everyone, I didn’t think I was crazy! Like I’ve said I have made my concerns known, but what can I do when everyone above me is approving this? I work for a privately owned company (yeah, I know) and I’m not sure what else I can do without losing my job. We will be training at a facility an hour away for the next two weeks and I had to contact the training manager there to get a medical cart set up to take her to and from the training room every day because last time she tried to walk across the facility she collapsed and my training manager asked me to set it up for her. He told me the only reason they are letting her stay is because she has Corrections experience. I’m absolutely loving my job, but I get almost physically ill every time I look at her and know that she is going to get herself or someone else hurt and no one will do anything about it and I’m the only one that doesn’t just bitch behind her back and not say anything to anyone. Wow, being able to vent to people that actually understand why I’m fuming and don’t treat me like I’m a raving, prejudice lunatic is nice :)

Topic: The Club House / Hello all

Thank you! I wish people would be more worried about safety than they do about offending someone.