Topic: The Club House / Hello, I'm a student specializing in Corrections

Thanks for the words irish.

I agree, learning is never done. I’ve heard it said, “those who think they know it all are only at the beginning.”

Topic: Security Central / Close Combat

Hey all, I’m sure most of you have had training, but it never hurts to sharpen one’s edges.

Here are two links with some good material for reading and if anyone is interested, find some training. Prof. Bradley Steiner has trained both military and law enforcement officials. He asked me to share his site with others, so thought I would share it here.

http://www.americancombato.com/index.cfm

http://seattlecombatives.com/

The monthly Sword and Pen articles are very thought provoking.

Topic: The Club House / Hello, I'm a student specializing in Corrections

Sure have, as well as reading books, and from personal experience. Myself, I could never be a cop. My cousin, who is FBI, told me Corrections sounds like a good choice for me. Has told me he has worked with CO’s before on cases. Sheepdogs…good analogy. A buddy of mine told me about the sheepdog theory. Cops have to go searching for these wolves, who are actually protected by many invisible barriers in a lot of cases. They can see a bad guy, know he is a bad guy, and yet do nothing. In Corrections, the sheepdogs work with the wolves daily in an enclosed environment, and the wolves always try to outsmart the sheepdogs.

I’ve enjoyed reading many of the posts, because, unlike the books I have seen, the posts come from personal experience of those who have been on the job, working up close and personal with the prisoners.

Thanks again, Squeeze.

Topic: The Club House / Hello, I'm a student specializing in Corrections

“Legislators.” Ha, I feel they live in another world. For now we’ll have to focus on what is before us. And honestly, I do not feel the American people would ever accept an island, as good of an idea as it may be. Society is so soft today. The media would drown the public with sad stories to catch them by their heart strings. We would see “anti-island” protests. They feel sorry for the bad guys. Ever hear of people who go to learn self-defense, and then when they are shown and told what to do, cry out, “I could never do that to anyone! I want to learn how to control without hurting!” It is like lawmakers…they think they know how to deal with bad guys, but little do they know, the very bad guys they are being soft on would not be soft at them or their families.

But back to the original topic, the idea I have now, if I do pursue a career in corrections, is:

1. Never trust a prisoner. Whatever they may say it is for their own advantage. But gain the trust of inmates so they know you keep your word. Good or bad.
2. Be fair but firm. Never mistreat or insult, but if they get hostile deal with it before the fire grows. Put it out quick.
3. Take nothing personal. Keep a focused mind, on the job. Inside the gates it is work.
4. Watch the CO’s with experience and follow their lead. If you don’t know, ask.
5. Take every threat heard as serious. The wolf will one day come, no matter how many lies the boy cries.
6. What happens in the prison, stays in the prison. Keep the job at the job. What happens at home, stays at home.

Communication, with fellow workers, and the inmates, seems to be the most important skill to learn, though.
Any corrections to my thoughts in this area? Anything important to add?

Btw, I do agree, there are too many success stories to excuse people. Everyone boasts of a free-will, until they are called to account for their choices.

Thanks. Appreciate it.

Topic: The Club House / Hello, I'm a student specializing in Corrections

“We need to think outside the box.” Well said, and I like to do the same. I have found that many of the people who base things off of statistics and data, have no first hand experience. I’ve had a couple friends, who, for whatever reason, could never stay out of trouble. One was locked back up recently, and I basically had to tell him, “you’re on your own.” Can’t help those who have no desire to help themselves. When he came out of prison the first time, he had the “prisoners mentality.” Kept talking about all he heard. I told him, “if those guys were so smart, they wouldn’t be in prison.” He got worse, rather than better, IMO. The other, after his first sentence (he was a neighbor I knew growing up), moved out of the town and is now married and has a family. He had got caught up with dope, and got busted. The one who went back came from a broken family, and his father, whom he saw little of because he was locked up most of the time, really wan’t in his life. Yet he followed his fathers path, The other, who is now successful, had a good family. His downfall came from hanging with the wrong crowd. Environment, IMO, is the biggest difference maker in the majority of cases.

What do we do with career criminals? Who have no hopes of getting better, but must be released back into society? IMO these are the ones who need castrated and barred from having children. Habitual offenders should also be monitored more. Keep them contained, and restrict their freedoms more. But that would take time and money we do not have. Morality is out the door in America. Perhaps a far away island isn;t a bad idea. Many do not deserve to live in a free society. They despise authority, and reject laws. They blame others for the way they are, and have mental illness’. Implant a tracking device and keep them regulated in a specific area?

I do think prison needs to become more strict, and fearful. Punching bags (I have seen some prisons have them)and weights strengthen them, and they need to be weaker. They gave up their rights when they decided to break the law and become menaces to society. As of now, no deterrence is effective for the majority of career criminals. They view prison, IMO, as an education, a place to learn more on crime. I can find no sympathy for those who kill and hurt others, then demand they not be treated “cruel and unusually.” I read the recent case of a man who raped and killed a pregnant woman, and now his family is suing because he suffered during his death. What non-sense. He may have been sorry by the time he died, but he caused an entire family years of misery due to his crime. Imagine the horror of the pregnant victim as he raped and then stabbed her to death. I think, if any case is clear and evident beyond a reasonable doubt, and has DNA evidence, they should be took out and shot to death after their sentence. Punish them while they know what they did; most seem sorry they got caught. Make the deaths public, so bad guys can see their fate. For violent offenders, make a three strike law, and count attempted murder (the killing of an innocent, for no reason at all) the same as murder. Life sentence or death.

Topic: The Club House / Hello, I'm a student specializing in Corrections

Thanks for the reply Squeeze. Okay, when I said the current model is a failure, I guess I was not clear in my intention. According to the first Corrections class I had, we were taught the original “model” was to be both to punish and reform. By reform, I mean to keep them from coming back. Recidivism seems very very common today. That is part of the problem, IMO, with the overpopulation, not to mention the ridiculous laws that send people there that don’t belong (like a working American that gets caught with a bag of weed; he may need counseling, but prison does not solve drug problems.) Thing is, though, I do not blame the DOC for the problems. I watch videos of prisons and inmates and IMO they have WAY TOO MANY rights today. Weights and punching bags should be eliminated. I’ve seen former cons bragging about “going to the joint” and they think it is a cakewalk. The deterrence factor is all but missing today. In older says the numbers were way down.

Why do I think having the highest population a bad thing? Well, IMO, it is more of a reflection on our failures in society. The root of the problem, I believe, starts in families, often broken families. Single mother homes seem to have the least success, if the statistics I have read are correct. Next, it is the environment that produces criminals, from neighborhoods, to school districts, to peer pressure. I think it is too late to turn this society around, honestly. It will get worse before it gets better. The reigns of so-called freedom have been cut loose and there is no longer a moral restraint in society.

Those are a few of my own perspectives on it. I agree with you not to take an instructors word as gospel. Mine happened to be a former warden, in that class. One suggestion I made, that all of my class except for the Professor opposed, was that career criminals and violent offenders and rapists be castrated to be denied breeding future criminals. I based this off of the fact I believe crime is hereditary, as well as environmental. In the right environment, one can be successful regardless of genetics, but put them in the wrong “area” the bad seed will grow out. I’ve heard it said, “temperament is 80% hereditary, 20% environmental; genetics loads the gun, environment pulls the trigger.”

Topic: The Club House / Hello, I'm a student specializing in Corrections

Hello everyone, I’m currently a Junior in college going for my Bachelor of Science degree(late start, I must add) and have chosen Corrections as my specialty. Figured I would come here and see what I can learn, as first hand knowledge from those with experience is often more valuable in real time than what can be learned in a book.

From what I have learned so far, the original “reformed” model of prisons has failed in America, and we have the highest prison population in the world. Recidivism seems to occur at a high rate.

So, if I have a first question (and I have yet to work in Corrections) it would have to be: What is the best approach to take when entering this field, and what are the major problems in the system today, as correctional officers, that would best prepare me for this field?

Thank you.