Because, unfortunately, the Beezors of the world also have a voice. This person coming on here and declaring "once a criminal, always a criminal" required a response, lest others hear and begin to agree. I knew many people when I was in who, I believe, would not have gone back if someone gave them a second chance. Going to prison is a huge shock, as I'm sure you can guess. Most will accept their punishment and be ready to do right next time. Unfortunately, thanks to the Beezors of the world, more often than not, there is no next time. Because of this, they have no alternative, commit another crime, go back, and "prove" that Beezor was right after all. Tell me, Cleopatra, isn't there something you believe in strongly that you feel you must voice your opinion when ever someone challenges it?
Not trying to be funny (and I don't read every thread, just those that interest me). Just answering your question as to why I care.
Being a prison guard does not give one any special insight to those who are doing time. I was also a prison guard at Angola in Louisiana (1976-1977).
Yeah especially since you only worked for a year Cliff that wouldn't give you any incite at all into the habits of inmates. Having been a prison guard for more than 3 years at a processing center gave me a lot of incite into the habits of what is often termed "career criminals" and why they are returned to prison for parole violation. "Career Criminals" as they are often termed by the prison system (atleast in the state of NC) are mostly parole violators whom work the system when it benefits them. During the fall months when it starts to turn cooler they usually violate parole so that they will be returned to a facility that is heated, where they are clothed, provided a bed to sleep in, and fed. Most of the facilities now days have cable or satelite tv, have visitation priviledges and let's not forget the free health care. And thus they do not have to concern themselves with trying to maintain a job that pays minimum wage that won't even allow them to pay the bills they have while on the outside, which during the colder months will be higher due to heating costs. Because they are parole violators they are usually minimum custody and can work offsite earning money that goes into their canteen fund. So now they have funds for the stuff they need like cigarettes and snacks, but don't have to worry about footing a bill for rent, electricity, gas, cable, etc. 5-6 months of good behavior and they are back out on parole again just intime for the nice summer months to start rolling around. Where they are once again placed into minimum wage jobs that just gets them by till the next seasonal change. Processing the same set of people every 6-8 months gives you incite into the habits of repeat parole offenders and why they do it. It is also no surprise that these career criminals are 9 times out of 10, uneducated, unskilled, come from a low income family, and most importantly unmotivated to make themselves or their life better. Craig
God bless the folks that work as prison guards. It ain't my cup of tea but I appreciate the work those folks manage to do day in and day out behind closed and locked doors and walls with some shady (and worse) characters. Angola tho Clif? Heck, heck, heck no!
I was on both sides of the bars. Trust me, you don't know diddly, and neither did I, as a guard. On the other hand, my time as a guard put me in a very unique (and admittedly dangerous, if the population ever knew) position when I was in.
Heck yes. Known as the worst prison in the US, and I was locked in with the inmates 8 hrs a day. I never was sure of what I was supposed to do if a fight broke out, much less a riot. But, that's the way the did it at Angola. One guard locked in the dorm with about fifty inmates. I wasn't a clerk, I was actually among the population.
Actually Cliff go back and read my whole post, which I have edited to add in most of my thoughts from my oriiginal post that never appeared. Craig
As to my time working as a guard I spent enough time between dorm duty, where we (single officer) were locked into a dorm with anywhere from 35-95 inmates, to tower duty, to transportation duty, to office processing duty, as well as roving patrol and kitchen supervisor when needed. I worked 3rd shift (started at 9:45pm and ended my shift at 6am) hence the wide varitey of tasks I had to perform. I've been locked in during hurricanes, riot, fights, power outages and various other unsafe conditions. My third week working I had a group of inmates (5-6) come up to me one night while working a dorm of 87 inmates, and ask me what I'd do if they jumped me. My answer plain and simple was this: "Get hurt, but I'm not gonna be the only one hurt". Never had any trouble out of that dorm the entire time I was working there, while several other officers who worked differnt rotations than I did always seemed to have trouble with that particular dorm. You had to carry yourself well without being cocky about it. Give them alittle respect without losing control and you will get the respect back, treat them like animals and you get animals. And that adage goes for most of gen. pop. Craig
Not to be in the middle of this p'ing contest but I think that those first few jittery days/weeks/months would be the worst. You know you are new and more importantly, they know you are new. Gotta be hard to carry yourself well w/o being cocky for an entire shift under that condition alone. How do prison guards manage to not bring work home with them? Of course I realize the prisoners stay behind after your tour but seems like by the time you could unwind from work it would be time to punch in again. Has the time expired Clif so that we can know what the situation in Angola was all about? Seems like that might be one heckuva good saga!
As CraigSPL said, carry yourself without being cocky. Be a guard without acting like a guard. Give them respect, and they will return it. There's not much to get wound up about. The inmates don't generally mess with the guards, since the guards can seriously mess up an inmate's stay. In spite of what you see on the news and in movies, there's not much violence. When there is, it's usually directed at another inmate. Not sure what you mean, unless you're talking about my time behind the bars. That wasn't at Angola, though. Angola is where I was a guard, I did time in Arizona.
