Stories from a Correctional Officer.

I posted a couple days ago to see if anyone was interested in this and there was some interest, so here we go. A little background here. I'm a female correctional officer at a maximum security men's (state level) prison, and most of our inmates are segregation status. The best way I've heard it put, by one of my Leutinants: if you screw up in society, you go to jail. If you screw up bad enough in society, you go to prison. If you screw up in prison, you go to segregation. And if you screw up in segregation, you go to the prison I work at. So we have the worst in the state at my facility.

Does prison actually do anything positive?
Let's just get this out there... The AVERAGE sentence in the facility I work at is 75 YEARS. These guys aren't in on petty drug charges. They are in for murder, rape, molestation, and stuff like that. So most of these guys are not getting out. However, there are multiple programs and classes that inmates can get involved in to better themselves. This includes anger management classes, substance abuse classes, and a metric fuck ton of programs to help with mental illnesses. We also have a medium security unit, and the inmates out there can go to GED classes and vocational classes. We do offer a GED program for max inmates, but they aren't classes. They will get lessons through mail (either through an outside source or institutionally) and complete the lessons and turn them in to get graded. Our medium unit definitely helps to prepare inmates to reenter society more than the max side. Our max size more helps with behaving better in prison.

Is it common for women to do a job like that?
While I wouldn't say that it's uncommon exactly. But, let's face it, it's definitely a male dominant field of work. There are quite a few female officers, but we are well out numbered by our male counter-parts.

How often do inmates get raped?
Rape happens a lot lot lot less often than the movies might make you think. Is prison rape a thing? Yes, but in my time there I've only heard of one inmate saying that he was raped. Consensual sex also happens though. I've never actually seen it happening thankfully. But one day there was some weird noises coming from the end of the gallery. I walked down to make sure everything was okay. By the time I got to the end, both of the inmates were in their own bunks... But as soon as I got to the cell, all I could smell was shit, sweat, and shame....

Have you ever had relations with an inmate/fallen in love with an inmate/smuggled in contraband for an inmate?
Hell to the no to all questions asked. Nothing is worth losing my career, family, and reputation, especially something so damn stupid. Also, I don't want to end up in prison myself. There has been females at the facility I work at that had relations with inmates They got shit canned and lost their pension. COs have also brought in contraband for inmates. I don't get it. These guys are not your friends. They will try to manipulate you to get whatever they want, whether it's getting "personal" with a female or bringing in contraband. And once they have you bring one thing in, they have you by the balls. Won't do it the next time? These dudes will blackmail you. It's just ignorant in my opinion.

Any advice for other COs or someone about to become a CO?
There's a few simple rules on how to be a good CO...
1. Don't answer a question you don't know the answer to. If they want an answer now, just say no. It's a fuck ton easier to change a no to a yes than a yes to a no.
2. Don't spin inmates. Don't say you're going to do something and not do it. It'll make your day and theirs a lot easier.
3. FIRM. FAIR. CONSISTENT. Learn it, live it, love it. Treat everyone the same way, every single time, and be firm about it. Dont be an asshole, but you have to establish yourself above them in the pecking order.
4. We might be the "po-lice" there, but accept the fact that that is their home, and you're merely a visitor.
5. Stick to your gut. If you don't feel safe about doing something, don't freaking do it. If you think someone has something bogus in their cell, search it. I'd much rather search 100 cells because of a gut feelings and not find anything than not do 1 that I had a gut feeling about and have a shank end up in someone's back. Do your damn shake downs.
6. Check your fucking locks. 'nough said.
7. Be safe. Follow the damn safety and security procedures. It's not only for your safety, but the safety of the other COs and inmates. If it's on paper, it's because the system was broken and they attempted to fix it. And nothing gets fixed until it's failed 100 times.
8. Most importantly... If you can't be safe, be deadly. Your biggest concern every single day you go into work is that you and your fellow COs go home in one piece.

Mandatory Dog Tax. My 1 and a half year old Dutch Shepherd Brindi, 10 year old possible husky mix Bear, and 10 year old some kind of hound mix Izzy (also known as FatDog).