Correctional Officer

Correctional Officer

Bob Walsh

Stockton, CA

Male, 60

I worked for the California state system, starting as a Correctional Officer and retiring as a Lieutenant in 2005. I now write for the PacoVilla blog which is concerned with what could broadly be called The Correctional System.

SubscribeGet emails when new questions are answered. Ask Me Anything!Show Bio +

Share:

Ask me anything!

Submit Your Question

454 Questions

Share:

Last Answer on February 10, 2022

Best Rated

Do you think the courts have been too intrusive in the operations of jails?

Asked by lily almost 11 years ago

Yes.  Very much so.

I just finished the academy about a month ago but unfortunately I had to leave my first prison because of personal reasons. I resigned and was not fired. I'm I eligible for rehire?

Asked by Question guy about 11 years ago

Generally speaking yes, depending on the exact reason why you left.  If you wait too long they have to do a whole new background on you.  (If you quit because you don't like shift work or you "don't like other people telling you what to do" you are probably SOL.)  However they might decide you are not worth the trouble, though after investing all that academy training in you they might give it a go, again depending.... 

Would you agree that a life prison sentence isn't really going to "correct" anybody? (Nothing against the correctional officers that run the prison, I'm just saying that when someone is sentenced to life, they aren't going to be "corrected.")

Asked by 123 over 11 years ago

The system can not, and does not "correct" behavior.  If all goes well, at some point in his/her life the prisoner decides to get their act together.  At that point whatever rehabilitative programs may be available will have the opportunity to work.  The idea that incarceration, in and of itself is a rehabilitative exerience is a myth.  Most life prisoners do have the opportunity to get out, eventually.  At that point they may be too old, too infirm, or too tired of the life and will go striaght.  Or not.  Prisons keep prisoners from committing crimes against the general public while they are encarcerated.  That is all that can be realistically expected. 

What is tampering with evidence in prison.

Asked by chaz over 10 years ago

Probably the same thing as tampering with evidence in any other law enforcement setting.  Of all of the rules violation reports I have seen I have NEVER seen one for evidence tampering.

Is there a difference between working in a Max security prison vs. a minimum security prison, in terms of officer safety?

Asked by CO2015 about 10 years ago

Sort of.  Max prisons have better internal security procedures.  Inmates are allowed relatively little unescorted movement.  There is usually better visual coverage, camera coverage or gun coverage in Max prisons.  There is a better staff to inmate ratio.  However, that being said, the clientel is typically more violent too.  I am sure there is some metrics on it, but I don't know off hand what they are. 

I have (well controlled) epilepsy,) and I want to work in a prison. Is this a good fit?

Asked by J-chambers over 10 years ago

I am afraid I do not have a good answer for you.  In custody, I would say NO.  In certain types of non-custody positions I would say MAYBE.  If you are doing something relatively benign in an area where you would have assistance if necessary (i.e. clerical) it might work.  If you had to operate dangerous machinery or work in an isolated area, I would be very dubious.

1. Since you first started what kind of changes have occurred?

Asked by CJmajor almost 11 years ago

The most noticable ones were within the profession.  The academy lengthened from 3 weeks to 16 weeks.  (It shrank back down to 14 after I retired).  We started using papper spray and side-handle batons.  Firearms polciies changed so there was fewer discharges of firearms at the institutions.  Cell extractions are more controlled and less frequent.  They are also video recorded now except in case of emergencies.  Custody staff now have the right under the law to carry weapons off duty, before that was a department controlled thing.  The entire medical operation is now run thru the federal courts.  The overall level of violence in the system has lowered.