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

455 Questions

Share:

Last Answer on February 10, 2022

Best Rated

What movie or TV show did the most realistic job of portraying life in prison?

Asked by Shawn about 13 years ago

None that I am aware of. Possibly Mariah (TV SHOW) was in the same time zone.

Is there a time requirement for completing security checks on inmates? In other words, how often must an officer may eyes on an inmate throughout a shift? Is there a guideline set by the state?

Asked by Curious over 10 years ago

In CA you are required by law to do a minimum of four counts per day.  The CA system is set up to do five.  These are FORMAL counts that are reported to control.  Inmates who are at work assignments are counted informally by their bosses fairly frequently.  Also persons on suicide watch or other security levels may be eyeballed more frequently, depending. 

TV and movies make it seem like inmates can still get a hold of booze, drugs, weapons, and other contraband. Is that realistic?

Asked by 51/50 about 13 years ago

pretty much. booze they can make easily enough. drugs are small and easy to smuggle, especially with the search policies and the practice of NOT using drug dogs on visitors. shanks are easy enough to make. firearms inside prisons are very rare indeed, at least in California prisons. in third world holes they are quite common.

So with your front row seat, do you believe in inmate reformation? Does incarceration have any effect on a person's likelihood of re-offending once released?

Asked by dan79 about 13 years ago

I do believe in the redemption of the self, but realize that it happens seldom. With the exception of family murderers (i.e. husband killing cheating wife) virtually all state felony prisoners have lengthy criminal records by the time they actually get sentenced to prison. The only reliable rehabilitators are age and infirmity. Incarceration has, IMHO, minimal effect on the vast majority of prisoners likelyhood to reoffend.

Can prisoners earn money while in prison?

Asked by Brooks almost 13 years ago

Yes. Many work for prison industries, and those with minimal custody levels who can work odd shifts or multiple shifts. Some earn in exess of $200 per month. Also there are some public-private partnerships that employ prisoners for work at the prisons for private employers.

Did you ever feel sorry for certain prisoners? Like, the ones who made a mistake out of desperation and are now locked up alongside truly evil / violent criminals?

Asked by DuFresne about 13 years ago

There is I grant you a difference between a hard core gang member who robs and maims and kills and a chronic repeat drunk driver or someone who snaps and kills his spouse who is about to divorce him. The impact on the victims is however the same. Also, it is not the job of the prison staff to differentiate between prisoners. They are all supposed to be kept in prison for the period prescribed by law, and they are all entitled to the same level of care. That is what being a professional is all about.

You prison is not a good place if you are shy. That made me ponder strip searches. I know they happen on intake/exit. Beyond that how common are they for inmates, is it embarrassing for them, how to CO's feel about that aspect of their job.

Asked by KennyB almost 13 years ago

Very common.  When an inmate comes back into the security perimeter they are skin-searched, more formally known as an unclothed both search.  For some jobs inmates are stripp-searched when the get off work.  When there is a distrubance and we are looking for weapons we will skin-serach everybody in the area. 

As far as the cops feel, they know it comes with the territory.  You want to talk about gross, you talk about "potty watch."  That is waiting for some guy to take a dump so you can search through the feces for contraband, usually drugs.