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

My friend is serving a 10 yr sentence, felony 1 and 2. He will be up for release in a few months half way through the sentence....what do you think the chances would be for him to get out on parol? He did programs and has stayed out of trouble.

Asked by retta over 9 years ago

it depends a huge amount of the jurisdiction.  in California now parole is virtually automatic.  they are trying to reduce sentences.  in some states they are very snotty about it, especially depending on the offense and record of priors.

What it your title of position? and what is your organization called and purpose?

Asked by new almost 10 years ago

My current title is RETIRED.  I worked for the California Dept. of Corrections.  It's purpose was to incarcerate persons committed to it by court action for the period of time prescribed by law.

hi, what are the laws regarding correctional officers remaining in the room with an inmate in labor?

Asked by sylvia about 11 years ago

I have no idea.  I have never worked a women's prison.  Unless there was a serious security issue I expect it would not be necessarily or desirable, but for all I know there is some specific regulation about it.  The only thing I know for sure (and it may have changed since I retired) was that, even if the birth takes place at the prison, the birth certificate does NOT say State Prison as place of birth. 

I don't know if you can answer this but I called a local police department about a noise complaint and the noise complaint went away. Will the police come and arrest me because the complaint went away?

Asked by Mason about 10 years ago

The chances that the police even responded to your noise complaint are almost zero in most towns, so they don't care one way or the other.  If you make a LOT of complaints and they mostly turn out to be bogus the cops might be irritated but under the circumstances I am completely competent that the local cops couldn't care less.  (My expertise here comes from being the guy making the complaints and not the guy responding to them.)

Hello, what is your most and least enjoyable aspects of the job, and approximately what is the starting salary

Asked by new almost 10 years ago

Least enjoyable aspect of the job was people on occasion trying to kill me.  Most enjoyable was general job satisfaction coming from doing a job that I was good at and that had social relevance and importance.  Pay started at about $1,000 per month, but that was 35 years ago.

3. What are types of Correctional Officers?

Asked by Peyton about 4 years ago

Sorry. Question is so general it makes no sense to me. Good and bad? Male and Female? Smart and Stupid? Young or old?

Once a inmate goes to the hole is the inmate allowed too still take their classes that are required in under to make parole??

Asked by jasmine over 10 years ago

I have never heard of a case when that was permitted.  Segregation is segregation.  There is some minimal programming within most Ad Seg units but this is normally restricted to things like yard and other court ordered programs.