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

I have been trying to get information on the structured living program for inmates can you give me any info on what it is and how it benefits the inmate

Asked by Mrs.Thompson over 9 years ago

Sorry but no, I can't. I have been out of the system for 12 years now and I have zero information on it.  I am GUESSING that it is a halfway-house type environment for prisoners who are nearly at their release date or who are in fact out on some form of supervised conditional release, but that is only an educated guess. 

Why are some inmates not eligible for gain time and programs even though they are well behave, could this be just pure discrimination or there's a "law" behind it?

Asked by Lily from FL about 9 years ago

In the California system, which is the only one I am truly familiar with, the ability to gain or not gain good time credit is a matter of law. 

I expect I'll be going to CDCR academy at Sacramento, CA for Donovan. Any idea what that's like these days? Are there like day passes or anything or well I be strictly confined to the academy?

Asked by StalwartHero almost 10 years ago

It has been a LONG WHILE since I was there but the last time I was cadets were free to leave the academy after hours and on weekends.  If the classes are large enough some trainees used to be housed off-grounds in motels but that was mostly advanced trainees, like basic supervisors academy and advanced training, not rookie officers.

I wondered after an inmate goes to segragation for calling sumone n threatning them at a halfway house n with a cell phone n gets administative charges what happens next cus there tellin me to ask sumone new

Asked by Imjuzzme almost 10 years ago

What happens next is that someone, usually a Lieutenant, holds a hearing on the administrative charge and determines what, if any, punishment will be applied.

Do you know much about the school to prison pipeline? Have you worked with functionally illiterate inmates? What is communication like between inmates?

Asked by Rebel over 9 years ago

A significant percentage of inmates are either totally illiterate or functionally illiterate.  Possibly as much as 25%, certainly at least half that.  Inmates manage to communicate between one another without that much difficulty, mostly verbally or even non-verbal "body language" communication.  There is also a significant number of non-English speaking inmates in the system. The phrase "school to prison pipeline" generally refers to people dropping out of school and ending up in prison.  There is also a "books not bars" undercurrent, at least in CA, that assumes (incorrectly) that making school more available to people will mean less people in prison.  There is MANDATORY k-12 education in California and most other states as far as I know.  You have to work REAL HARD to be kicked out of the system.  You don't have to work that hard to stay in and at least TRY to get an education.  In my experience most people in prison have CHOSEN to be there.  They have deliberately adopted a criminal lifestyle for whatever reason.  That reason does not, generally speaking, include lack of educational opportunity (IMHO). I admit it is something of a chicken and egg thing, but I believe that the criminal mindset and lifestyle pushes the education problem, not the other way around..   

How would you handle this situation? While making the rounds you discovered an inmate with a bloodied face. He said that he got hurt accidentally while fooling around (horseplay) with his cellmate?

Asked by Neal Bracken almost 10 years ago

Call medical.  Get injured inmate out of the cell and get medical attention.  Do a detailed body search of both inmates.  Check especially for damaged knuckles and defensive wounds.  File appropriate report.  Refer to supervisor for possible Ad Seg placement.

What if I'm going to prison in a steel chastity device w internal lock sealed shut w steel... Will I be wearing it prison or will it get cut off

Asked by Guy in chastity about 9 years ago

My first guess is that this is a lame joke.  Assuming it is not. it will be removed unless it is somehow certified as a medical device.  Have fun dude.