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

Have you ever had an escapee?

I have watched the show I (Almost) got away with it, which is why I am asking

Asked by Al almost 7 years ago

Yes.  During my 24 years we had one "inside escape" (escape from within the main security perimeter) and a fair number of "outside escapes" (minimum security walkaways).  The inside escapee was recaptured before the emergency count cleared.  (In fact I and one other officer were the ones who caught him.  He went out hidden in a bail of crushed cardboard.)  That is common in CA.  One of the things we are good at is keeping inmates in.  Escapes from inside the security perimeter are rare.  Walk-aways from fire camps, etc. are common.

I'm a small 5' women and I was wondering if It would be appropriate for me to become a CO

Asked by Rose over 6 years ago

Don't see why not. There were several small women where I worked. There are issues. One is that most of the prisons are designed for someone about 5-7 or taller. being able to shoot out of a tower can be a challenge (not that you do much of that). Also, doing something like count can be challenging because the cell windows are designed for someone taller. I know one small woman who had a milk crate on a dog leash. At count time she pulled it around with her like a foot stool. Stop. Step up on crate. Count the cell. step down. go to next cell. repeat 132 times. it worked. GO FOR IT.

Why did they choose corrections for a field of employment?

Asked by K Roar almost 7 years ago

Who is "they?"

Did you work with mostly male or female inmates

Asked by Ali over 6 years ago

Personally I worked exclusively with male prisoners.

I know an educated man, wrongfully convicted. One particular CO is harassing him at every opportunity. Can this inmate do anything to improve relations? The inmate does not flaunt the rules and does not know why he has been targeted.

Asked by in Boston about 7 years ago

My first response would to be that you are being jerked around by this "educated, wrongfully convicted" man.  As far as I know every modern penal system has a system where an inmate can complain about treatment by staff, and many have an Inspector General that can accept complaints that will be anonymous, at least to those the complaint is made against.  My GUESS, based on inadequate information, is that you are being manipulated by the prisoner.  I could be wrong.  I find it hard to understand WHY a prison staffer would deliberately harass an inmate who does not break the rules and does behave himself.  It is not impossible, but I find the premise to be highly questionable.  (Admittedly I may be prejudiced.)

I was interested in doing this sort of job at a juvi detention center. What kind of emotional mind frame do you go to work with? How do you set the boundaries between being stern yet compassionate?

Asked by Becky over 6 years ago

It used to be easier to answer when people in juvenile deterntion were actually young, minor offenders. Now they are mostly violent, serious criminals who happened to have been under age when they committed their crimes. The helpful-rehabilitative model is dead and stinking.

What happens when someone with a disability goes to prison?

Asked by 56 almost 7 years ago

There are more and more disabled people entering the prison system. Obviously if a person has a severe disability and can not care for themselves they tend to be placed in a hospital setting. That being said there are a LOT of people in wheel chairs or with major hearing or vision problems who are in the prison system. Each person has to be evaluated on an individual basis. There have been cases of people who became fully disabled while in prison and who were placed in a rehab facility under guard until the system could come up with something to do with them.