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.

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Last Answer on February 10, 2022

Best Rated

Did you have the same, less, or more power then a regular police officer? Where you a sworn peace/police/law enforcement officer? Could you arrest someone out side of the system? Thanks!

Asked by Francis over 5 years ago

We are peace officers under a different section of the penal code than "street cops." Our authority is limited to the course of our employment, which is, generally speaking, persons and locations under control of the department. We could arrest a person who interfered with, say for instance, the transport or medical treatment of a prisoner off grounds.

What do you think of SHOCK treatment and victim impacts panels? Do you think they help people change or just throwing tax dollars at people who are unwilling to change

Asked by Robery over 5 years ago

A shock treatment is a medical procedure. I have no expertise in that area, though as a moderately well informed non-medical person I think they are of dubious benefit and, as far as I know, are no longer used anywhere. (Unless you mean something else I am unfamiliar with.)

I have no practical experience with Victim Impact Panels. I suspect the bad guys don't give a diddly damn about victims, if they did they wouldn't be bad guys.

What would you do if you got Bill Hilary and Chelsey in your prison?

Asked by JAY over 5 years ago

Since I have been retired for 15 years, probably nothing. Also, neither Hillary nor Chelsey would come there, it is a male institution. Bill would probably be in protective custody. So I would probably laugh at him a lot, if I was there, which I wouldn't be.

Hey dude why do so many cops sound the same?

Asked by Gene over 5 years ago

We have to take a class in that.

My final question is why can we not do stay at home protests because where killing old people but the BLM and ANTIFA can march in thousands (some without masks) and tear shit up and the cops let them do things like sit in the street and tear up stautues

Asked by Dimmie over 5 years ago

Because a lot of people in positions of power and authority derive political power from allowing it to happen. Also there is a lot of White guilt and legitimate bad feelings about what is pretty obviously a White cop killing a Black man for no apparent reason.

Do you have to be 21’or can you be 18? Also is there a old age limit?

Asked by Mike almost 5 years ago

In Ca you can be HIRED to be a peace officer at 20 1/2 but can not actually start work until age 21. When I started there was a maximum age limit of 35 to begin training. There was no mandatory retirement age. The max age limit to start went away while I was working but MAY have since been reinstated. There is still no max age that I am aware of, but few stay beyond 55 or 60 as there is little or no financial benefit from doing so and the job is somewhat physical.

Recently I asked you if you
regretted an innocent prisoner being jailed or executed. You remarked that you thought about it for just about a minute. Isn't that rather cold to feel that way about an innocent person. How come?

Asked by Neal Bracken over 5 years ago

Perhaps I am just cold. Also, perhaps I realize that the job of the DOC is to incarcerate persons committed to it by the courts for the period of time required by law. I have never personally sat on a criminal jury so I feel no level of personal responsibility at all. I think that when such things happen it is regrettable and that the system should take appropriate steps to ensure this happens as little as possible, preferably not at all. That being said if you worry about things like that you will soon be unable to do the job.