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

Question! How has the prison system changed to your knolage since you retired

Asked by SMart cookie almost 4 years ago

Yes. Quite a bit. The population has gone down very considerably due to "realignment" and changes in sentencing laws. Inmates are serving shorter sentences and the Covid infection has impacted things considerably towards staff and prisoners both. The death penalty is suspended (not that it has really been operational for almost 20 years anyway) and the politics of the system has swung very much towards the "warm and fuzzy" model of corrections.

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

Asked by JAY over 4 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.

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 4 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.

my wife is in jail shes mental health scared and in medical the captin came to her with my mugshot asking why why why him and started asking what gang im in and all this is that legal

Asked by cory jackson almost 5 years ago

From what I can tell (your writing leaves something to be desired) the Captain at the jail asked your wife what gang you are in. As far as I know it is perfectly legal for him to ask. It is also perfectly legal for her to tell him to pound sand.

Why did you choose this career?

Asked by Beanie over 4 years ago

I had a friend whose husband worked there. I worked for the state for another agency at the time (not peace officer) when I saw a newspaper ad. I answered it. It appealed to my sense of structure, I thought it was worthwhile from a social benefit perspective and the pay, benefits and promotional opportunities were very good.

Why are so many child killers getting off. Like Casey Anthony and that cheerleader BITCH.

Asked by Carla over 4 years ago

Stupid juries I suppose. Not exactly my field of expertise. Plus a lot of jurors really think it is supposed to be like Law & Order or Perry Mason and if the bad guy does not confess it doesn't count.

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 4 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.