Ask a Correctional Officer anything

454 Questions

Last Answer on February 10, 2022

How is famliy life as a correctional officer? I really want to be one, but also want to have a family life. Is it hard to balance the two?

Asked by Zack about 11 years ago

It is difficult due to the shift work. Once you get some seniority (in the Calfiornia system anyway) you can bid on a job and the days off and shift that go with it. Some people stay on first watch (graveyard) voluntarily for some time so they can interact more with their family. Also vacations are seniority bid so it can take several years to get a summer vacation. Most people start the job young and don't have children yet. That helps. Family and work is a juggling act in the real world. The shift work does make it harder.

973 Votes

What is the psychological evaluation like?

Asked by Lolop about 11 years ago

I have no idea. They did not have a formal psych screening when I started with the department.

970 Votes

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How do the guards treat the inmates, in general? Is there any law or internal policy that requires that prisoners be treated with some minimum level of respect and humanity? Or are guards free to be jerks as they please?

Asked by Bastille1 over 11 years ago

Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations, commonly known as the Directors Rules for the prison system, is pretty definite on that subject. EVERYBODY, staff and inmates, are expected to treat each other respectfully as circumstances permit. I grant you it is hard to be respectful when you are trying to break somebody's arm with a PR-24, but it is there. Inmates are regularly written up for disrespect, and inmates commonly file written comalints against staff for disrespect. Most of the time inmates complaints of disrespect are BS, to them tellling them what to do, where to go, and what to do when they get their is disrespectful. Generally speaking everybody gets along better with everybody if you treat them halfway decently. MOst people in prison really want to get along, at least on the surfact. It makes life easier.

962 Votes

How do inmates shave in prison, assuming they can't have blades?

Asked by OC Blake over 11 years ago

generally they use disposable type BIC razors. it is not hard to break the blades out of them, melt them into a tooth brush handle and turn them into a pretty decent slashing weapon. except in Adminsitrative Segregation razor blades are not that tightly controlled, it just isn't practical.

952 Votes

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Why do so many prisoners become Muslims while in jail?

Asked by qwerty over 11 years ago

On a numerical basis it isn't so many, but the numbers can become meaningful. When you get somebody who is disaffected, probably feels dumped on and discriminated against, finding a group of like-minded people who are willing to tell you that YOU are ok and the SYSTEM is what is wrong is personally validating.

947 Votes

You mentioned prisoners making wine, weapons, tattoo guns and such, MacGyver-style. What's the most inventive thing you've ever seen a prisoner make?

Asked by McGillis over 11 years ago

one guy made a fairly good looking but fortunately non-functional, Sten gun in the furniture shop. that was clever, scary, also terribly stupid.

946 Votes

Do jail inmates get to vote?

Asked by Luca over 11 years ago

In some states some prisoners get to vote in some elections. I admit my memory is foggy on this. It also depends if you mean JAIL or PRISON. Inmates in jail, if they have no other convictions, are not felons. They can vote. It is technically difficult for them to do so and they seldom bother, but they can. In many states convicted felons can not vote, in some they can, and it sometimes depends if they are voting in federal or state elections. As an aside, Al Franken, the senator from Wisc, voted for Obamacare. It passed by one vote. Franken won his seat by about 400 votes. It is KNOWN that over 1,100 ex-felons registered and voted illegally in that election. Information indicates that ex-felons overwhelmingly vote Democrat. So, in one respect you could say that Obamacare is a direct result of (possibly unintentional) voter fraud by convicted felons.

938 Votes