Zone1 Been working for DOC for about a year now. This shit is for the birds.

[Anomalism]

I come from a LEO family. I plan on becoming a state trooper after I finish my contract with DOC.

The pay is okay. I made a bit over 50k in 2022, which isn't bad for where I live, especially at my age. Some of the people are really awesome. Other than that I pretty much hate it, mostly because of severe understaffing that leads to mandatory 16 and a half hour shifts somewhat frequently. Lots of days with very little sleep.

Then there's the assholes. There are so many douchebags, many with stripes on. Miserable, nasty people that hate their lives and take it out on other staff and inmates.

I don't know. Being a CO sucks and I look forward to moving on with my life after my contract ends.

Rant over.

 

[1srelluc]

The trick is to make yourself indispensable without being a brown nose about it. LOL....Pretty easy these days, just showing-up every day puts you ahead of 75% of most officers.

That way you got the cherry posts and obtain rank fairly fast. The first time I left VDOC it was as a Sgt.....The second stint (20 years later) I retired as a Watch Commander.

Blah, staff was 87% of my headaches....I could not believe how sorry the help got after 20 years.....The female officers were the worse.....They were far and away more aggravating than the convicts.

Women were only allowed to work in the women's prison as matrons during my first stint.

 

[Anomalism]

The trick is to make yourself indispensable without being a brown nose about it. LOL....Pretty easy these days, just showing-up every day puts you ahead of 75% of most officers.

That way you got the cherry posts and obtain rank fairly fast. The first time I left VDOC it was as a Sgt.....The second stint (20 years later) I retired as a Watch Commander.

Blah, staff was 87% of my headaches....I could not believe how sorry the help got after 20 years.....The female officers were the worse.....They were far and away more aggravating than the convicts.

Women were only allowed to work in the women's prison as matrons during my first stint.

I hate to say it, but females really shouldn't work at male prisons. They cause most of the problems, including sneaking in contraband for their inmate boyfriends.

Oh, and the females are the WORST about not showing up.

 

[1srelluc]

I hate to say it, but females really shouldn't work there. They cause most of the problems, including sneaking in contraband for their inmate boyfriends.

I don't know how many women the VSP took out in handcuffs off the one major institution I worked at in just the 18 months I worked there. Lots of drama with them.

Worked out well for me though, I made Sgt. in six months then transferred out after I put the required year in so I could lateral transfer with the rank to a field unit.

I hit it just right because they had just started a diversion program (felon work release) and they needed a Watch Commander.....Made top grade LT that way and was able to stay till I retired.....They shut it down about a year later.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

"If you ever want to see the scum of the earth, go to your local prison and observe the changing of the guards."

Oscar Wilde

 

[Anomalism]

"If you ever want to see the scum of the earth, go to your local prison and observe the changing of the guards."

Oscar Wilde

And then there's the thankless element. Everybody hates COs. They tell us not to wear our uniforms in public so people don't spit in our food and try to fuck with us.

 

[1srelluc]

"If you ever want to see the scum of the earth, go to your local prison and observe the changing of the guards."

Oscar Wilde

Figures that you would quote a dandy.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

And then there's the thankless element. Everybody hates COs. They tell us not to wear our uniforms in public so people don't spit in our food and try to fuck with us.

It is sad, yet true, that when one plays in the garbage, one gets dirty. After a while the Guards and the Cons become indistinguishable. They use the same slang, and often come to have the same values. At 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for twenty years..the average CO does far more time inside than does the average Con.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

Figures that you would quote a dandy.

He dressed well? I didn't know~

 

[1srelluc]

It is sad, yet true, that when one plays in the garbage, one gets dirty. After a while the Guards and the Cons become indistinguishable. They use the same slang, and often come to have the same values. At 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for twenty years..the average CO does far more time inside than does the average Con.

Hell, I saw one old officer die on post.

We worked seven days off and seven days on (lived in barracks) and one old guy never left his post area for the whole seven days.

There was a old warden's bachelor's quarters (back before they had their own house on site) with a head/shower/kitchenette/bedroom so the old guy stayed in there the whole seven days and would come out at 1800, count, and relieve the day officer.

Found him dead on post bent over a newspaper at the 0200 count.....He had close to 40 years in.

BTW.....You are mostly ignorant but the job does put a slant on the way you view things.

 

[sparky]

Then there's the assholes

every profession has 'em

Found him dead on post bent over a newspaper at the 0200 count.....He had close to 40 years in.

oh, we could trade notes 1srelluc.....

~S~