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So you think you want to be a correctional officer?

A correctional officer has to be a good listener, counselor, social worker, diplomat, tough guy emergency medical technician and a hero

The correctional officer is an exceptional man or woman. A correctional officer must be able to save lives, stop bleeding, and start breathing at a moment’s notice. An officer working alone in a dorm with one hundred inmates must make split second decisions that would take a lawyer months to decide.

Male or female correctional officers must be able to handle inmates twice their size and half their age. If an inmate attacks an officer, then the officer is viewed as a coward if they do not react. If the officer protects himself or herself against great bodily harm then the officer is a bully. A correctional officer has to be a good listener, counselor, social worker, diplomat, tough guy emergency medical technician and a hero.

Correctional officers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses resulting from confrontations with inmates. They have one of the highest rates of being injured at least twice during their career than any other profession. With all the obstacles a correctional officer must face — the men and women wear the uniform proudly and continue to protect the inmates and fellow staff members from harm as well as the community. The correctional officer also feeds their family on a low end salary.

Correctional Officers Under Attack
Officer Sara Jones was making her rounds in the male dormitory when she heard an inmate cry out, “Help me — help me”. Officer Jones went to the cell door and the inmate said “I can’t breathe — I can’t breathe”. She opened the cell door and the inmate ejaculated on her uniform.

Officer John Smith was off duty and in civilian clothing at a gas station when a former inmate approached him and said “I told you I would get you one day, mother fucker”. Before the inmate could strike, Officer Smith defended himself by knocking the inmate to the ground. Police arrived on the scene and took both the former inmate and Officer Smith into custody. Luckily Officer Smith had written an incident report when the former inmate threatened to harm him while incarcerated at the prison. Police obtained a copy of Officer Smith’s report and charged the former inmate. Officer Smith was not charged with any crime.

Officer Smith did the right thing documenting all threats made to him at the prison. He sets a good example at work and is honest. He is aware of his surroundings both on and off duty and works out to stay in shape in order to protect himself. A correctional officer’s job can be dangerous both on duty and off duty.

Officer Johnson was off duty in Ybor City, Florida departing a local restaurant after dark. As he approached his vehicle, three men grabbed him, beat him and robbed him. As the three men started to depart one of the men found Officer Johnson’s correctional officer badge in the stolen wallet. The suspect yelled out, “This mother fucker is a C.O.” The three men walked back and beat the off duty officer to death. This is just another example of the high risk of being a correctional officer.

Yes the above scenarios are true and the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

The job has many dangers and risks such as being physically assaulted by an inmate who wishes to inflict great bodily harm upon you and in some cases even kill you. There is the risk of being raped — and not just for female officers but for male officers as well. There are documented cases for both male and female officers being raped by inmates. Officers have urine, feces, food and other foreign objects thrown at them on a regular basis.

Training to be a Professional
Correctional officers are required to have a clean record with no history of crime before being considered for employment. They must have a minimum of a high school diploma, pass a background investigation and complete a physical examination which includes drug testing. Many agencies conduct a polygraph examination, psychological examination, pre-weapons qualification and a physical fitness test before an applicant can be considered.

After being selected for employment, new recruits must attend the Correctional Officer Academy and successfully complete training in a vast amount of areas. Anyone who does not pass all areas of academic and physical training must pack up and go home — in the Army we called this the “Duffle Bag Drag”, failure to complete required training.

The rigorous training includes defensive tactics, weapons qualification with shotgun and handgun, use of restraint devices, inmate transport techniques, proper radio transmissions, emergency signals and emergency and crisis intervention.

Correctional officers are expected to perform life saving measures on an inmate or fellow officer such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which is also known as rescue breathing, to buy time in order to save a person’s life until medical personnel arrive. Officers must know how to use the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) as well, which is a portable device that checks the heart rhythm and if needed sends an electronic shock to the heart to try and restore the heart’s normal rhythm. Basic wound care and immobilization techniques are also taught and performed hands on for qualification in the first responder field.

Basic firefighting techniques are also taught and must be performed correctly by the new recruits to include knowing how to use the self-contained breathing apparatus and all the firefighting protective equipment.

Classroom academics consist of basic law studies which are qualified with a written examination. Inmate manipulation, ethics and interpersonal skills are taught qualified with a written examination.

After all the academy requirements are successfully completed training is not over by a long shot. A State examination must be taken consisting of everything taught in the academy and a minimum score of eighty percent is required to pass. After passing the state exam, it is time to report to the prison or jail for some real world training.

From this point forward it will be hands-on training inside the prison walls. It is time for real-life scenarios with real convicted felons of who are ready to test out the new rookie to see if he or she is weak or strong. The first year will be the toughest learning experience ever for the rookie trying to prove to the supervisors he or she can perform their duties with honor and not fall victim to an inmates trap or manipulation.

If all of this training is not sufficient, add in the fact that annual re-certification training and testing for each officer must be completed to ensure everyone is up to date with both current events and new standards. If anyone tells you being a correctional officer is an easy job they have never tried it. I have seen many intelligent people fail in certain areas of training due to the lack of common sense or the physical ability to complete particular hands on tasks such as weapons qualification or defensive tactics. Common sense and the ability to think on your feet are two very necessary characteristics that a good correctional officer needs to survive on the job. Throw in honesty and integrity and you now have a professional.

The Silent Risks Officers Face
There is also a silent but deadly enemy placing officers in danger and at risk in the jail and prison environment. The culprit is communicable diseases. Many of the inmates have lived a rough life outside of prison using drugs and needles on a regular basis and having multiple sex partners who also use drugs and needles. All of these people bring many diseases into the environment. Diseases such as — tuberculosis, AIDS, hepatitis and different types of staph infections including, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus Aureus, (MRSA). MRSA is a bacterium responsible for a variety of infections known to be very difficult to treat in humans. The number one risk for MRSA is hospitals and the number two is prisons and number three is homeless people. Correctional officers are subjected to all three environments working hospital watches with inmates and homeless people who enter the prison system.

Staff Shortages
Staff shortages due to budget restraints, low pay, forced overtime and high turnover ratio rates make the correctional officer job even more stressful. Working with inexperienced and overstretched staff will create a dangerous work environment. An officer working double shifts week after week becomes tired and worn out. The alertness wears off and inmates realize this and use it to their advantage. The shortages pose a danger to the good officers who stay on the job.

Safety for everyone in the prison becomes a big issue. When the experienced people retire or leave early because of being overworked the prison has a rise in new recruits with no experience Add the twenty to thirty percent staff shortage with inexperienced officers and the danger factor rises. It is imperative that we find a way to repair the critical need of maintaining experienced staff to guide and instruct new officers.

With all the stressors inherent to the job and the statistics to back them up, our state governments continue to freeze pay raises, cut benefits and weaken retirement plans. When will they wake up and see who is protecting them and the community. Correctional officers are professionals who deserve respect from the state and the people they work for.

We have earned the right with blood sweat and tears to be “Correctional Officers.” We are not “Guards” — we are highly trained professionals.Thank you to all the hardworking, honest and loyal correctional officers throughout our country who work day after day with the risks and dangers the job surrounds us with. To all of our fallen officers killed in the line of duty, we salute you and your families. “You may be gone but you are not forgotten.”

Gary York, author of “Corruption Behind Bars” and “Inside The Inner Circle,” served in the United States Army from 1978 to 1987 and was honorably discharged at the rank of Staff Sergeant from the Military Police Corps. U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Gary York completed the 7th Army Non-Commissioned Officers Leadership Academy with a 96.6% in the Train to Train method of instruction. Gary received the Army Commendation Medal and Soldier of the Quarter Award while serving. Gary was a Military Police shift supervisor for five years.

Gary then began a career with the Department of Corrections as a correctional officer. Gary was promoted to probation officer, senior probation officer and senior prison inspector where for the next 12 years he conducted criminal, civil and administrative investigations in many state prisons. Gary was also assigned to the Inspector General Drug Interdiction Team conducting searches of staff and visitors entering the prisons for contraband during weekend prison visitation. Gary also received the Correctional Probation Officer Leadership Award for the Region V, Tampa, Florida, Correctional Probation and he won the Outstanding Merit Award for leadership in the Region V Correctional Officer awards Tampa, Florida.
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