I'll be brave...

[Spiderman]

Here I go again. Can’t help throwing my two cents in. After the bail out it’s probably 1/4 cent. Anyway, this whole problem is not difficult

At the FCI and camp level there might be some hope. At the Penn level it’s a lost cause.
They are a write off. Even the family has figured it out at this point. Do I feel good about saying that, no, but it’s true.

What does the Bureau do? We are more lax in the Penns than an FCI. “Oh, they can’t help themselves.” No $#!)! It’s a career for them at this point and serving time is an occupational hazzard. C’mon society get a grip. We are sorry your loved one cannot conform to social standards and function, but it just is. So what does the “Wannabe, amateur, Correctional Administrators of the Premier Correctional agency in the world do?”

We accept their behavior, give them less accountability than at a medium security joint, and more privileges. Good grief! They live better than our military folks who are deployed.

That really pisses me off. Who’s that Sheriff in PHX? God bless him.

Incentive is not turning a blind eye and more privileges. It’s about earning the right to be more comfortable and to have more social interaction to run your scams. A Penn should be very strict. Less commissary, less movement, less social interaction. We don’t need to “beat” inmates, just make them earn the right for social or recreational activities. We have become an extension of the welfare program. “We are sorry your locked up, we owe it to you to make you happy in this &$^#%ed up not normal environment.” “It’s our fault and we are sorry, we as a society let you down.” Bull $@iT. I used to get free lunch at school my dad worked construction and my mom died when I was in third grade. My dad was hard and brought us up with a heavy hand and a sense of shame. I thanked him for it this past fathers day. So instead of the “we are sorry, it’s all our fault Bureau, let’s try the “We expect a modicum of responsibility from you Bureau,” we might get somewhere. I doubt that will happen in the near future as I recently witnessed the Captain escorting a belligerent inmate down the corridor saying, “c’mon, we talked about this, you said you would behave.” WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At this point we are not a model but a disgrace and we are there for the inmates entertainment and abuse.

C’mon, how hard is this to figure out! Somebody with some dignity stand up. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BOPGREYHAIR]

Dead on the head.

I've worked two systems, 4 pens (two each system), and would NEVER have believed that I'd witness this completely misguided mess we're in now.

Nothing much has changed with crinimals in my 34 years, but the crew running the BOP has steadily made the move to the SAME mistakes that were made in the 60's and 70's in "Offender" (running it back "client", "prisoner", "convict") management that failed then and WILL FAIL NOW. Today' sconvict is the product of all the same personal and familial disasters that the former one's were, but this round they're deluded by rap and popular culture that they're "Sucka Free" and somehow blameless. Add the gang phenomenon and we're roaring the wrong direction as an agency.

The BOP is now "Led" (philosophically and, sadly, in practice) by lawyers, psychologists and music teachers. Nice people, but clueless to the needs of correctional officers to safely do their job. They'll give you a vest (after being cornered by Representative Cordoza), but won't allow pepper spray or batons because because it's a 'Change in Culture" and DO NOT TRUST YOU WITH THIS PROVEN, EFFECTIVE USE OF FORCE CAPABILITY. Remember, "communication has always worked", until it doesn't, with tragic results for the poor staff member that experiences the results.

Morale is more than dead, the hostility of line and mid-level managers to the "Executive Staff" is like nothing I've ever seen.

The agency is truly "sick", and the leadership that led it there won't accept treatment.
Very hard times are ahead, but hang on, change always comes eventually.

[Crosstimbers Okie]

If I've said it once, I've said it 1000 times. The BOP is philosophically incapable of handling real criminals. It does fine with drug addicts & white collar fraud convicts. But put true predators in its prisons and they pretty much take the administration hostage and run the damned things through the warden & AWs in short order.

It's The BOP Way...

[Spiderman]

Originally Posted by BOPGREYHAIR

Dead on the head.

I've worked two systems, 4 pens (two each system), and would NEVER have believed that I'd witness this completely misguided mess we're in now.

Nothing much has changed with crinimals in my 34 years, but the crew running the BOP has steadily made the move to the SAME mistakes that were made in the 60's and 70's in "Offender" (running it back "client", "prisoner", "convict") management that failed then and WILL FAIL NOW. Today' sconvict is the product of all the same personal and familial disasters that the former one's were, but this round they're deluded by rap and popular culture that they're "Sucka Free" and somehow blameless. Add the gang phenomenon and we're roaring the wrong direction as an agency.

The BOP is now "Led" (philosophically and, sadly, in practice) by lawyers, psychologists and music teachers. Nice people, but clueless to the needs of correctional officers to safely do their job. They'll give you a vest (after being cornered by Representative Cordoza), but won't allow pepper spray or batons because because it's a 'Change in Culture" and DO NOT TRUST YOU WITH THIS PROVEN, EFFECTIVE USE OF FORCE CAPABILITY. Remember, "communication has always worked", until it doesn't, with tragic results for the poor staff member that experiences the results.

Morale is more than dead, the hostility of line and mid-level managers to the "Executive Staff" is like nothing I've ever seen.

The agency is truly "sick", and the leadership that led it there won't accept treatment.
Very hard times are ahead, but hang on, change always comes eventually.

Thank you and “Crosstimbers Oakie.” For your comments. Sometimes I feel like I am ranting into a black hole. I’m not looking for conformation, only to bounce my own experiences and philosophy around.

You ever feel like you’re the only one who actually can see past the daily BULL$#!^?

I have family that works for state and another for county. I’m at the point that I don’t even add to stories or general conversation when we talk shop because they cannot believe that we put up with the amount of harassment we do. It’s embarrassing to say I’m apart of this or that I accept and tolerate it. I don’t violate human rights, I treat the cons how I want to be treated, “not that they get it.” But I never abuse anyone of them, never have. I see my job as I’m here to look after those who can’t look after themselves. But for goodness sake I need some tools!

They just demand respect and we give it, pretty much unconditionally.

How many times have you had the “respect” conversation with inmates. My pet peeve. There was a time I would entertain this stupidity, I don’t anymore. I tell them if we have to have this conversation “you don’t get it, I’m not wasting my time. We are done here.”

We treat them as if we should be thanking them for not hurting us? What I love is when they get drunk and we let a shot caller say he’ll take care of it they misbehave. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our mantra, “SEGS Full!

I have a step brother who is Native American who served twenty years cause he got drunk and killed someone. Natives can’t process alcohol the way most people can. When they are drunk it’s the same as having somebody mentally ill running around with a sword. Am I the only one who understands this? To think I only have an Associates Degree!

How many stupid things have you done under the influence of alcohol? Me, quite a few.
Now we are letting people who lean towards violence to achieve their goals, with little to no social or problem solving skills and we let them dictate our response to them when they are intoxicated.

I’m just not getting it.........Maybe it’s time for me to bow out.....

All the best my brothers.

[gordo retired hack]

spiderman and greyhair you are both right!I started at fci el reno in the fall of 83 right before the double staff murders at marion,and the unfornunate killing at oxford.el reno was called an fci but it was no fci. long before beaumont and three rivers,el reno was an fci/usp/mcc rolled into one.we ran the joint.we didn't worry about what the region,oia or oig thought it was our house!! i tranfered to usp leavenworth in 90 and i thought what a weak,d.s place!!the inmates that we had sent to lvn and marion were calling leavenworth,"heavenworth" because it was so weak!any staff that had any time were working the cuban units,because thats where the ot was.the younger staff and rookies were running the general population and were getting taken advantage of!! it took several disturbances and a couple of riots and some good leadership to get the boat righted! but it was a almost impossible task with the newer more kinder bop!! and i'm not talking just inmates either,i'm talking the general decay of many 'HIP STAFF".i'm happily retired going on 6 years and i wouldn't want to think about walking back into these cesspools!!!

[DamageInc]

My supervisors rock the prison. They inmates hate my shift cause they know we dont put up with anything. Like my LT tells me "let em put a grievance in...Fan mail to the captain that im doing my job" He even cussed out the chaplin. The chaplin ordered My LT to get someone a sack lunch and my LT dropped him in his place petty quick.

[Mudflap]

I have no problem treating a man decently, regardless of why he's locked up. I give the idiot-mates as much respect as they let me give them.

I looooove the comment about a greivenace being fan mail to to Captain. Hee hee hee heeeeeeee! (I'll use that, and probably soon.)

We gotta pick and choose our battles where I work, because Admin has made it clear that they don't want to see any paperwork, and they certainly don't want any complaints going to Central Office. Seems they'll take one inmate's word against three CO's, too. At one time, if a CO saw an inmate roll through the chow line twice or drop something on the yard, that inmate did in fact roll through the chow line twice or drop that item on the yard. Today, the officer musta made a mistake 'coz "the inmate said he didn't do it".

[Spiderman]

Originally Posted by PsychoMike

GIJANE... mull this over. Back around 1974 when I started to study corrections and Utah Sate Law Enforcement... I ran across this; "Prison should be ultimately designed to do away with itself. That is to say, it should be motivation in and of itself to keep inmates from returning once they've been there." What they mean there I think is that NO ONE should want to return to prison and, when they come out, word of mouth should be that "You don't want to go there" is the only attitude conveyed to any and all who come into contact with an ex-con. However; now that prison is it's own industry, it is beneficial to have inmates return again and again. How many times have you seen prison, inmates, gang members and thugs glorified in the movies? Now it's "Cool" to be a "Gangsta" Also, how many times have you heard other staff say, “Well it’s job security” when they are commenting on inmates returning. That is the WRONG attitude as far as I’m concerned... As a society we should be doing EVERYTHING to eliminate crime, criminals and the need for prisons. So some of us are out of a job.. You think that prison is the only job you can do? Think about what a place the United States would be if we put as much effort into eliminating the motivation, the “coolness” if you will, of crime and doing time as we put into blowing up foreign countries and killing terrorists.... Wouldn’t THIS be a nice place to live?

OK...so I'm a long winded old gas bag - fire me!

Well said PsychoMike. You don't seem so crazy after all.

Imagine if Prison was like boot camp. At all levels. Camp, FCI, Penn. With each increase in security level being more strict and with less freedom then the next. Only then will we actually get somewhere on recidivism. It should be a time warp. You enter and our focus is only on education opportunities and trying to teach you how to live on the outside. Just like school, even make them do the pledge of allegiance in the morning. You’re here at our expense right! You do what society thinks is necessary.

Rec programs in the evening to keep them fit and occupied but organized by staff. Other than that, Monday through Friday grind. You get up shower shave and your day is what you make of it. When you get back to the dorm your boots must be shined, underwear in four in squares and everything ready for inspection. After hours you get a chance to visit and participate in recreational activities and socialize or write letters home. Phone privileges, weekends only. Television, weekends only. Earn it. We try to make prison an extension of their normal gangster life. It’s not working. Reduce sentencing and make it less enjoyable or more difficult to do their hustles and we’ll be a lot better off.

Quit letting the inmates dictate how we run the prison system.

The strange thing is, society thinks we are strict and run it like the military. Thats why they feel sorry for these creeps. But we all know it’s just the opposite.

So let’s invite cameras and news people into our environs and show them how it really is then tell them they need to budget more tax dollars to us because the cons are bored. They over burden the Judicial system and laugh about it. Now the clincher is, we know you feel for these people because we let them down. But we need you to keep the revenue coming and it has to come from YOUR healthcare, Social Security or the education system.

Sorry you all just have to suck it up because we don’t want to make the social parasites uncomfortable.

Lets make the prison system uncomfortable