Anyone work at Clallam Bay?

[thursco]

Just wondering if anyone know what the facility is like? Nearby housing? General living? etc.

[Greg]

I work at Clallam Bay. Most folks at CBCC live in Forks or Port Angeles. Forks is about a 30 minute drive, and Port Angeles is about a 60-70 minute drive. There are van pools on all shifts from both locations.

The area is one of the most beautiful in the state--when it's not raining. Rainfall totals for the year run from 120-160 inches per year.

Housing costs less in Forks than in most areas of the state. Port Angeles is about par with many other areas, and it only rains about 40-50 inches per year.

CBCC is medium to maximum custody. New employees often end up working in the closed custody units where I work. I work on swing shift, and since I started my current post in January of this year, all of the staff in my unit except one are new.

CBCC can be a tough place to work, and morale is not always the best. It has its good points--everybody really pulls together when the sh!t hits the fan, for instance. If you are able to separate yourself from the BS that goes on, it's not so bad. I've been there since 1997.

It's a great area to live in if you are outdoors oriented. The hunting is pretty fair, and the fishing is excellent. There are a lot of great places for hiking, mountain biking, and camping as well.

There is also a prison camp near Forks, Olympic Corrections Center. OCC is about the same distance from Forks as CBCC, and the working atmosphere there is much better.

There are a few other folks on this forum from CBCC...perhaps they can chime in and give you their opinion.

[thursco]

Thank you for the info! I'm going up for an interview soon and realized that I haven't been up that way in close to 15 years. I always did like port townsend and port angeles though. I don't know much about forks, so I may have to do some driving.
I'm pretty good at separating myself from the BS, so I"m not too worried about that, I appreciate the feedback on morale though. Is there overtime available? Mandatory?
Do you notice many apartments for rent in the area around where you live? I really just need to drive around a bit up there. That would be my biggest worry is getting hired and having a tough time finding a place.

Thanks again.

[Greg]

Originally Posted by thursco

Thank you for the info! I'm going up for an interview soon and realized that I haven't been up that way in close to 15 years. I always did like port townsend and port angeles though. I don't know much about forks, so I may have to do some driving.
I'm pretty good at separating myself from the BS, so I"m not too worried about that, I appreciate the feedback on morale though. Is there overtime available? Mandatory?
Do you notice many apartments for rent in the area around where you live? I really just need to drive around a bit up there. That would be my biggest worry is getting hired and having a tough time finding a place.

Thanks again.

There are plenty of places to rent in both Forks and Port Angeles. Housing is cheaper in Forks than in Port Angeles. Many CBCC employees that are not interested in living in a small town choose to live in Port Angeles--but at the cost of 2-2.5 hours of commuting per day. Living in Forks will cost you a one hour commute (round trip).

There is also housing available in the Clallam Bay-Sekiu area. There has been overtime available, there will be a new group of officers on line soon that should put an end to that.

At CBCC, you would be likely to start as an on-call officer until temporary and probationary positions open up. We have not had on-call officers for some time. There is enough turn-over that positions continually open up.

[thursco]

wow turnover has been fast enough that your on-call officers don't last? It's weird that new positions open up that quickly. I guess I will just have to give my best at the interview and play it by ear after that if it goes well.

Thanks again for the information.

[Greg]

Originally Posted by thursco

wow turnover has been fast enough that your on-call officers don't last? It's weird that new positions open up that quickly. I guess I will just have to give my best at the interview and play it by ear after that if it goes well.

Thanks again for the information.

The number one reason that people move on is because they find a job that they like better. Corrections is not the job of first choice for many people.

People who are actively seeking jobs in corrections because that is what they want to do usually stick around a lot longer.

What I meant by on-call officers not lasting is that they move up because people in temporary or permanent positions have left. Some of the new people don't last, but most of them stick around for at least a couple years. It's around the two year mark that a lot of people get itchy feet and move on.

[thursco]

thank you so much Greg. I really appreciate all the information you've shared with me. Hopefully I'll get to meet you someday.

[thursco]

Ok, for anyone going to Port Angeles that is using hwy 101 along hood canal....give yourself lots of extra time. I spent over an hour behind state flaggers on the way home Tuesday. I've been told it might be a better idea to go to Aberdeen and drive up 101 along the coast.

[Scowly]

Originally Posted by thursco

Ok, for anyone going to Port Angeles that is using hwy 101 along hood canal....give yourself lots of extra time. I spent over an hour behind state flaggers on the way home Tuesday. I've been told it might be a better idea to go to Aberdeen and drive up 101 along the coast.

There's a saying in Alaska, and it can be used here at times as well:
This state has two seasons... Winter and Construction