Correctional Officer

Correctional Officer

Bob Walsh

Stockton, CA

Male, 60

I worked for the California state system, starting as a Correctional Officer and retiring as a Lieutenant in 2005. I now write for the PacoVilla blog which is concerned with what could broadly be called The Correctional System.

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Last Answer on February 10, 2022

Best Rated

What if I'm going to prison in a steel chastity device w internal lock sealed shut w steel... Will I be wearing it prison or will it get cut off

Asked by Guy in chastity over 8 years ago

My first guess is that this is a lame joke.  Assuming it is not. it will be removed unless it is somehow certified as a medical device.  Have fun dude. 

How would you handle this situation? While making the rounds you discovered an inmate with a bloodied face. He said that he got hurt accidentally while fooling around (horseplay) with his cellmate?

Asked by Neal Bracken over 9 years ago

Call medical.  Get injured inmate out of the cell and get medical attention.  Do a detailed body search of both inmates.  Check especially for damaged knuckles and defensive wounds.  File appropriate report.  Refer to supervisor for possible Ad Seg placement.

1. What did you like/dislike about your job?
2. Did you consider your job to be dangerous?
3. Would you recommend a career in corrections to a new criminal justice university graduate?
4. How would you say that your job "mattered" in the CJ process?

Asked by Tony about 9 years ago

I felt like I was preforming a valuable service for society at large, and I was fairly well compensated for it.  Yes, the job was dangerous.  Not ridiculously so, but you could not go thru the day with your brain on auto-pilot.  Even if you were careful you would, from time to time, find yourself in situations that got physical.  That's part of the job.  Yes, I would still recommend a job in that field.  It is much more "political" now than it was in my day, but I would still recommend it, just not as highly as I might have 15 years ago.  The job is definitely important in the whole process.  Assuming you allow that locking up bad guys is part of the process there must be somebody to both keep an eye on them and provide them with needed services.  Without that aspect the system would come apart fairly quickly.

Yes , correct it would be a state correctional officer and yes he is in prison. I think I will be working at a jail. Thanks for the answer it was very helpful.

Asked by Shanellica over 8 years ago

Generally speaking state correctional officers work in PRISONS, not JAILS, though there are exceptions to this.  Generally speaking State correctional officers work for the state, jail officers work for cities or counties.  That is certainly true in CA, though there is a bit of spillover in certain re-entry facilities.  You are unlikely to be assigned to one of those as a newbie.  Good luck.  I hope it works for you.

I was arrested and taken to county jail at around 5 pm one day. I wss in holding, not yet "booked in". A bail bondsman was already there for me. As I was getting booked in and out simultaneously, an officer came to escort a prisoner from holding

Asked by V3ngeance over 9 years ago

Sorry, but I don't see a question there.  Hard to respond without a question to respond to.

Who do officers report to for personals or bathroom breaks

Asked by leon over 8 years ago

Generally speaking no one.  Most posts-work areas have staff bathrooms.  It is sort of an OSHA thing.  If you have a job assignment that allows or requires you to move around a lot (like yard officer) you just wander over to the staff bathroom while you are wandering around your area.  It is a good idea to let a co-worker know if you are disappearing into the head for a while in case something jumps off while you are there so they are not worried about where you are when they count noses, but that's about it usually.

Is it legal for a prison staff member to marry a prison inmate in the state of California?

Asked by Mean Joe Green about 9 years ago

As far as I know it is not ILLEGAL but it is highly questionable.  The staff member would be looked at very closely from a security standpoint, and the prisoner would be moved to anther prison due to security concerns.