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.
Basically that is not a custody function. Also, virtually NOBODY goes to prison the first time. They have probation, diversion, court ordered therapy, restitution, etc. Many are "state raised." The only people who go to prison the first time are murderers and (now) child molesters. Also, by the time they go thru the court process and jail they have adequate time to come to terms with their situation. But, as I opened with, that is not a custody function.
Yes. During my 24 years we had one "inside escape" (escape from within the main security perimeter) and a fair number of "outside escapes" (minimum security walkaways). The inside escapee was recaptured before the emergency count cleared. (In fact I and one other officer were the ones who caught him. He went out hidden in a bail of crushed cardboard.) That is common in CA. One of the things we are good at is keeping inmates in. Escapes from inside the security perimeter are rare. Walk-aways from fire camps, etc. are common.
The "system" does not, and can not, rehabilitate. Rehabilitation comes from within and can not be imposed from the outside. The offender must WANT to change and be willing to do so.
I have not personally seen it, but it does happen. People get fired and sometimes prosecuted for it. At one time tobacco was popular and since it was not technically ILLEGAL to smuggle it some people thought it was OK. Then cell phones. Drugs have always been popular but also always illegal. I don't have any fine details on the profit margins of such things, and since I have been out 14 years now any info I might have had would be stale.
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Such people would tend to land in either minimum or medium custody, depending on the length of their sentence, medical needs and other factors (including available housing). Right now, in CA, many of these people would be placed in county jails rather than state prisons, even though they are serving a felony sentence, under "realignment.".
NO, not really.
That depends almost entirely on the inmate, the period of time he was in prison and what sort of support system will be available to him on the outside. No easy answer there.
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