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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455 Questions

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Last Answer on February 10, 2022

Best Rated

What do prisons do if there where to be a Corona virus case in one of the prisons?

Asked by Nndndnd about 6 years ago

I have been retired now for many years so I am not up on the current communicable disease response scenario. Since there are almost no vacant beds anywhere in the system the normal response would be to quarantine in place and isolate those infected as best they can.

Did you have the same, less, or more power then a regular police officer? Where you a sworn peace/police/law enforcement officer? Could you arrest someone out side of the system? Thanks!

Asked by Francis almost 6 years ago

We are peace officers under a different section of the penal code than "street cops." Our authority is limited to the course of our employment, which is, generally speaking, persons and locations under control of the department. We could arrest a person who interfered with, say for instance, the transport or medical treatment of a prisoner off grounds.

Yo has a inmate ever made you really mad by something they have said or are you able to laugh to off knowing their the ones that are a degenerate low life probably not having much of a future

Asked by Dooooooo over 6 years ago

Answer B is correct.

Recently I asked you if you
regretted an innocent prisoner being jailed or executed. You remarked that you thought about it for just about a minute. Isn't that rather cold to feel that way about an innocent person. How come?

Asked by Neal Bracken almost 6 years ago

Perhaps I am just cold. Also, perhaps I realize that the job of the DOC is to incarcerate persons committed to it by the courts for the period of time required by law. I have never personally sat on a criminal jury so I feel no level of personal responsibility at all. I think that when such things happen it is regrettable and that the system should take appropriate steps to ensure this happens as little as possible, preferably not at all. That being said if you worry about things like that you will soon be unable to do the job.

Was there ever COs that would do things for inmates that would not be okay? What?

Asked by John about 6 years ago

Happens all the time. Staff, including C/Os, are jacked up or fired for all sorts of things. Smugglng things in or messages out is not wildly uncommon, IN appropriate relationships, including sexual relationships, are not unknown. Passing confidential information to inmates is not unknown.

Why would a prison play country music at all hours?

Asked by Brad about 6 years ago

Because they are too stupid to play Rock and Roll.

Are officers issued PPE for this virus?

Asked by asdfasdf about 6 years ago

Damned if I know. I have been retired for 15 years. Back in the day we did issue gloves but I strongly suspect anything that needed PPE equipment would be handled by medical, not custody.