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’s your opinion on auditors?

Asked by Cale almost 6 years ago

An auditor is someone who borrows your watch to tell you what time it is and then charges you for the service. OK, that is an oversimplification. If you have a proper admin. set-up where people are doing their job your need for audits should be small and seldom. That being said an occasional audit does serve to keep the people who should be on their toes actually on their toes. They are a pain but an occasionally necessary pain.

Hey dude why do so many cops sound the same?

Asked by Gene over 6 years ago

We have to take a class in that.

Hello, I’m wondering if inmates can still purchase items from commissary while on C status? I’ve read they can, but only $35 for the month, and I have also read 1/4 the usual maximum can be spent with authorization. Not sure what that all means.

Asked by DL87 almost 7 years ago

It has been a LONG time since I have worked in the system but..... Back in the day inmates on A status could spend a full monthly draw assuming they had the money on the books. The more of a screw-up you were, the less money you were allowed to spend. An inmate on C status could spend just enough to buy some things like tooth paste, deoderant, shaving cream, etc. Of course they COULD still spend in on fig newtons and soda. It was, and presumably still is, a flawed system. Like many privileges it gave staff a handle, something to take away if the inmate screwed up. A very modest carrot-stick approach.

Do you think that police departments should be defunded?

Asked by Mark about 6 years ago

I am not mentally deranged nor am I a politician-whore, so NO I do not.

What would you do if you got Bill Hilary and Chelsey in your prison?

Asked by JAY over 6 years ago

Since I have been retired for 15 years, probably nothing. Also, neither Hillary nor Chelsey would come there, it is a male institution. Bill would probably be in protective custody. So I would probably laugh at him a lot, if I was there, which I wouldn't be.

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 over 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.

What do you think of these prisons? https://www.therichest.com/rich-list/12-of-the-cushiest-prisons-in-the-world/

Asked by Malcom over 6 years ago

I haven't seen the list and do not intend to activate the link. Sorry to be so unhelpful, but my anti-virus software doesn't like it.