Ask a Correctional Officer anything

455 Questions

Last Answer on February 10, 2022

Did you have to go through the police academy and do you have to be a post certified peace officer?

Asked by Haylee almost 6 years ago

In CA there is a C-POST for correctional officers. The academy runs about 14 weeks right now. Many street cops have an academy that runs six months. Correctional Officers don't need to know a lot of what street cops need, like search and seizure. You have to pass the academy to be sworn in to legally do the job. Correctional Officers fall under a different section of the penal code than do street cops and our police authority exists only within the course of our employment. Typically this is persons and property under the jurisdiction of the department, though there are exceptions to this, such as escape pursuits.

546 Votes

My fiance who is currently at USP Leavenworth informed me that when he called my number my cell # was restricted. He has moved twice and this has never happened. He recently moved to the Leavenworth facility in July 2020 and we spoke only twice for 7 minutes each. I have never talked slang, 3 way called, or spoke on anything suspicious, no gambling, nothing that constitutes me being restricted He was told it was a “third party” that did the block. I called my carrier and verified that I have no restrictions. I called three inmate service providers for BOP and it does not show a block. He pays for the calls and has never called me collect. I called the prison and they won’t give me any information as to tell me or him if it was the prison that restricted my number or who the “third party” is. He did today...tell me he took my number off his phone list because it was restricted and added it back...and it is still restricted.This is not supporting the Community Ties. Why would a Warden or someone at Prison do this? Who can I contact to restore my number? And/or will my number be forever restricted? Can someone help please??? Please help me. Thank you!

Asked by Straight hurt/confused over 5 years ago

Sorry but i have zero experience and almost zero knowledge of the federal system. I respectfully suggest you contact the prison yourself and ask. a polite letter often gets a remarkable amount of results. Good luck.

544 Votes

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What does it mean if a inmate gets written up?!

Asked by Seth almost 5 years ago

That is a disciplinary report. It can be very minor (i.e. you were a dick, don't do it again) or very serious (we are throwing you in the hole and prosecuting you for killing your cellie) or somewhere in between. Most of course are somewhere in between. If found guilty they can result in loss of good time credit which can mean an extended stay in prison, loss of privileges and loss of programs depending on the nature and seriousness of the offense..

542 Votes

How do you contain prisoners at times when they might get out of hand. Say a fight you have people fighting and then you have opportunists who might try to d something while the guards are distracted. How do you manage mayhem?

Asked by Sammy over 5 years ago

Physical containment is actually fairly effective. You only have so many people in a given area and eventually you will be able to find out who they are. If bodies start dropping you know who was there, or at least who could have been there. Poured in place cement walls, detention quality doors and very good fences do that job fairly well. If push comes to shove we thump on people, use chemical agents or them, or shoot them to make them stop. Eventually they stop.

541 Votes