Sunday, April 24, 2011
Transfer Status
A few months ago I got word that NCI would be losing 30 Correctional Officer positions due to the fact they were gonna ship 500 inmates to another camp. I had spoken to everyone in my chain of command from my Sergeant all the way up to the Asst Superintendent of the prison (there are 6 people in between) letting them know that I wanted to be first on the list to transfer out as soon as the process got started so that I would have a shorter distance to work (its currently 65 miles each way). When we first got word, it was supposed to start this month and be finished by the end of May. We noticed 3 weeks ago that no inmates were leaving the camp so we figured something was up. Two nights ago the Lieutenant came into the block and spoke to me about the situation. She informed me that they are no longer going to even consider moving the inmates until at least 2012. So this has obviously put me in a sticky situation. Right now with gas prices what they are, I spend about $450 a month on gas alone. I wanted to transfer so I could try and save some of that money. The Lt. asked me if I had turned in my transfer request papers yet and I informed her I hadn't since I didn't know when I needed to. When I told her this she expressed that she and the Capt. would like for me to stay at NCI. I must be doing something right if she comes in and asks me to not transfer. So as of right now I'm not going to transfer from NCI. But after all of this, it has sped up the process of my secondary plan. Im gonna start working on that at the end of the summer now instead of waiting till next year. I cant wait around for things to fall into place if I can help them fall a little faster. So I guess for right now, I'll continue using 3 tanks of gas each week until other things can happen.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Almost to 6 months
Well its now coming to the end of April and i have been working at NCI for almost 6 months. So much has happened in that short time period. I have slowly learned the ins and outs of how things are run without having to ask too many questions. Not that I don't still ask plenty of questions. There are so many things to learn when it comes to policies and procedures. They always say to read your policies and procedures books. Its kinda tough when its 6 inches thick.
There have been so many eye opening experiences since I started. So many things that i just sit back and shake my head at in disbelief. I wonder how in the world can this really be happening. Then i remember that the system is broken everywhere. Not just in politics is it broken, but even down to the prison system. Why do inmates have the right to watch television. Didn't they forfeit all their rights when they committed the crime and were sentenced to prison. How pathetic is it that the administration makes exceptions and bends rules just to make the inmates happy. How did we go from the days when inmates were made to do hard work and had nothing, to allow them to eat all the chips, cheeseburgers, candy bars and soda that they can buy and have their own personal am/fm radio that they constantly are able to listen to. Inmates are not in prison. So what if they cant leave out the front gate like I can. They have it made. They get to choose what they want to watch on TV each week. They get 3 meals a day plus anything they buy from the canteen. They get free education paid for by you and me. When i say education...one inmate is working on his 3rd associates degree, while im $32,000 in debt for the same degree. I will be the first person to admit that I resent inmates. They go from a life where they took anything they wanted, to being given anything they wanted. It makes no sense. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. But it just aggravates me that people can be so blind as to what goes on behind closed doors. These shows people watch about prisons are a joke. That may be what its like in Super Max or Max, but not everywhere is like that.
Earlier this month I was working and an officer came over the radio with a "code blue", meaning i had to run to that Unit as assistance. When i got there i was met at the block door by an officer telling me that i would need gloves. This obviously meant blood was present. As i go down the block where everyone was I looked into the cell and couldn't believe what I seen. An inmate had been upset cause he had no one to talk to. So, in an attempt to talk to someone he proceeded to use a razor blade and cut his leg open. Its an image that I'm sure will never leave my mind. I just couldn't believe that an inmate had attempted to kill himself all because he wanted someone to talk to. It just surprised me that even though the inmates have it so easy, they see to believe they have nothing. I guess you don't really know what you have until its taken from you.
Another thing that i cant quite wrap my head around are how many officers risk their job, benefits and families to help get things for inmates. There have been at least two officers that i know of, who have been walked out of our prison in handcuffs because they got caught up in the lies that the inmates tell them, not to mention the several others from prisons elsewhere in NC. What do the inmates have to offer you? They are in prison. They don't have jobs. There is nothing that they can give me that i cant get myself. I guess the other officers just didn't see it that way. Officers are bringing almost anything these guys want in. So far they have brought cell phones, tobacco, marijuana and even sent the inmates money orders. Are you serious? I just get amazed at all the stories I hear about stuff like that. Is what they are giving you really worth the risk of going to jail? Getting a speeding ticket wasn't worth going to jail for me but i sure spent a night there because of one. But that also isn't permanently on my record for the rest of my life. When these officers get caught, not only do they get fired, they will never work for the state again and they will have to put it on every job application they turn in. So I guess that $500 you got for sneaking in a cell phone and tobacco just isn't worth it if you look at it that way. I value my job too much to do dumb shit like that.
This job isn't hard. Matter of fact, its pretty easy unless you make it hard. At the end of the day i still love what i do. Not everyone is cut out for this job and i know that. Some people only last one day after training, one guy lasted 2 hours. This job has made me appreciate things even more now when it comes to the things i have. I see things in a whole new light.
There have been so many eye opening experiences since I started. So many things that i just sit back and shake my head at in disbelief. I wonder how in the world can this really be happening. Then i remember that the system is broken everywhere. Not just in politics is it broken, but even down to the prison system. Why do inmates have the right to watch television. Didn't they forfeit all their rights when they committed the crime and were sentenced to prison. How pathetic is it that the administration makes exceptions and bends rules just to make the inmates happy. How did we go from the days when inmates were made to do hard work and had nothing, to allow them to eat all the chips, cheeseburgers, candy bars and soda that they can buy and have their own personal am/fm radio that they constantly are able to listen to. Inmates are not in prison. So what if they cant leave out the front gate like I can. They have it made. They get to choose what they want to watch on TV each week. They get 3 meals a day plus anything they buy from the canteen. They get free education paid for by you and me. When i say education...one inmate is working on his 3rd associates degree, while im $32,000 in debt for the same degree. I will be the first person to admit that I resent inmates. They go from a life where they took anything they wanted, to being given anything they wanted. It makes no sense. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. But it just aggravates me that people can be so blind as to what goes on behind closed doors. These shows people watch about prisons are a joke. That may be what its like in Super Max or Max, but not everywhere is like that.
Earlier this month I was working and an officer came over the radio with a "code blue", meaning i had to run to that Unit as assistance. When i got there i was met at the block door by an officer telling me that i would need gloves. This obviously meant blood was present. As i go down the block where everyone was I looked into the cell and couldn't believe what I seen. An inmate had been upset cause he had no one to talk to. So, in an attempt to talk to someone he proceeded to use a razor blade and cut his leg open. Its an image that I'm sure will never leave my mind. I just couldn't believe that an inmate had attempted to kill himself all because he wanted someone to talk to. It just surprised me that even though the inmates have it so easy, they see to believe they have nothing. I guess you don't really know what you have until its taken from you.
Another thing that i cant quite wrap my head around are how many officers risk their job, benefits and families to help get things for inmates. There have been at least two officers that i know of, who have been walked out of our prison in handcuffs because they got caught up in the lies that the inmates tell them, not to mention the several others from prisons elsewhere in NC. What do the inmates have to offer you? They are in prison. They don't have jobs. There is nothing that they can give me that i cant get myself. I guess the other officers just didn't see it that way. Officers are bringing almost anything these guys want in. So far they have brought cell phones, tobacco, marijuana and even sent the inmates money orders. Are you serious? I just get amazed at all the stories I hear about stuff like that. Is what they are giving you really worth the risk of going to jail? Getting a speeding ticket wasn't worth going to jail for me but i sure spent a night there because of one. But that also isn't permanently on my record for the rest of my life. When these officers get caught, not only do they get fired, they will never work for the state again and they will have to put it on every job application they turn in. So I guess that $500 you got for sneaking in a cell phone and tobacco just isn't worth it if you look at it that way. I value my job too much to do dumb shit like that.
This job isn't hard. Matter of fact, its pretty easy unless you make it hard. At the end of the day i still love what i do. Not everyone is cut out for this job and i know that. Some people only last one day after training, one guy lasted 2 hours. This job has made me appreciate things even more now when it comes to the things i have. I see things in a whole new light.
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