It’s been way too long since my last update so I felt like I needed to fill everyone in on what’s been happening. For those of you that didn't know, I completed my first year at the DOC in December of last year. I celebrated that by taking 3 weeks off. It was a much needed break away from the prison. Just like any job, you get burnt out after a while of the same ole routine. That is exactly what was happening to me. I needed a break, so I took one.
While I was on break, I went and took the test for the Washington D.C. police department. I passed it with flying colors...mostly because it was the exact same test as the Richmond, VA police departments test. All I have to do now is send in my paperwork so they can get the background process started. D.C. starts out at $48k and goes up to $53k after 18 months. That's not too bad. Mainly it's because of the cost of living there and the high crime rate in the city. But, any large city is going to have a high crime rate so it just part of the job. I love D.C. so we shall see if this goes anywhere.
I still haven't heard anything back from Richmond from where I took the polygraph test for them. That was back in November so I'm not really sure what the deal is there. I know I passed it because the guy told me I did before I left to come back. They said that the academy was at the end of January, so if that is true then I guess I should be waiting on a letter saying I didn't make the cut lol. As soon as I hear anything new though, I promise to put it on the blog.
I'm going to be applying to Raleigh PD next week. A good friend of me suggested to me that I should, so I'm going to. I had been considering it for a while but wasn't sure if I should. But when I talked to her last she said they are really needing people right now and since I have been with the DOC for over a year now that should help me tremendously to get in there. So hopefully I'll be turning in my application to them and get that process started.
Finally over Christmas vacation I got something I had been wanting for a long long time. I consider it my present for Christmas '11 and '12, my Birthday '11 and '12 and graduating Basic Training for the DOC. I finally got my Smith and Wesson M&P .40 handgun. I love it. I've only been able to take it out one time so far since I have been so busy since I got back to work, but I know I will take it out more once I get more time and things slow down a little. It’s such a great gun. Field stripping it is so easy and cleaning it takes almost no time at all. As soon as I get the chance I'm going to get my carry conceal permit that way I can have it on me at all times.
Now on to the news of the prison. As you can imagine, when I was gone for 3 weeks the rumor mill at NCI started running at full speed. I remember the first night I walked into the block, the first thing I heard was "oh no the dickhead is back!!", and "dammit!!!, Burns is back". I can't help but laugh when I hear stuff like that. I'm way past the point of caring what those guys think of me. I'm not there to make friends with them even if other officers are. The first rumor that I heard was that I had been fired. That's the normal one that you get when you’re gone for a week or so. But, the next one I heard made me laugh out loud. It definitely took me by surprise. An inmate came up and told me that he had heard I transferred to the women's prison down the road and got my ass beat the very first day I worked there so I decided to come back to Nash. I thought that one was by far the best. Then there was the one where everyone was saying I had transferred. This one I was a little surprised about. I hadn't told too many people that I work with about my transfer plans so when I was told this it got my attention. Come to find out, a few days later I had several inmates come up to me and tell me that one particular officer was going and telling all the inmates that I was transferring, and exactly which prison I was going to. At the sound of this, I was pissed. I already had zero respect for that officer and can't stand them, but now they are going and telling my personal information to the inmates. I decided to take control of this situation real quick and let both my sergeants know. They spoke to the officer and let them know it was unacceptable. What they did next is something to laugh about. Instead of acting there age (which in my opinion is way too old to be at the DOC), they decided to act like a teenager and throw another officer under the bus also. Really? You can't just take responsibility and own up to your mistake? That's pathetic if you ask me. But, I can't expect anymore from that person so I just move on. By now the inmates know I'm leaving. They know where I'm going and every day I'm in the block they ask me when I'm leaving. The only answer I give them is "I'm leaving when I feel like it. Until then they get to deal with me."
The other week we did a shakedown at the facility. A shakedown is where you do a complete search of the institution. That means search every cell, bunk, library, kitchen, etc. All the inmates are individually strip searched and held elsewhere till we complete the search of that area. I was one of the officers chosen to assist with the strip searches. Let me just say, I did more strip searches in that 4 hours than I have the entire time I have been at NCI. As you tell the inmates, it's nothing personal, strictly business. The sad part about the entire thing is how many officers ran and told the inmates that we were going to be doing a shakedown and the day it was going to be. The entire purpose of it is to purge the institution of as much contraband as possible like cell phones, marijuana, cocaine, tobacco, weapons and so on. How do they expect it to be effective when you have all these dirty officers running and telling the inmates what were about to do. It's like they consider the inmates their friends or something. It disgusts me. One inmate who was out to the hospital actually left a note on his bed saying when we did the search to not take his extra pillow and mattress because he had approval for them? Seriously?!?! I hate the thought that there are so many officers that are bringing in all this contraband and feeding these inmates information all for a few extra bucks. I hope every one of them are caught and put in prison. Obviously they have no morals or self respect. They deserve to be an inmate.
I went for my interview the other day at Maury. I think it went really well. They gave me a list of 10 scenarios and asked me to tell them what my action/response would be for each one. I'm really hoping that I'll be able to get this transfer. I have plenty of support behind me right now at Nash. Several of my supervisors have assisted me in the whole process and I couldn't be more thankful for all they have done to help me. I have never had the kind of support as I do at NCI. I know that once I leave I really am going to miss those that I have grown close to. My sergeants have been some of the greatest mentors I have ever had. I couldn't ask for better supervisors. The same goes for my Lt. and Capt as well. I have gotten so much support and backing from all of them. A big Thank You goes out to them.
I think I have pretty much caught gotten everything caught up now. Sorry it has taken so long. Like I always say, I'll try and work on posting them more frequently, but no promises.
Below is a link to a story that was published in the yahoo news section just today. An inmate at CP in Raleigh speaks of how easy inmates on Death Row have it. Please read this story. People don't understand just how easy these guys have it. They aren't being punished. They are in grown up daycare. It's pathetic.
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