Attitude and...

We suspected there was going to be trouble. The man is unstable and prone to violence, but there are times when there is nothing you can do but take them out of the cell and try to contain the damage the best you can. And for the stupidest thing... of all things, a haircut. You just can't deny a man a haircut if he is acting in control of himself and asks for one. So we brought him out. He started running his mouth, like he does, but we got him downstairs without incident and got him set down in the barbers chair. Truthfully, I think that if we had put him back when he first opened his mouth, it would have ended there and nobody would have gotten hurt. But you just can't deny a man a haircut. It's like medical services, or food or mail. You have to give it to him if he's physically in control of himself. The man hates me, personally. I'm not exactly sure why. I've never done anything to him. I've even been polite to him at times. It's difficult, but I've done it. So when he got set down and there was four or five other staff watching him, I stepped into the office. A few minutes later I hear him running his mouth again so I stepped out and they are taking him back to his cell. They get him in and almost get the door shut when all of the sudden there is a quick movement and everybody goes rushing into the cell. I run up to assist and they've got him down on the ground and I can smell pepper spray in the air. They come out and get the door shut and the cuffs off and everybody heaves a sigh of relief. It could have been so much worse. Apparently he tried to bite Sarges finger off. Even though we suspected it was coming, it still could have gone so much worse. He could have actually gotten hold of that finger. That would have gotten ugly quick. There could have been more people there who might have gotten hurt. A nurse or psychologist or Probation Officer. He's a seriously crazy violent person. And the stuff that spews out of his mouth constantly. I don't know how many times he has threatened to kill me or my whole family. Multiple dozens of times, at least. And it's always "bit*h" this and "Motherfu**er" that and everybody is a "pu**y". I've edited the words some. Nobody needs to hear that sh*t. ANd I guess one of the other staff members out in the sally port got tired of his mouth and said "Fu** you" to him. Now that person has been disciplined and pulled out of the house for awhile. And he's one of our best officers, too. A contientous (did I spell that right?) hard worker. A steady individual. Someone who's always there and at your back and doing the things that need to be done. Pulled away from where we need him because he said a nasty word. Unprofessional. Okay, I agree, it was unprofessional. But ya know, if you walk around in crap up to your armpits for long enough, some of it is going to rub off on you. It just aint right, sometimes. For all that we are a farflung offshoot of the Department of Justice, there doesn't seem to be much justice for us. One of the characters in one of Robert Heinleins books used a swear word alot. "Tanj!" There Aint No Justice. Sometimes we end up being victims just like innocent people on the street. And we certainly don't get paid enough for this.