tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40466937343928107952024-03-12T18:06:27.937-05:00Attitude and Pepper SprayJust a word now and then about working in a prison and for the Department Of Corrections. Plus a good bit of ranting here and there.JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.comBlogger1192125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-50182304511484926402013-09-02T01:01:00.001-05:002013-09-02T01:01:22.641-05:00Applause<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I just had to get on here and say "Thank you" to someone who went above and beyond and out of their way for their fellow staff the other day.<br />
<br />
It was hot. Like bazillions of degrees hot.<br />
So hot my deodorant not only failed immediately but even it's ghost was obliterated in the searing heat.<br />
<br />
Anyway, Lt Sienna pulled money out of his own wallet and sent someone to the store to buy several cases of water. Then he loaded it all in the mail cart, dumped a bunch of ice on the top and drove all over the camp making sure that everybody had enough water to drink.<br />
<br />
Staff that is.<br />
<br />
We don't see that kind of thoughtfulness or appreciation very often around here.<br />
<br />
On those horrible nights when the Warden Himself should be at the door handing out cash because we managed to survive the night all we ever get is "Why didn't you fix it sooner?"<br />
<br />
So when someone goes out of their way to do something nice for us, we don't always know how to react. For the most part we stand there dumbfounded with this glazed look in our eyes and ask each other "Did that really just happen?"<br />
<br />
Anyway, here's some more thanks from me, Lt Sienna.<br />
You are totally awesome.<br />
And I hope one day I can do something at least half as nice as that for you.<br />
<br />
Let's be careful out there.<br />
-RevJustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-90812487853363225812013-08-24T00:17:00.002-05:002013-08-24T00:17:55.924-05:00It Never Ended<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Those of us who were there tonight should have all been handed a hundred bucks by the Warden on our way out. Or at least a commemorative t-shirt reading:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
I SURVIVED</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
THE NEVER-ENDING </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
COUNT IN </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
RACCOON CITY</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
8/23/13</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That was just a freaking nightmare.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It all started out innocently enough. We closed the yards at 4:00 like we always do.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At 4:30 the Control center called count.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And we waited.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And waited....</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And waited....</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And waited....</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At 5:10 I looked at my watch and said "Aw, snap...."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At 5:30 they called and said "Send everybody back to their houses except for Laundry and Visiting. Prepare for a name and number count."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So we sent them back and they called count.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My crew did a perimeter check. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And we waited....</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And waited....</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And waited....</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And...</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I went up to central to find out what was going on right about the time Sgt Miz P called for a Lieutenant down in the Hive.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I walked in and Lt. Sienna handed me the phone and said "I'm going to the Hive. You're in charge." </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I looked at his back as he scuttled out the door and said "Aw, snap."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
He left me alone in Central.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At 6:30 they called and said "Send everybody back to their houses and prepare for another name and number count."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So I tried to run my yard and answer all of the phone calls from people calling saying "What in the snap is going on?" My reply to that was "If you find out, let me know, pal." I paced back and forth with my radio mic in one hand and the cordless phone in the other.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At 8:22 our count finally cleared. They said "Okay, let's feed them dinner now."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Really.... Okay. I guess we have to, don't we?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We finally finished feeding them chow at 9:35. A chore that is usually complete by 5:45 or 6:00 at the latest.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I finally got to eat my dinner at about 10:15. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When I finally found out what the problem was, it turned out that somebody messed up the numbers in the Control Center so bad that they could not figure out how many inmates we were really supposed to have. Someone not on our shift, but the previous one. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I won't name any names. But then I never do.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
By policy, we should all still be there trying to figure out the problem. Our count has never officially cleared.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
But the Warden took a moment away from tearing out his hair and said "Clear it. We have to feed them dinner." So we did.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Technically, we know how many inmates we are supposed to have. Those numbers all match up. But according to the so-called "Official" numbers in the Control Center, we are missing one.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I have a feeling that come Monday some heads somewhere are going to roll.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Glad I wasn't up there. I need my head to wear the Big Stupid Hat.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Me... I'm taking my sleepy pills and going to bed.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Even if I didn't get a hundred bucks or a t-shirt.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm just happy to be home.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Sweet dreams,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
-Rev</div>
<br />JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-49567236863350223102013-08-19T00:36:00.000-05:002013-08-19T00:36:28.077-05:00Opening One Up...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you don't mind me still ranting about this whole PREA thing, then read on.<br />
If it bugs you then....<br />
<br />
Go somewhere else is all I can suggest.<br />
Because I have a feeling that I am going to be harping on this subject for a little while yet.<br />
<br />
One of the major mistakes that they made in implementing these federal guidelines was that they immediately bombarded the offenders with all this information all of the sudden. Posters, pamphlets, handouts, etc. They made sure that they all knew that this was a new thing and that it was something important. They made sure that if an inmate came up to one of us and said "PREA" that we were supposed to take both notice and action. There's even an anonymous toll-free hotline that they can call and make a complaint.<br />
<br />
So let's see... there are somewhere around three thousand inmates here in Raccoon City. And if you were to ask each of them what they hate the most, they would almost all say.... Us. Me and my lads and ladies out there in the ditches. Not the Warden of the caseworkers or the maintenance guys or the Librarian. Us. Because we are the ones that try to keep them in line and lock them up when they are doing something stupid.<br />
<br />
And here... let's give them all access to an anonymous toll-free phone that they can call and lodge a complaint against any staff member that hurts their tiny little feelings.<br />
<br />
Because... there is no system in place to punish them for making false or spurious claims.<br />
<br />
There are tons of things in place to ensure that staff cannot and will not "retaliate" against them for making a claim. But nothing to stop them from making stuff up just to get a staff member in trouble.<br />
<br />
We were waiting for this to happen and it has. The first official complaint was made against an officer. As far as I can tell, it has no merit. It all stemmed from the officer doing his job and the inmate just trying to make trouble for him. Just a little snaphead trying to wiggle out of being in trouble himself.<br />
<br />
This all happened right before the weekend so we are all waiting with bated breath for Monday to see what comes of it. Wondering how the administration is going to handle the situation.<br />
<br />
I do know what will happen if that officer gets disciplined over this. The amount of hotline calls will go through the ceiling. Every single one of us will be under investigation and the snapheads will rule the camp. Inside of a month there won't be anybody left inside the fence. There will be a continuous conga line of officers walking inside and making one lap around the camp and out the other side looking for another job.<br />
<br />
And that, my friends, is just sad.<br />
<br />
So if you happen to be looking for some short-term employment, let me know. I have just the place.<br />
<br />
-Long sigh-<br />
Thinking of my happy place...<br />
<br />
-Rev<br />
<br />JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-48425442362821129922013-08-18T10:09:00.001-05:002013-08-18T10:09:35.047-05:00A Prea-Existing Condition Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So.. I gave you the lead-in yesterday. Or this morning... whenever that was.<br />
<br />
The Feds are now wanting to crack down on something that they will never be able to even make a dent in. So instead they are going to throw money and random legislation at it until they can claim some sort of victory.<br />
<br />
Kind of like the "War On Drugs" they started back when I was a kid. To this day they still haven't figured out which continent they are fighting that war on, let alone the battlefield.<br />
<br />
Some of the stupidest rules to spew from their mouths in recent months have had to do with our female officers.<br />
<br />
I am not, repeat not.... going to get into the argument of whether or not females belong working in a male prison. Most of them are just as reliable and capable than the men. Some of them even more so. I can think of at least half a dozen of them that I would pick first over most of the men if something went down.<br />
Anyway...<br />
<br />
Some of the new rulings coming down have tried to severely limit what female officers can and cannot do. A short-lived rule pretty much forbade them to pat search any male inmates. Oh yeah.. That raised a stink. Many of our female officers got all offended by that one. The ability to pat search an inmate is one of the staples of being able to do our jobs here. Without that there would be no end to the weapons and drugs and things that would get smuggled all over the place.<br />
<br />
Not only were they hindering our female officers from doing their jobs, but they were also saying that the male officers were going to have to do all of the work they were no longer allowing the females to do.<br />
<br />
I believe that ruling lasted all of one weekend. With a very hastily worded "Whoops... We were wrong on that. Disregard." the following Monday.<br />
<br />
And I'm not exactly sure what had transpired in the interim, but I did hear the phrase "Class-Action lawsuit" bandied about some.<br />
<br />
Yeah... that could cost somebody some money...<br />
<br />
The latest box of stupid concerned female staff down in the Hive. Where at the moment two out of three of the assigned Sergeants are women. And two of the most hard core capable women I know. Sgt Miz P on evenings and Sgt Firecracker on midnights.<br />
<br />
At any rate, the new rule is that is an inmate is on suicide watch and refuses to keep his smock on in the cell, that any female staff in the control room must be removed from her post so she cannot view him on the monitoring system. And they will also not be allowed in C-wing while this offender remains naked in the cell.<br />
Of course one thing they did not take into consideration is that there is also a monitoring system in the Sergeants office.<br />
<br />
So.... if some knucklehead decides he wants to run around his cell naked then not only can the girls not work the control room and cannot go into C-wing, they can't be in the Sergeants office either. Yeah.... I'd love to see some suit from the capitol come down and try to tell Miz P and Miz Firecracker that. They'd laugh in his face. Maybe thump him on the head and throw him out of the house saying "Mind your own damn business, Snaphead. Let us do our jobs!"<br />
<br />
So let's recap here....<br />
The whole hullabaloo is about stopping sexual assaults in prison.<br />
So why are they coming down so hard on our female officers?<br />
In the ten years I have been with the department, I have never heard of one of ours raping an inmate.<br />
Sure, there's been some stupidity, but....<br />
<br />
The longer I am here the more I keep thinking to myself...<br />
<br />
"What the snap are they thinking???"<br />
<br />
Ahh... happy thoughts... happy thoughts.... happy thoughts....<br />
-RevJustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-67687476825596243882013-08-17T10:48:00.002-05:002013-08-17T10:48:39.721-05:00A Prea-Existing Condition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In 2003 Congress enacted the Prison Rape Elimination Act. It's stated goal, which is rather obvious from the name, is to stop sexual assaults and harassment in all detention facilities.<br />
<br />
A fine enough sentiment, to be sure. I have no doubt that they had the purest intentions when they drafted this little fantasy.<br />
<br />
It is however, in my view, nothing more than a fantasy. Whenever you have that many people of the same gender confined together for long periods of time there is going to be sexual activity. And when you have a large number of such people confined together, some of that sexual activity is going to be forced or coerced.<br />
<br />
It's the "law of the jungle", after all. The stronger ones will always prey on the weaker ones. It happens in prison just like it happens out on the streets. <br />
<br />
We are all trained to look for the signs of this event and when we discover that there is some sort of sexual abuse happening, we have a system in place to report it and punish the perpetrator.<br />
<br />
We were under the impression that this was about the best we could do, under the circumstances.<br />
<br />
After all, the only real way to completely eliminate this problem would be to confine every single one of them in a cell by themselves and never ever allow them any kind of physical contact with another person until the term of their confinement was completed.<br />
<br />
That would work, in theory.<br />
<br />
Of course probably 75% of them would leave prison completely insane from the isolation....<br />
<br />
But that's not my problem. We would make sure that they weren't raped while they were in there and that's the bottom line, right?<br />
<br />
Oooh.... No pun intended there.<br />
<br />
Well.... maybe just a small one.<br />
<br />
Since jails and prisons all over the world are becoming inconveniently overcrowded, there's little or no chance of trying out my master plan any time in the future anyway. The courts in California have decreed that they must release some ten thousand plus offenders out into the population to reduce their overcrowding problem.<br />
<br />
It will be interesting to see what that does to the crime rate numbers in California and neighboring states in the next few months.<br />
<br />
At any rate....<br />
The law has been in effect, as I said, since 2003.<br />
We all thought that we were doing our best to prevent this from happening and punish those who broke the law to the extent we were capable.<br />
<br />
Nobody that I know of had ever looked at the federal guidelines which had been published on the matter. That sort of thing is above my pay grade, anyway. My job is more "nuts and bolts" down on the front lines. Look for this, find that, fix it or respond to it and take care of the problem.<br />
<br />
Well, it turns out that the state had been receiving federal grant money for the last ten years to support their little dream of completely eliminating sexual abuse in our prisons. There was no auditing system in place so apparently we were taking the money and saying "Yes, we are doing everything we can do. No worries. We got this." and going on our merry way, content we were doing a good job.<br />
<br />
After ten years I guess someone in Washington DC decided "Let's see what we are getting for our money." So now they have decided to send auditors out to ensure that we are doing our very utmost to eliminate sexual assaults and harassment in our jails and prisons.<br />
<br />
As such some people in our own capitol building have finally looked at their standards and said "Holy snap. We have to start doing all of this stuff right now." And they began issuing edicts left and right, willy-nilly without considering what the effects on the front line troops would be.<br />
<br />
Like a Commanding General who has never actually been in a war, we are being led by people, many of whom have never even stepped foot inside of a prison. let alone ever actually worked in one.<br />
<br />
Mistakes are being made, in my opinion.<br />
<br />
Some of which are going to have some long-lasting repercussions down the road.<br />
<br />
I will attempt to relate what some of those mistakes are in future posts.<br />
<br />
Not sure if I'm back for the long run or not.<br />
I've had the itch to write off and on for awhile now.<br />
No promises, but we'll see.<br />
<br />
Keep Cool.<br />
-Rev<br />
<br />JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-57172178098969548322013-01-26T00:30:00.001-06:002013-01-26T00:30:19.358-06:00Not A Fan Of The Band<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Whenever one of ours passes away, they always get noticed. Whether they were a present employee or whether they retired years ago, they always get noticed and we remember them.<br />
<br />
I hate wearing the black band on my badge. Because it means one of ours has passed and we are out a comrade and a friend.<br />
<br />
Just like seeing the fine lads of the honor guard, with their highly polished boots and shiny brass and cocked berets. They look so solemn and professional and I am always proud to see them representing us.<br />
<br />
But at the same time I hate to see them because most of the time it means that another one of us is gone.<br />
<br />
It seems like these last couple of years have been particularly hard on us here in Raccoon City.<br />
I've taken to carrying the band in my wallet.<br />
<br />
Last week a tragedy took two of ours.<br />
The rest of us are left to pick up the pieces.<br />
<br />
Our lives are smaller because of their passing.<br />
And there are two more who won't be at our backs when things go bad.<br />
<br />
But if things go really bad I'll be in good company.<br />
I'll leave my band for someone else to wear.<br />
<br />JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-75753206659134079152013-01-06T00:20:00.001-06:002013-01-06T11:13:49.118-06:00Call Me "Sensei"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, here I am. Back again.<br />
<br />
For a night.<br />
<br />
Or a week.<br />
<br />
Or another three year stretch. Who knows?<br />
<br />
I just couldn't let the night go by without mentioning it.<br />
<br />
We've been so short of help lately (for various reasons I won't go into) that the overtime list looks more like the reel on a slot machine it spins around so fast. I've been lucky that the shortages on our shift always happen while I'm there and most of the shortages on midnights happen on my days off.<br />
<br />
So I've been lucky and unlucky. There are too many people for me to work a day off and just not enough call ins to make me work a double so far. The odds will catch up to me soon, though.<br />
<br />
Ah, well.<br />
<br />
Today was an extra special treat. Sgt Uncle T came in and worked a day off so he could get off of the doubles list and the only spot they had for him to work was as a COI on B-yard under me. So we had two Sergeants and poor St Francis out there stuck between us.<br />
<br />
It was very strange being the yard Sergeant and having Uncle T out there working for me instead of the other way around. But kind of cool in a way, too.<br />
<br />
I went up to Main Production to do a security check just as Uncle T was checking the fences and Goosey was out there cackling over the situation.<br />
<br />
"It has to be karma!" Goosey said "The student has become the teacher!"<br />
<br />
I just smiled and bowed and said "Call me sensei."<br />
<br />
It was a pretty good night. Uncle T and St Francis gave each other crap all night long. Just like any two other yard dawgs generally do. They yakked back and forth and insulted each other constantly. And every time St Francis would get off a good one, Uncle T would yell "You just wait til tomorrow! I'll be your Sergeant again tomorrow! You just wait!"<br />
<br />
They never change.<br />
<br />
The only weird thing that happened tonight was during chow. Uncle T was up on the hill watching the inmates and St Francis was down at the front doing pat searches as they came out of the chow hall. He pats this inmate down and reaches into the guys coat pocket and pulls out a instant coffee jar full of some yellow liquid. They aren't supposed to take anything out of the chow hall. Food or drinks or anything.<br />
<br />
So he just tosses the jar behind him on the ground and when it hits the top pops open and that yellow liquid splatters all over my pants and boots.<br />
<br />
I had no idea what it was. It looked just like..... a jar full of yellow liquid. With a little bit of bubbly foam on the top like it was fairly fresh. I only saw it for an instant before it popped open and went all over my pants.<br />
<br />
I just kind of froze in the spot and looked at St Francis and said "Are you f***ing kidding me?"<br />
<br />
He stood there for a second bewildered by the murderous look on my face.<br />
<br />
Then it dawned on him what I was so pissed off about.<br />
<br />
"It was juice, man! It's Kool-Aid from the chow hall! I swear!"<br />
<br />
The urge to strangle him subsided a bit, but never really went away.<br />
<br />
And every time anyone asked me how my night was going I said "St Francis threw pee on my boots. How do you think it's going?"<br />
<br />
P.S. I didn't find out until after I posted this that one or the other of those chowderheads dumped the bottom of my lunchbox full of potato chips crumbs and toilet paper.<br />
<br />
It's good to be loved.<br />
<br />
I guess. <br />
<br />JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-53682338604291278802012-12-03T00:12:00.001-06:002012-12-03T00:12:37.020-06:00Taking A Break<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm going to be taking a break from blogging for awhile.<br />
<br />
Other things on my mind that need my attention.<br />
<br />
But somehow I have the feeling the knuckleheads both inside and outside of the cell doors will have me back here ranting one day real soon.<br />
<br />
Until then,<br />
Let's be careful out there.<br />
-Sgt RevJustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-1602562696461577432012-11-30T00:07:00.000-06:002012-11-30T00:07:25.040-06:00Snidely Freaking Whiplash....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just about the time I was thinking of giving this blog a rest for awhile...<br />
<br />
I've been getting a little burned out and unimpressed with my writing skills of late and the pressure to come up with something five days a week is becoming burdensome...<br />
<br />
Then this comes along and I can't resist.<br />
<br />
Right after I got to 7 house this evening Captain Rogaine calls me and says "We got a report that an offender in your house has made a six foot bull whip and has been beating other offenders with it."<br />
<br />
Wait... what?<br />
<br />
He says "Find it and let me know."<br />
<br />
So we did. And sure enough, he did.<br />
<br />
It wasn't six foot. Maybe more like 5'6" and made out of those big poofy mop strings braided together. It might make a pop if you swung it just right but I seriously doubt he could actually "whip" anybody with it.<br />
<br />
But the idiot made it and had it in his cell and didn't even really hide it so we locked him up for contraband and confiscated his whip.<br />
<br />
And on his way out this evening, Sgt Major stops by the Comm room and says to my wife "Did you hear that your husband locked up Snidely Whiplash?"<br />
<br />
I tell ya. I get no respect around here.....<br />
<br />JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-6976042019260999492012-11-26T00:51:00.002-06:002012-11-26T00:51:53.340-06:00Empty Threats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In dealing with inmates, we are allowed to use a little bit of leeway sometimes. For some things, we just lock them up without even thinking about it. For others we use extra duty or room restriction as punishment.<br />
<br />
Sometimes it just takes a good talking to. And empty threats do tend to work wonders if they don't know they are empty. I often say "I'm not allowed to lie to you." Which is a lie in itself, but many of them are way too dim to realize that.<br />
<br />
This evening I got a call to go up to 2 house. It seems that two offenders were seen out in the wing getting in each others faces and "squaring off" like they were going to fight. The Watcher was off tonight, so since I was the yard Sergeant, I got the call.<br />
<br />
Once I heard the story I got them into the office one at a time.<br />
<br />
"I got no problem locking the both of you up right now." I said.<br />
"I can lock you up PC, or Admin PC or I can have you both put down in the Hive under investigation, which means you will be down there thirty or even ninety days."<br />
<br />
"But Sarge!" One guy says "I'm supposed to go to the treatment program in thirty days!"<br />
<br />
"If I lock you up under investigation, it might be two or three months before you get to your program. And if I don't and something happens between you two, you can kiss that program and your early out date goodbye."<br />
<br />
"Nothin's gonna happen Sarge! I promise! I need my program to get out!"<br />
<br />
I let them both go after I had them scared enough. I could have locked them up, but they would have most likely been out in a week. And I couldn't put them under investigation if I had wanted to. That takes a Lieutenant or above to do that.<br />
<br />
But they didn't know that.<br />
<br />
It worked.JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-86865685719291263262012-11-25T00:33:00.003-06:002012-11-25T00:33:59.188-06:007 Hours Of Nothing, 1 Hour Of "Oh Snap!"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just another one of those nights. St Francis, Mr Peepers and I sat in the shack most of the night and did nothing until right before count time.<br />
<br />
Then we had a fight in 7 house, a Code 16 (medical emergency) in 30 house and locked one up for interfering with count from 9 house all at the same time. How we managed to get everything done and had count on time, I will never exactly be sure. But we did it.<br />
<br />
Fortunately I was next door in 8 house delivering something when they called the fight. I don't really remember turning and running there. I was just suddenly in 7 house breathing heavily as they cuffed both guys up. And I found out later that Mr Peepers and St Francis were both in 6 house when the call came.<br />
<br />
St Francis turned going out the door and went to run across the yard and flew head over heels when he tripped on a shrub or something. Mr Peepers said he saw him turning cartwheels and wondered what he was doing.<br />
<br />
Luckily, he didn't get hurt. But I'll bet he's going to be sore in the morning.<br />
<br />
I only really put in about an hours worth of work tonight, but I earned my keep.<br />
No doubt about that.<br />
<br />
Now, where's that bottle of Tylenol?JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-13720823613980426472012-11-24T00:30:00.002-06:002012-11-24T00:30:48.794-06:00Believe It Or Not, But I Held My Tongue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Oooooo..... I got pissed off tonight. Like I haven't been in a long time. And believe it or not, I behaved myself and didn't take the top of the fool's head off like I wanted to.<br />
<br />
It wasn't an inmate this time. It was staff.<br />
<br />
The unwritten but understood rule is that nobody moves fifteen minutes before count time. Nobody nowhere. Unless it is a life or death emergency. That way it lessens the chance of our count getting screwed up over something stupid.<br />
<br />
So I'm down in B-dining this afternoon and it's maybe 4:10. Twenty minutes to count. I hear Snowball on the phone telling somebody that he is keeping two offenders until count clears and he hangs up the phone. Two minutes later the phone rings again. It's the little dweeb from visiting complaining that two of the dining workers have a visit and Snowball wouldn't send them.<br />
<br />
I said "Look. I'll call the control center and see. But it's probably too late." So I get on the phone to Miz Twang and she says "No! It's 4:15! It's too late. They will have to wait until count clears."<br />
<br />
I called visit back and told him it was too late and he said "Well, I called the Lieutenant, so he'll be calling you in a minute." And sure enough, a minute later the Lieutenant called and said "Send those two to visit now."<br />
<br />
I distinctly remember at one point slamming the phone down and contemplating throwing it somewhere a long ways away. <br />
<br />
So because that self important little snaphole went behind my back and cried to the shift commander that his visitors might be inconvenienced, we had to send two inmates out to visiting at 4:23. Seven minutes before count.<br />
<br />
I was so pissed off, I really wanted to go up to the visit room and tell that little jerk that he better never go behind my back like that again. My concern was safety and security and trying to keep count from being messed up. His concern was listening to the visitors complain because they had to wait to see their precious little felon.<br />
<br />
But I thought better of it. Chewing him out in front of a room full of visitors would have been bad. So I stewed awhile then went up and ranted to Lt Pants instead. He wasn't the one that made the call, so he just sat and listened and agreed and I felt a little better. Then I apologized for being so crabby.<br />
<br />
I know that I'm just a Sergeant and I don't really have a lot of authority. But the authority that I do have I take seriously. And that snaphead just lost whatever cooperation he might be getting from me in the future. I'd jump in a donnybrook to save his life, but if he lost his wallet in the parking lot I might kick it down a storm drain.<br />
<br />
I probably wouldn't, but I'd smile a whole bunch thinking about it.JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-50630405201678856672012-11-22T23:26:00.001-06:002012-11-22T23:26:56.805-06:00Happy Turkey Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A happy day from all of us here at Raccoon City and all of the 2700 or so ungrateful little nits incarcerated there.<br />
<br />
I hope it was a good one.<br />
<br />
-Sgt RevJustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-88620717883708595482012-11-20T00:12:00.001-06:002012-11-20T00:12:36.392-06:00Deja Vu All Over Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's official. Murphy is trying to kill me.<br />
<br />
Him and that rat basticule KP, who called out again. If he wasn't really sick and if I didn't think he would enjoy it, I'd spank him soundly.<br />
<br />
And even though the electricity stayed on all night, it was almost exactly the same as last night. Another endless count that wouldn't clear. Send all of the workers back and wait and wait and wait...<br />
<br />
Tonight we managed to clear mainline by 7:00pm. A whole twenty minutes faster than last night.<br />
<br />
And at least three times tonight I was on the phone and the radio simultaneously.<br />
<br />
Forget it. I'm exhausted. It's Friday and I'm going to bed!JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-82928367373328307052012-11-19T00:52:00.003-06:002012-11-19T00:52:34.404-06:00In The Freaking Dark<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once again, I blame that basticule Murphy and his stupid laws. Also that other basticule KP for calling out on me on a night like this.<br />
<br />
I'm exhausted.<br />
<br />
Right after shift change I was up by the yard shack. Boats and Anakin were doing the perimeter check when we all heard a loud "Boom!" somewhere not far away. Maybe right outside the fence. Either something blew up or something going very fast ran into something going nowhere at all. That kind of noise.<br />
<br />
Then I get a call from A-dining and I look and see all of the workers and the staff coming out of the building. Just as I'm about to go down there Anakin calls me and says that 1 house doesn't have any power.<br />
<br />
Uh-oh. That noise we heard was a transformer blowing up.<br />
<br />
I get down to dining and their power is out too and it's dark as heck in there. <br />
<br />
So I start making calls. No power in dining or medical. No power in 1,2,3 or 4 house or down in the Hive. None in 6, 7 or 8, either on the other side. This whole half of the camp is in the dark. Just snappy.<br />
<br />
They close the yards and the wings early because of the power outage and send all of the inmates to sit in their cells in the dark and the housing unit officers have to go open the cell doors one at a time with the keys while holding flashlights.<br />
<br />
On top of that all of the sinks and the toilets in the cells are on a new system that runs off of electricity. So they have no running water and can't flush their toilets. Oh joy.<br />
<br />
I'm wondering how I'm going to feed almost eight hundred inmates in a dark chow hall. When the power went three emergency lights came on. By the time they called count two of them had gone out, leaving just one light. It was freaking dark in there and I was getting worried.<br />
<br />
And on top of it all, right in the middle of this count isn't clearing.<br />
<br />
And it still isn't clearing.<br />
<br />
And it still isn't clearing.<br />
<br />
We send all of the workers back to their houses all over the camp and clear all of the yards and recheck our perimeters and do the Del Norte check and wait some more for count to clear.<br />
<br />
In the meantime it's getting even darker in dining. And I'm getting more worried.<br />
<br />
We are still going to be feeding dinner when midnight shift gets here!<br />
<br />
After what seemed like an eternity, the power came back on. And count cleared.<br />
<br />
There was much rejoicing.<br />
<br />
And we went back to normal operations.<br />
<br />
Didn't get finished feeding chow until 7:20 on A-side tonight. Two hours later than usual.<br />
<br />
And even though I didn't really do much physically, I'm wiped out.<br />
<br />
This Sergeant biz is tough some nights.JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-31951327497800934622012-11-18T00:26:00.003-06:002012-11-18T00:26:53.725-06:00I Don't Know How To Act!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every once in awhile when I was a COI, Sgt Uncle T would get called up to Central towards the end of the night to be the acting Lieutenant when one of them had to go home early. Manning the phones and taking call-in's from midnight shift and such.<br />
<br />
I always thought "Man! I don't ever want to do that! No, thank you!"<br />
<br />
And then tonight was my night. Joy. I got to be acting Lieutenant for almost 45 minutes. <br />
<br />
It wasn't an Oscar winning performance.<br />
<br />
While I was up there 9 house called and said that they might have had a fight. There was one inmate with blood on his head and they got a tip that he'd been in a fight with another one.<br />
<br />
Just freaking dandy. St Francis was supervising some inmates helping the plumber fix a drain in B-dining. Uncle Scary was helping count 6 house. And I couldn't leave because I was the only one in Central and somebody has to stay there. Pfui.<br />
<br />
Well, count finally cleared and Lt Pants came back up so I scooted down to 9 house to get the skinny on this fight. We looked at the guy with the bleeding head and we all agreed that he'd either been in a fight or had just flat been assaulted. He denied it flatly.<br />
<br />
Can you guess what he said happened?<br />
Let's say it all together now....<br />
<br />
"Sarge, I fell off of my bunk!"<br />
<br />
Ding! Thanks for playing. For a consolation prize we are locking you up, poindexter. There were too many other marks on him other than his head. He'd been thumped.<br />
<br />
We checked out the other guy who supposedly did it and there wasn't a mark on him anywhere. Not a bump or a bruise or a scratch. And unless we saw it in person or on video, there wasn't anything we could do, so he got a free ride.<br />
<br />
He could have done it. And it's my belief that he probably did. But without an admission or any evidence there was nothing we could do.<br />
<br />
And so ended my illustrious career as the acting Lieutenant.JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-43612748019905359812012-11-17T00:15:00.001-06:002012-11-17T00:15:30.121-06:00Takin' The Night Off<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Had a good night. Taking it off to work on chainmail and watch a few episodes of "Bleach."<br />
<br />
See ya tomorrow!<br />
<br />JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-67640242192328462512012-11-15T23:58:00.001-06:002012-11-15T23:58:53.124-06:00Two Can Play That Game!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQchyphenhyphenQmtVJZbfAiV9t09Cfpx_MBjFEhKRX9tV_pLIPpldhAf3O_Po5VkapaLtjU0RaoZgScKiO1mTbzl25EHWKyClGoCOyy58K45LKYDDx-YO34sOPsIaTkD4Ts0BVY2g2Ecj7S_4Q_GLZ/s1600/demotivational-posters-this-is-the-result-of-education-cuts2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQchyphenhyphenQmtVJZbfAiV9t09Cfpx_MBjFEhKRX9tV_pLIPpldhAf3O_Po5VkapaLtjU0RaoZgScKiO1mTbzl25EHWKyClGoCOyy58K45LKYDDx-YO34sOPsIaTkD4Ts0BVY2g2Ecj7S_4Q_GLZ/s320/demotivational-posters-this-is-the-result-of-education-cuts2.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>
**snort**<br />
That picture kills me.<br />
Hee hee hee!<br />
<br />
So there was an incident today on day shift. I didn't get all of the details, but it all sounded pretty much like a perfect example of the way things can go really wrong really fast in a prison.<br />
<br />
Supposedly there was a rumor that something was going to go down and one inmates name was mentioned as being involved. When the officers tracked him down out on the yard and said "Hey, you!" he took off running.<br />
<br />
Where he thought he was going to run to, I have no idea, as he was still inside the freaking prison. But maybe him running away and creating a commotion was what he wanted. A 10-5 (officer needs assistance) was called and people all came running out to help.<br />
<br />
He finally gave up and laid down with his hands behind his head. When they took him in and strip searched him, they found a shank in his shoe. Nice.<br />
<br />
While all of this was going on and all of the yard officers were tied up, a fight broke out on the other end of the yard. Theoretically it was just one on one, but there were two other inmates involved and the rumor was that one of them had been waiting to get hold of that shank.<br />
<br />
We all suspected that the whole deal was a set-up. And that it backfired because we found the weapon before they were ready for us to. I think that somebody might have ended up dead if their plan had come off the way they planned.<br />
<br />
So B-yard was shut down for the remainder of the day. Controlled movements only.<br />
<br />
And when our shift came on Captain Strong said "They want to play? Okay. Two can play at that game!"<br />
<br />
He left B-side shut down and made them feed one house at a time. And clear before the next one came out.<br />
30 house to chow. Fed. Out. Cleared the yard. 8 house to chow. Fed. Out. Cleared the yard.<br />
<br />
Then 9 house.<br />
<br />
Then 6 house.<br />
<br />
Then 7 house.<br />
<br />
Where normally we are done between 5:30 and 6:00pm on most nights, they didn't get finished until well after 7pm.<br />
<br />
The cooks and the inmate workers were pissed off, of course.<br />
<br />
And since they didn't get done until so late, nobody got to go to rec on B-side at all.<br />
<br />
They play their games and we play ours.<br />
<br />
And we always win in the end.<br />
<br />JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-1120317623095679972012-11-13T00:28:00.001-06:002012-11-13T00:28:20.429-06:00Do You Speak English?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You know.... I try really hard not to be a racist against anybody. Not the black and white thing. I don't care about that. But against people who aren't from this country. Those who speak another first language besides English. Or American. Whatever the heck we call this nonsense we speak. If you are here from somewhere else and trying to learn our language I will give you all of the help and patience that I can allow. And even some sympathy now and then.<br />
<br />
As long as you aren't a telemarketer or working a tech support desk.<br />
<br />
Being a man of mostly words I treat my birth language with awe and respect. I love what this language can do and project.<br />
<br />
Plus, it's the only language I know fairly fluently, so I'm hanging onto it. At least for the foreseeable future.<br />
<br />
However.<br />
<br />
If you have lived in this country all of your life and haven't figured out how to speak recognizable English by now then I have absolutely no respect or patience for you. Especially if you are anywhere near my age.<br />
<br />
We have some people who volunteer to come and put in hours in our chapel in the prison. Personally, I wouldn't hang around with these knuckleheads for free, but that's neither here nor there. All they have to do basically is be affiliated with some church and be able to pass a background check in order to be able to come in and preach or whatever it is they do up there.<br />
<br />
They get no training, as far as I know. They just issue them some keys and a radio and say "The chapel is up there."<br />
<br />
Certainly nobody ever teaches them how to talk on the radio.<br />
<br />
There's one volunteer that we get alot who does not have a clue. He makes all of his radio calls to the "tower." And we don't have a tower. Sometimes he gets on there and rambles and repeats himself several times and even when he does that he's hard to understand.<br />
<br />
But one of my favorite transmissions is: "VIC to the tower. Can I go ahead and release the mens?"<br />
<br />
Mens? Release the mens what?<br />
<br />
I don't think I want to know, really.<br />
<br />
But ever since I've heard that I have to fight from saying that on the radio myself.<br />
<br />
The other night one of the rec officers called and asked if we were ready for rec release. I had to bite my lip to keep from saying "10-4 B-rec! Release the mens!" I had to stop and very slowly say "Make.... your... release..."<br />
<br />
Some parts of my job are more difficult than others.<br />
<br />
Release the mens!JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-76933336626561939452012-11-12T00:25:00.001-06:002012-11-12T00:25:27.615-06:00Cold And Wet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Woof! Today was just as blustery as yesterday but with a seriously cold rain added into the mix. It went from warm and blustery to cold and bliskery in no time flat.<br />
<br />
Some of the rain fell straight down but a lot of the time it was blowing sideways. And right before chow the wind shifted another direction and the temp dropped about ten degrees in about five minutes. Yikes!<br />
<br />
Finally got to get some use out of those rain pants I bought last year. I didn't stay completely dry, but I ended up considerably less wet that I would have been without them. They helped my feet end up just a little wet rather than soaked like everyone else's. That is a very good thing.<br />
<br />
I didn't wear the big hat to work and I almost wish I had. It would have kept some of the rain off of my glasses. That made driving around in the cart pretty hazardous. Rain on my specs. Rain on the windshield. Couldn't see snit.<br />
<br />
I'd be cruising down the walk and say "Is anybody in front of us?"<br />
"Nope."<br />
"Am I still on the walk?"<br />
"Yep."<br />
"Good. Lemme know if I'm gonna hit something."<br />
<br />
Since the evenings are now all controlled movements, the offenders aren't allowed to run on the sidewalks. But since it was cold and raining there was always at least one who would take off running. I'd wait until they ran a good distance then yell "Hey! Get over here!"<br />
He'd look all bummed out and walk over to where I was, which was usually in the opposite direction of where he was running to.<br />
<br />
"Where are you going?"<br />
"To the gym."<br />
"Why are you running on my walk? It's called a walk for a reason!"<br />
"I was getting all wet!" he'd say as he was standing there getting wetter.<br />
"Turn around and walk or go back to your house. Don't let me catch you again."<br />
<br />
But by then I'd accomplished my mission. He wasn't the first one to the gym like he'd hoped and now he was all wet.<br />
<br />
My work here is through...JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-64955404760333945462012-11-11T00:23:00.002-06:002012-11-11T00:23:36.929-06:00Sgt Rev And The Blustery Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was indeed a blustery day here in the hundred acre wood..... I mean Raccoon City. Sunny and warm for the most part, but extremely windy. Gusts up around 30-35 miles per hour.<br />
<br />
Of course wind like that makes my hearing aids completely useless. All I hear is the wind. So I haven't worn them for a couple of days.<br />
<br />
The gusts kept setting off the fence zones, so the Control Center was calling out zones for the P-car to check every thirty seconds or so. At least it kept them busy. But it did clog up the radio traffic.<br />
<br />
At one point while I was crossing the yard in the cart it blew my cigarette right out of my mouth. Just "poof!" gone. I just said "Really? Dang." And went on.<br />
<br />
One of the things we tend to notice out on the yard is sudden movement. Anybody or anything moving at faster than a walking pace tends to get our attention immediately. With all of the leaves and trash and stuff blowing around it was giving me a sore neck every time something caught my eye.<br />
<br />
"Wha....... leaves."<br />
<br />
"Whoop.... trash bag."<br />
<br />
"Hey.... somebody's hat."<br />
<br />
"What the.... Ow!" Got hit in the eye with a leaf. Man, those things got pointy edges! Snap!<br />
<br />
I had Little J out on the yard and at one point I pictured him flying like Piglet at the end of a string. That gave me the giggles. And I never did tell him what I was laughing about.<br />
<br />
Hey, at least nobody's house blew down.<br />
<br />
That's a plus.JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-69196312517087530632012-11-10T00:19:00.001-06:002012-11-10T00:19:14.978-06:00Lame Explanations Dept.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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99.9% of the time if you find someone in a prison with marks on their face of any kind (bruises, scratches, cuts, etc) then you know that they have been in a fight. It's a given.<br />
<br />
I actually had an offender who got popped in the eye by a baseball almost break down crying because he thought they were going to lock him up. I had to escort him to medical and back to his house and explain to them what had happened in front of him so he would quit freaking out.<br />
<br />
Of the rest of them with facial injuries, unless they have a staff member witness what happened, they have been in a fight.<br />
<br />
One sure way to tell if it was a fight is if they say "I fell out of my bunk." Every single inmate who has been in a fight has said that when confronted.<br />
<br />
I think if some inmate came up to me and said "I fell out of my bunk" I would just go ahead and put them in cuffs out of instinct.<br />
<br />
"Hey! What happened to you?"<br />
<br />
"I fell out of my..."<br />
<br />
"Turn around, lunchmeat." Click-click. <br />
<br />
You know... Most of us stop falling out of bed when we are about three or so. Yet these guys keep dropping like flies. Maybe we should have a resolution passed and remove all of the bunkbeds and just make them sleep on the floor.<br />
<br />
Then they would have to find another lame explanation.JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-77488823324630719652012-11-09T00:16:00.001-06:002012-11-09T00:16:33.106-06:00Mild Adult Content Warning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Many thanks to my good friend Tilt. Even though he's gone to another camp, he still keeps in touch and obviously has way too much time on his hands.<br />
<br />
The other day he sent me an email with an inmates number and a date and said "Best violation ever!"<br />
<br />
I had to look for myself, of course.<br />
<br />
He was right.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">Just a quick warning: If you are even slightly homophobic then it would be best not to read the following post. And fer gawds sake get those children out of here now!!!</span> (grin)<br />
<br />
The body of the violation reads:<br />
<br />
"While on the H.U. 5 recreation yard, I looked into the window of cell 5-C-22 and witnessed the following:<br />
I saw offender Juan, Don kneeling upon the floor facing offender Casanova, Giacomo who was seated upon the lower bunk. Offender Juan was reaching up lightly rubbing upon offender Casanova's chest. Offender Juan craned his neck upward, while offender Casanova leaned forward to kiss his cell mate upon the lips. Both then rose to their feet, facing each other as offender Juan then proceeded to reach inside offender Casanova's jumpsuit and gently caress the sides of offender Casanova's midriff, while each gazed into each others eyes. Both then leaned forward to tenderly kiss each other on the lips." <br />
<br />
I will have to admit two things right here and now.<br />
1. The names have been changed to protect my job.<br />
2. I couldn't help it. I laughed so hard reading this I almost fell off of my chair.<br />
<br />
Oh.... my.... freaking.... gawd.<br />
<br />
It's not the act itself. I personally could care less about other peoples sexuality. And frankly, I'm not even all that sure that two inmates kissing each other is even against the rules.<br />
<br />
But then I'm strange like that.<br />
<br />
That whole violation read like it was written by a budding porn author. Or someone who reads way too many Harlequin Romances. I know in the Academy they tell us to "paint a picture" with our words. They don't tell us to paste up an entire novel and include a centerfold.<br />
<br />
"craned his neck upward..."<br />
"gently caress the sides..."<br />
"gazed into each others eyes..."<br />
"tenderly kiss each other..."<br />
<br />
What the snap?<br />
<br />
When he read this Porgie said "That guy obviously stood there too long watching!"<br />
And Mr Bean said "Could you, as a Sergeant, even read a violation like that with a straight face?"<br />
<br />
No. I couldn't. I would lose it completely.<br />
I'd be on the floor laughing, waving the clipboard weakly in the air and saying "Do you want to plead guilty?"<br />
"Here. Gently sign this."<br />
Hee hee hee!<br />
<br />
<br />JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-78307740106014699732012-11-06T00:27:00.001-06:002012-11-06T00:27:42.343-06:00A Celebration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today is my friend Greenghost' birthday. I couldn't tell you how old he is. I honestly don't have a clue.<br />
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Somewhere between twelve and fifty, if I were to be forced to guess.<br />
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Ghost and I go way back. He was my running buddy back down in the Hive when we were both still fairly new at the business. We got ourselves in some fixes together back in the day.<br />
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Oy! The stories I could tell you... <br />
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Our most memorable time was when we ended up wrestling this crazy old man. Crazy as eating baked beans with a pitchfork and strong as a damn ox. It probably took us fifteen solid minutes of fighting with him to get him in the cell and stripped out and the door shut and the cuffs back off of him.<br />
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The end result? One crazy old naked man with a broken nose. Ghost went to the ER to get his arm X-rayed and I got a cracked bone in one of my fingers. And all three of us covered with bumps and bruises.<br />
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We sat back after the door finally got shut and said "Sum-bitch that was one strong crazy old man!"<br />
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Unfortunately Ghost isn't with the department anymore.<br />
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I miss having him around.<br />
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But, just like working down in the Hive, I don't miss getting all banged up like that. Not a nip.<br />
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Happy Birthday Ghosty! <br />
<br />JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046693734392810795.post-21992618967594164022012-11-05T00:30:00.001-06:002012-11-05T00:30:58.359-06:00Challenging<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today was my first day on my new job assignment. New post. New days off. I'll be off on Tuesdays and Wednesdays now so I'll have one day off a week with the wife. That is cool. We haven't had a day off together in quite some time.<br />
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Last week we had a Supervisors meeting on our shift. All of the Sergeants and most of the Lieutenants and the Major were there. Being one of the newest Sergeants in the room was a little bit intimidating. But then I find group situations a little intimidating anyway.<br />
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Anyhow, one of the things the Major said was that we should "challenge" our people. He said "Give them 'what if' situations and make them think. Don't let your people get complacent."<br />
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I thought that was a pretty good idea. I'm going to try and do that now and then.<br />
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The night on the yard had gone much better than the one last week. About the most exciting thing we did was make fun of a Kleenex box. (It's a long and stupid story.) So I decided to open a small debate with one of the Major's 'what if' scenarios.]<br />
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KP and Anakin were sitting in the shack. Since they are both as sharp as a pair of ginger snaps I decided to give them something to chew on.<br />
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"Pop quiz." I said.<br />
"You are standing on the yard and the yard is open. You are down by A-dining. Everyone else custody-wise is all the way across the yard and you see one offender seemingly punching another one in the back. But when he moves you can see blood so obviously he has a weapon. What is the radio call for that?"<br />
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Neither one of them knew what the actual radio call for a stabbing (10-50) was, but KP said "I'd call a 10-49 (fight) or a 10-5 (officer needs assistance) and say he had a weapon."<br />
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That was a pretty good answer. Considering in almost ten years I have never heard a 10-50 called and probably 99% of the people would not know what that meant.<br />
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"And then what would you do?" I asked.<br />
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"I'd stand back and wait for help to arrive. I don't want to get stabbed!"<br />
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I said that he earned a little gold star for his forehead.<br />
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That opened up a debate and discussion about some of the radio calls we have never heard. If any of those were ever called we would all be scrambling for our radio code cards to figure out what was actually going on. We decided that hopefully if one of those rarely heard situations ever arose, whoever was making the call should be as calm and concise as possible on the radio so there wouldn't be any confusion as to what was going on.<br />
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But that probably won't happen. Historically they will yell into the radio and babble some nonsense and we will all be scrambling to find out who what and where. Ah, well.<br />
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At least it got us thinking for a few minutes. I'm sure the Major would be proud.<br />
<br />JustRexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00389126268262607714noreply@blogger.com10