Desert Waters Correctional Outreach

This is an old one. I suspect it exists in other law enforcement agencies as well. There is a 'felt' (emotional) difference between line and non-line staff. I think the difference is even more divided between those who have routine contact with inmates and those who do not. Those who walk the tier, those who spend every second of their work life in close contact with inmates deal with a level of constant tension that is not present in the more typical office part of the industry.
There is a level of distrust. To be blunt: when was the last time the security manager's admininstrative assistant was assaulted? In my facility, nurses, librarians, ministers, teachers, psychologists, case managers and food service workers are exposed to the same dangers as line staff. Those workers get the same respect. It is the administrative assistant who never is exposed to this danger that generally does not get the 'respect' that they feel they deserve. As a fellow worker, yes we are all part of the team. As uniformed staff, we understand the need for the paper work to get done (usually). However, I cannot begin to list the number of times that someone who has not worked or walked a tier, worked around/with inmates on a daily basis devises a rule or policy that endangers lives. I am not saying that the creation of the rule was done maliciously; but without that experience, trying to set policy that impacts the tier is not good. It is that experience that makes line staff look down on non-essential staff.
As essential staff, I maybe forced to work 12 hour shifts every day until my 160 hours are met, then given time off. I cannot protest this. It is the conditions of my employement. In fact, if an emergency is declared, I have to be available disrupting my family's life. This is something that non-essential personell do not have as conditions of employment.
 

Just few examples of non-essential staff or even civilians are we call them.. They get to walk away from problems depending on the there title. The CO is there with them on the tier on the housing unit dealing with that inmates problem for 8 hrs.Sometimes More The Co is the inmates contact with the Outside world i.e civilians.
 

For the past couple of years I have written in Desert Waters’ newsletter about Correctional Offices, and have been proud to do so. However, there are also other departments which are part of a facility and which should not be overlooked. This is the support staff that helps keep a facility going. Please excuse me if I forget a category, but here’s my list: Maintenance, teachers, medical, mental health, and last but not least, our secretaries and administrative staff. We also owe a big debt to our contract workers. In my experience, they have always been there when needed. In a crisis, they have made inmate meals and have helped relieve staff to do their jobs. Even though they do not deal with inmates like line staff do, what they do is very important for the facility to run smoothly.
No matter who it is, we all work for the same cause, and we all want to go home at the end of our shifts with the same number of body parts that we walked in with.
All correctional staff member should be given the message that their contribution as well as their well-being count as much as everyone else’s.

Take care,
The Old Screw
 

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There is definitely a "line" between line and non-line staff. There is no doubt that the tasks of running the prison could not be done without them. Many on the corrections side of the fence see these "non-essential" folks as part of the HAT (Hug-A-Thug) program. The COs take it away and the HAT folks give it back. It is a difference in the approach and what we all do at a prison. It is the difference in our missions. The CO is the cop that enforces the rules and keeps whatever amount of control you can hav ein a prison. The non-COs provide a type of customer service to the inmates. Whether it be information, services, or programming. Many times these two worlds collide. Not much difference from the street cop and those providing services to the drug users, vagrants, and others. We all have a job to do, but each requires a different approach. All of them are essential.
 

Team may be the "golden" theory of corrections. Uniformed staff and non-uniformed staff need to have the team mentality. Uniformed (a.k.a. line) staff are NOT idiots that intentionally sabotage non-uniformed staff's ability to get there jobs done. Non-uniform staff (i.e. Mental Health, Medical, Activities, etc.) are NOT persons who care nothing about security and are NOT an Undue Familiar case waiting to happen. Everyone has a job to do. Respect and proper attitude are a must to positive working relationships especially in the correctional environment.
 

I have to agree with the above poster. I am a teacher who is also a prerelease/reintegration coordinator. I am called "nonessential" to my face, even though I do wear a uniform. It's not the same as the correctional series, but it is a uniform.

I spend all day with the inmates. My job is to know them, their cases and their attitudes and change them so that when they get out, they don't come back. I know these guys. Not just the ones in the class - I know a good portion of the general population as well. I work on the basis that if you want help reintegrating back into the community, I will help you if you want to help yourself.

In Oregon, education, case managers, food service, maintenance and the like are called "Security Plus," meaning they are given credit as someone who not only deals with inmates, but as someone who must manage with with a specific group of inmates on a daily basis. I like that system.

I have offered to stay during inclement weather, help with shakedowns, help with counts, help during emergencies. I am told I am a liability.

Why, when I have all the same training, and in fact more, because I take it upon myself to take advantage of all that is offered?

Why, when I know most of these guys well enough to tell you who they talk to, what's bothering them from day to day, what's going on in their worlds?

Intel has told education that for the most part they are not interested in our contributions.

We work in an extremely anti-programs environment. I am very security minded, which is my job. I just get so tired of constantly fighting an uphill battle trying to constantly prove that I'm not an idiot.

Corrections is the only environment where, when you say you are a teacher, people actually think you're stupid. Everywhere else educators are actually respected.