Got a few stories about GH

What shocked me the most about Corrections?? I will try and keep this a fairly short post.. haha!! Let's go with the Inmates first. I'm from a real hick area located Upstate. The nearest full time resident was my Uncle's farm and that was about 3/4 of a mile up the road. Our road was half dirt and to say the least a old country road. Seeing a car pass by was a event and we would almost always know who it was. Summer vacation from school started out great but by a few weeks we would get lonely for our school friends. We hardly ever got a chance to see them during the summer. By the end of summer I was looking forward to school. Just for something to do, besides fishing and swimming in the Salmon River. So when I saw the minorities all together locked up, with backgrounds that were completely different to mine, It was a culture shock type of event. I was seeing a totally different form of life style!! Men with boobs was something I wish I had never seen but soon after starting work a GH I witnessed it!! Out in the yard with general population was a guy with a bra size bigger than many woman with a five o'clock shadow. He must have had plenty of opportunities in jail, and seemed to be quite popular amongst his fellow Inmates for some reason. Many of these men have to spend there time in prison locked up in the PC (protective custody) ward. But this guy was walking around in population. I guess Prisons have what they call Jailhouse homosexuals. Apparently they are homosexuals in prison but when on the street switch back. This all was very shocking for me in 1985. The next thing I'd say about inmates being "a shock" was the size they get lifting weights. Luckily for CO's they are the ones that seem to cause the least problems. Most everything else I expected. As far as the CO's and other staff. It seemed that Prisons were created so Upstate country boys could run them. Pretty much 90 percent were "Up stater's" looking for honest work and benefits. These guys were from the same type of area I was from. Sorry guys about this comment I don't mean to offend but there are a lot of CO's that don't quite fit the image you have of an Officer dressed in blue performing his job. The IQ levels vary greatly. Once you learn the job you know you don't have to be a rocket appliance salesmen (reference to Trailer Park Boys)to perform your duties. You'd also think that the State would have a system that promoted the best CO's up the ranks. They don't. They have a testing system which many times promotes people that should never be leading anyone. That was shocking how bad some of the management can be. Not all, so the good ones take up the slack the bad ones can't handle. The wall inside looking up is a bit shocking. Esp. while working the yards and thinking if a riot breaks out could I get out of here? You feel the I can't get out feeling at various points too. The things that Inmates do while they are in jail, was shocking. At least it's something I never would have guessed. They make furniture,underwear,license plates, cook food, milk cows,cut down trees ( I did a lot of that with them) etc.. etc.. Pretty much anything that is done on the street. The amount of violence in the max jails is shocking. During my time at GH I'd say at least one red alert a week. So I got to sprint at least once a week to keep up my speed!! And for what I have heard that was a fairly quiet time at GH. It was worse earlier and later than when I was there. I am going to stick with these things. More will resurface I am sure. I will talk about the "GT" (where I spent most of my career) stuff for later.. It's a stressful job and one that most civilians can't quite understand unless thrown into it for a while. I know that people like to hear the stories. I also know that like me a lot of CO's don't like to inform people they work as Correction Officers. I remember years ago going to this bar with a fellow CO and he told the locals there he worked for the phone company. I have never lied about it but down played it most of the time. It's not the kind of job where you come home proud of the work you have done that day. At least that's how my career went. It's a job that provided for my family and we live a decent life style because of it. So my last bit of shocking (may not have been so to some it's hard to put it in words that reflect the atmosphere in jail) It is really hard to believe that I did 25 years when my goal was to work a few years get my degree and move on to something else. I am doing that now, so it just took a few more years than expected. That's shocking!!

I'm done

I'm done!! Well it's a bit off target today due to it being my last day!! I couldn't help but start with that. So on to some more stuff at GH. I only spent two years at GH but I got to know a couple guys that got to be some of the best friends I ever had. "F" & "S" are their Initials. They can figure them out. I still try and get together with "F" as much as possible. He could have retired but is hanging in there. He's got a lot of things going on and has more struggles than most but not as many as some I guess. He knows we are there for him. "F" was one of the first good friends I made at GH he was married and had one daughter. Our wives got to be good friends fairly quickly and that always helps. I guess it was his sense of humor and way of working that I liked right from the start. We worked together in the same are of the jail and had a lot of laughs. He was one tough dude and would never ever take any lip form some Inmate that wanted to give him any lip. The package room at GH was a very busy place to work. Esp. on weekends. Inmates would be denied many things they thought they should have but it was our job to make sure no contraband or not allowed items were let in. That's why it seemed we got a lot of attitude from Inmates that thought we made up the rules. Everything was written down in what they call a Directive and we would have to follow it to the letter. But Inmates are constantly trying to get something, anything, if they can. They have nothing better to do than try and make you let them have it. Sometimes (quite often) they would get ornery. "F" was the best I seen at making Inmates back down from a heated argument. And he would always make us laugh while doing so He is a great guy and a good Officer. I hope to see him more now that I am no longer employed by the State. The other guy I got to be good friends with was "S". Or "H" after I found out his real name. So here's the main story I wanted to tell in today's post. "S" and I are working the roof post that covers the yards during recreation. It's a small shack located on the roof of one of the blocks that overlooks two very large yards. We take a gas gun and a AR-15 up to the post and observe the Inmates lifting weights running etc... Well there's a two hour break while they run chow and do the Master count during the middle portion of the shift. They don't pull us off the roof due to the weapons being up. So we sit and talk and eat our lunches. So "S" and I are talking and I think all the times I've seen him around that he is of Spanish decent. But what do I know, I from a High school that had nothing but Caucasians. It never mattered to me but this is what I would have guessed for "S". In reality he was from a Mid eastern country as I found out on that day. He's telling me all about when he was a kid and his Dad was going to send him to Italy and at the last minute he had a chance to go to NYC and took it. He was in the Military over there and fought in a war etc..etc... It was quite a life story to say the least. Went on to NYC and worked his butt off to make a go of it. And was running the Officer's mee at GH and decided to take the test and yada yada yada he's a CO. So after hearing this "S" says so where are you from? I said you wouldn't know it but I'm from a small town in Upstate NY. His reply was is it any where near Sandy Creek?? I looked at him in disbelief. He had guessed the town I went to High School!! A guy from Egypt guesses my High School!! So I asked him how he knew of that town. He says my wife is from there.. I knew every kid practically in school. And I mean every grade!! So I say who's your wife?? He says "SB" I said no kidding?? It might have been No Sh** I'm not sure but you get the idea. Her brother was in my graduating class and she dated one of my best friends brother back in High School. So we set up a time and I met her at is apt. One thing leads to another and we start Bass fishing together and we became good friends. Both of these guys had other Officers backs and would be there when the red alerts were calling. They would do what was needed and to stop it and knew when enough was enough. Exactly the way I thought a good Officer should be. That's another reason we all got along. Similar people from totally different backgrounds. But still friends for life!!

So the OJT business was over and it was time to move on to being full fledged Correction Officers. This was before GPS's and Google maps so I took out an old fashioned road map and figured out how to get there. I remember reporting for the first time. Now I had been there on my "Tour" at the academy so it wasn't a big shock when I saw the 40 foot wall surrounding the whole place. I also had been inside so I knew what to expect. I can describe GH as one really large place with walkways that connected the blocks and the Industrial work area. It felt like you were in a cave while walking the halls and the blocks were straight out of what people see in Movies. You pretty much could walk everywhere indoors. I recall this one academy instructor who's permanent work station was GH saying he got a lump in his throat when he drove up to the place. I never had that kind of reaction. Mind you it is one intimidating place. Old and dank. Kind of like the old farm house I grew up in, In a lot of ways!! Yea there were no bars but it was totally isolated. So What do I recall about the first few days and months at GH. Frisking cells, (and lots of them) Learning a different job almost daily, Nuts and butts (leave that up to your imaginations)after visiting hours. Pretty much any job that no one would ever want is what it comes down to. But Seniority is everything to Correction Officers and New Jacks would be in soon enough. One big advantage I had and this didn't take long for it to kick in. Although it did take years for me to figure it out, was this: I was called in to see the Sgt on duty one day and he said to me " You're not on a transfer list?" I said "Nope". That was the end of the conversation. I never left the day shift the two years I worked there. And my jobs got steadily better. Instead of running the 60 Inmate Underwear making shop I ran the gas booth during the movie. That sort of thing. Bringing up the Movie theater. That was one thing I found truly bizarre. Soon after getting to GH more than likely the first weekend. I had to escort a company of Inmates to the Movie theater to sit down and watch a movie. It was just like the old time theaters we had in the "Old days" One big theater. We would sit right in the middle of (and at the time GH had the most lifers in the state) the Theater filled with Inmates. And yup they turn the lights off. I saw "Desperately seeking Susan" with Madonna in it and I remember seeing "Beverley Hills cops". That day was one of those days that reminded you these men were of a different kind. In the scene where the execute Eddie Murphy's friend the convicts cheered!! There were two other days I remember that Movie theater. One was this time I was sitting in the middle watching and the film melted.. It's something that doesn't ever happen any more but anyone with some age remembers that it use to happen quite often. The light source for the projector looked like burning welding rods!! I know this from working the gas booth during one movie. I thought the place was going to tip over big time!! The place is dark and I'm thinking what to heck would I do if the "S" hit the fan? Try to run to the side I guess was what I came up with. But I was figuring I would be pretty much screwed. The Inmates were getting ticked off and just when one of them says "Lets "f" this place up" the CO's running the projectors got the film rolling again. It always made me wonder why we did the movies this way. The only other story I got about the movies to conclude this section of the blog was one day I am up on the roofs covering the yards when the yards closed we waited for them to open. Well this weekend we heard a lot of talk on the radios and the gist of it was the movie theater was having problems. We were ordered to step out on to the roof and be prepared to fire or use gas. We didn't have to do any shooting that day. They got it under control and OT (over time) was hired and they shipped out half a block of Inmates all at once!!! I'll never forget the show of "we will not tolerate this behavior" that the state showed that day. They hired a lot of CO's for OT and I was hired to work the few hours extra it took to pack them all up and then the Grey Hound style buses rolled in and they were off to other Max's. It wasn't too many years later they quit using the movie theater. And that's a good thing..,

On to OJT and then GH

So all went well at the academy and off I go to my first actual prison to work. I lived downstate at the time so I chose a spot located not to far from my home. One big advantage I had which many CO's don't is I never had to commute long distances. Most have to take a job downstate and try and work their way back up North. And eventually, somewhere near where they live ( one of the major reason not to take the job). I was already down that way so I was home every night. OJT (on the job training)is a six week affair unless the State needs you a bit sooner. But they didn't need us all that quick so we got the full six weeks. I reported to a Max jail with a couple others from my class. This particular jail at the time was the main processing center for new Inmates. It was surrounded by a razor covered fence. It was laid out in sections that were all similar in appearance and were color coded. So wherever you were working things were somewhat the same. Made it a bit easier for us. Of course we were "new meat" and were made to do any job they could dream up. I remember one of the things we were doing was processing the New Inmates that came up from a Island jail in the city. Those Inmates looked in various states of fitness and hair styles. But they all left deloused and with the same hair cut. Also most of the time with the same very large boxer under shorts!! I have to say it was comical to say the least to watch them parade through the process all in line. But most were very happy to have gotten out of the last jail they were in. We were also made to do a variety of jobs and shifts for the OJT time period. I made a lot of quick friends and when my time was finished I really wanted to return at the first chance I was given. They all pretty much told me once I got to my first actual assignment I wouldn't come back. They were right I never returned there after getting established at my first permanent assignment.
So while at the Academy they told us we should never ever eat state food. I remember the Instructor saying "don't do it" but then saying "you all will do it". I vowed at the time not to eat Sate food. About the third day working the 4-12 shift while on OJT I did in fact eat State food. It was like a pressure situation!! All the CO's around me were eating and I like to eat so,, I ate. I'm not sure if they can fine me now for that since I'm almost gone but I did break the rules on eating quite quickly. It's a 250 dollar fine and most CO's will tell you that if ever charged they got their money's worth. I only know of one CO that ever got charged the 250. So most don't worry about it all that much. CO's and Supervisor's all the way to Supers eat State food. Some more than others. Anyways on to other broken rules on OJT. I also was encouraged by the regular CO's to play Ping pong. Some of the cell blocks had tables right in the middle of the unit. The Inmates assigned to these units would have most of their rec. right inside. Those Inmates also spent a lot of time "locked in" meaning open ping pong table. I had honed my skills while at the academy and now I knew why they had a table there. We didn't play all that often but I do remember playing ping pong on duty. All in all they gave me a good lesson in Corrections. This jail was "tight". No talking while going to chow. The Inmates walked in order two by two. Commands were given to stop and go. If anyone dared to talk the whole movement would stop until the CO felt like it was time to move again. I thought at the time it was a good system. I also thought that all jails worked like this. I later found out I was wrong about that. It wasn't just playing ping pong and eating food. I saw my first results of a stabbing while working there among other things.. Inmates would be moved to the "Box" when they need to be contained in a more secure environment. Or sometimes they would just be "keep locked". Held in their cells for most of the time. Things that later became routine at my next assignment at GH. There are all types of personalities in this world, and that holds true with CO's . Pretty women (one that I remember seeing and being shocked that she would want to work in prison)and Handsome men work in jails and the opposite is also true ugly ones work there too. Funny people and serious people. All kinds. We were all wearing blue and doing the same job and that bonded us. You need someone to watch your back so to speak. As a "New Jack" I tried to figure out which way I would go when confronted with issues and thought often what a good CO should do. Over the years I have changed quite a bit but still try and hold by that ideal. All in all the OJT training was decent and I figured I'd stick with the job for a while. We filled out a sheet to pick where we would like to be assigned. It was called a "wish list" I wanted to go to GH and I was the only one in our group that picked it number one choice. A few of them looked at me like I was nuts. I was trying to stay as close as possible to home. When our assignments came back I got my choice. Me and one other from my class reported to GH in the summer of 85. He resigned within a year. Went to Florida and did landscaping. He was a good guy and got me into weight lifting. He was from way up North. I sometime wonder what he is doing now. So off to GH which was the same drive time for me, but a very different Max jail.

Academy

The academy was really quite easy. I forget almost everyone's name but do remember my roommate. I wonder if he's getting out as quick as I am? He works not far from where I work in a medium security prison. Never kept up with him much but occasionally if I were taking one of our trouble makers to a more secure facility I would ask whoever if they knew him and how he was doing. He was a decent guy who took things pretty seriously when it came to doing well. He received the highest score on the Shooting Range and was very proud of that. I also recall he did decent on the academics. But almost anyone could do well when it comes to that part of it. Matter of fact the whole thing was quite easy!! Out of our group only one women was kicked out. And that was for her inability to shoot and qualify with a passing score. Her personality did not fit the type of person who would want to be in Corrections at all and I wondered why she would ever had tried it. She was a bit on the timid side to say the least and that's usually not a personality trait you would want when it comes to this job. One of the Instructors told the group when she had left that they would have stopped her eventually and not allowed her to become a Correction Officer. After working the job for 25 years I can say they seldom if ever would do that. I've seen all types working this job. We had people passing the obstacle course who were very over weight matter of fact probably obese. Not much funny to write here about it. I remember a lot of out of shape people who would complain endlessly about the mediocre work outs every morning. I do recall one thing the Instructors did well was to instill in us the since of brotherhood. And we should stick together. When we would run every morning it was in a group, help each other out that sort of thing. I took that part very seriously. But the six weeks spent there did not prepare me for what actually goes on in Prison. Very little of what you experience walking through the gate of a Max security prison for the first time can be taught -I guess. Everyone would have there own reaction and mine was it didn't bother me all that much. When it came time to tour the local Max joint as a group I remember feeling and thinking what I would do if an Inmate decided to mess with someone in our group. I was in attack mode for the whole tour. Haha!! But I do remember thinking when the CO tour guide said if something happens just get out of the way and let the CO's take care of it. I said to myself no way I would do that. I guess that's why I got along well the 2 years I spent in that same max. I knew I would respond and expect someone else to do the same if the shit hit the fan as they say. Which it did on a fairly regular basis. Years later I made a good friend where I currently work who went on the same tour from the same academy and while there an Inmate took a baseball bat and bashed in another Inmates head. They were from the "Bug" ward. I remember working that day cause that isn't all that common, and they hurried the group through quickly. They must have all thought man this jail stuff sucks!! But he wasn't deterred!! So I should hop back to a couple of things that happened during the 6 weeks there. We had a lot of time to goof off. Playing Ping-pong that sort of thing. There was a soda machine in the lower floor and rec tables where we would hang out. Someone had figured out that if you put your coins in the soda machine and started pushing all the buttons at once you could get multiple sodas. Which everyone did!! Seems a tad dishonest now but it was fun then. So one night this off duty CO shows up who hadn't been out of the academy very long and starts telling us jail stories. I listened like everyone else. He seemed a bit on the odd side if you ask me. But what else was there to do. Later I ran into him working. He had a last name that was easy to remember. Like I said I won't use it now. But the same guy got in trouble several times for inappropriate behavior when it comes to wearing a side arm. I remember he made the local paper at least once. Which is always funny when you are a Correction officer. Local Guard gets arrested for blah blah blah. I got your "Local Guard" right here.. Like Rodney Dangerfield we get "NO respect". Who knows if he ever lasted for his 25. But he def. should have been weeded out!! All in all my experience in the academy was uneventful. One bragging note I did tie the Obstacle course record and the plaque has been collection dust for the last 25 in my basement. I remember my roommate thinking our room got two of the awards and feeling pretty proud of it. I could have cared less. My plan was to work this job for a couple of years and finish my degree and go on to greener pastures. Needless to say things change and plans are put off. Sometimes never to happen at all. If I didn't dislike the French so much I might add that french phrase that means "That is life" No going back... Next-Off to OJT and on to GH..

Not sure which way to go.

I guess the trip up North to medical and psychological testing is where I should start. I also have to add that most of my family when they found out tried to talk me out of it. I plowed straight through. So I have this two hour trip in a 1977 Chevy Vega which I paid 300 bucks for. I had taken out a college loan to buy it. I hear a lot of people who know the car saying what a crappy car. But for 300 bucks it was the best car I ever bought. I had also learned how to paint cars when I owned that Vega and K-mart cans of blue was my choice. Needless to say it turned out cherry..I wake up early for the drive up North and I'm dressed in my one and only suit. Right, the same one I got married in. I'm driving along in the Vega which I prepped for the trip topping off the oil. And anyone who has ever owned a Vega know you always had to check the oil. So I'm on this three lane in the middle of a small city located in the Southern part of the State. And what happens - I get pulled over by a local cop. 55 in a 30. Doh!! So here I am dressed in a suit, with new short cut hair, driving a 77 Vega painted with canned paint on the side of the road telling the cop I was headed up to do the things needed to become a CO and he doesn't really care and writes me a ticket(I didn't get out of that ticket but later found being a CO does help a lot in that category!). Only on the road for 10 minutes and the day is already messed up!! I got there and took all the required test. Thought I might fail the hearing test as most of you reading may know about my lack of good hearing , in both ears! The written Psych test were totally whack!! They ask you a lot of questions and most of the same questions about 5-6 times. I guess they want to weed out the liars. Well I can tell you they miss a few!! The morning goes by and we all are almost done. I'm eating lunch next to another guy from up North and he asked me what I said when it comes to drinking alcohol and I told him I put down what I actually do drink in a month(3-6 drinks). He said he had also and told me he was there for the second time trying to get through the testing. I asked him how much did he say he drank and it was like a 6 pack per day. I'm not sure why they flagged him not suitable. He also asked me, Had I ever smoked pot?? I responded I doubt many people my age hadn't tried it although I never "Inhaled" at college it was in almost every hallway on a Friday or Saturday night. His immediate response was I would never get the job! I guess he was wrong.. I passed without any problems. Several months later I was told to report to the academy.

K-mart

So I'm working at a K-amrt auto shop and my friend D says to me one day. Want to take the test for Correction officer? I asked what they did for work. And he says they work in Prisons. I asked how much money do they make. He says pretty much more than we make now. So I went home and checked for the ad in the local paper and found the information for the job and sent for the paper work. Filled it all out sent it in and waited. One day I got the time and place the test would be given. I went to work and asked "D" did you get your info back and he said yes. I can't remember the time frames exactly but we planned on meeting out in front of the local school to go and take the test together. I remember we were both a little nervous due to both of us calling in sick on a Saturday. I waited and waited for him to show and he never did. So I went in and took it by myself. The next time we worked together I got him on the side and asked him where he was and told him I had waited for a long time and he said he had did the same. Something was definitely fishy about it!! Come to find out he had taken the County Corrections test while I had taken the Sate test. So the gist of the story is I got hired and "D" had to wait until the next State test. Which he did pass and took the job. I actually had to take a slight cut in pay due to I had been promoted to Manager of the shop. But knew that within one year I'd make more money. And the benefits were quite good. Haven't heard from him since.. But "D" is the man responsible for my obtaining the job.

Almost over

4 More working days and I will be done with my career in Corrections. Not sure exactly what I will do with my working life now but 25 years is enough working this job. Good luck to those who work it longer. I have a lot of respect for Correction Officers they have a thankless job. Return home from work daily without any reward system other than the pay and benefits. I will attempt to submit a story or event if you will on some of the things that happened while working the last 25 years. Most will be on the funny side or possibly "can you believe that" sort of thing. I hope you enjoy it if you are one of the people who decide to follow along. Of course I will try and not offend anyone by leaving out real names etc... Wish me luck