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..