I worked for the California state system, starting as a Correctional Officer and retiring as a Lieutenant in 2005. I now write for the PacoVilla blog which is concerned with what could broadly be called The Correctional System.
Like I said, I have never been a street cop. I suppose it might make a difference if they thought you were lying, or if they wanted to tell how solid a witness you were. Maybe he is a confirmed left-hand weenie wacker and if you say he was using his right that would tend to indicate you were lying. I very honestly don't know the answer.
In days gone by sexual offenders were treated very badly by most of the population. There are now so many of them that the only ones who have a very hard time are child molesters (baby rapers). Anybody can request PC for pretty much any reason. They may, or may not, get it. There are a couple of housing units around the state that house only sex offenders, they mostly get along with each other. PC is mostly called "special needs" now days. The department often changes labels to pretend problems no longer exist. The main problem with PC is that they can not mix freely with GP prisoners. Most of them like it just fine that way. Other than that they have the same privileges as other inmates with the exception of some jobs, depending on the nature of their offense and the nature of the job. (This is a bit of an oversimplification. Custody classification and job assignment regulations is actually fairly complex and my knowledge base is stale.)
The system can not, and does not "correct" behavior. If all goes well, at some point in his/her life the prisoner decides to get their act together. At that point whatever rehabilitative programs may be available will have the opportunity to work. The idea that incarceration, in and of itself is a rehabilitative exerience is a myth. Most life prisoners do have the opportunity to get out, eventually. At that point they may be too old, too infirm, or too tired of the life and will go striaght. Or not. Prisons keep prisoners from committing crimes against the general public while they are encarcerated. That is all that can be realistically expected.
As I have been retired for some years they don't impact me at all. The court decision on the population cap has had a huge effect, moving many prisoners out of prison and onto the streets. Also, federal court decisions at a lower level have mandated huge expenditures of resources for medical care for inmates to the point where state prison inmates get much better health care than do most people on the streets.
Inner City English Teacher
How prevalent are teen pregnancies in your school?Flight Attendant
What kinds of passengers annoy you the most?Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
How often do people wake up during surgery?Probably the same thing as tampering with evidence in any other law enforcement setting. Of all of the rules violation reports I have seen I have NEVER seen one for evidence tampering.
If it hasn't changed since I was working, you need two years in grade before you can take the test for the next step up.
The most noticable ones were within the profession. The academy lengthened from 3 weeks to 16 weeks. (It shrank back down to 14 after I retired). We started using papper spray and side-handle batons. Firearms polciies changed so there was fewer discharges of firearms at the institutions. Cell extractions are more controlled and less frequent. They are also video recorded now except in case of emergencies. Custody staff now have the right under the law to carry weapons off duty, before that was a department controlled thing. The entire medical operation is now run thru the federal courts. The overall level of violence in the system has lowered.
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