Bob Walsh
Stockton, CA
Male, 60
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.
Not really my area of expertise. I worked in prisons, with already convicted felons rather than jails, with misdemeanants. I BELIEVE that if you are in a position to post bail you can do an in-and-out. If they actually book you they would take your clothes but probably not your contact lenses, those are considered a medical appliance, like glasses. You would be transported with waist chains and leg irons in all probability though you would probably not appear in court shackled. However, sometimes the courts really frown on FTP as it is a violation of your promise to the court and even if you are in a position to pay immediately they might hold you to appear anyway. Like I said, not really my field.
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I am afraid I do not have a good answer for you. In custody, I would say NO. In certain types of non-custody positions I would say MAYBE. If you are doing something relatively benign in an area where you would have assistance if necessary (i.e. clerical) it might work. If you had to operate dangerous machinery or work in an isolated area, I would be very dubious.
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Sort of. Max prisons have better internal security procedures. Inmates are allowed relatively little unescorted movement. There is usually better visual coverage, camera coverage or gun coverage in Max prisons. There is a better staff to inmate ratio. However, that being said, the clientel is typically more violent too. I am sure there is some metrics on it, but I don't know off hand what they are.
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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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I don't know if you will get a response from Virginia. I can tell you that, as long as that person is under the jurisdiction of the department (i.e. on probation or parole) it would be a serious no-no. The California rules (Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations) are available on line, I strongly suspect whatever they call the prison rule book in Virginia is also on line. You might want to do a little web surfing and you may be able to find it chapter and verse. Good hunting.
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When I first started, back in the stone age, there was a maximum start age. I think it was 35. That was dropped. I have heard a max start age may have again been reinstated, but I have no hard info on that. There is no mandatory retirement age and I have seen a few cops working well into their 60s and a few even into their 70s (which I think is pushing it quite a bit). Since the system now operates on a seniority bid system the old timers, who tend to be fairly senior, tend to bid into jobs that they like and that they can perform adequately.
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Not me personally. I retired just a tad over ten years ago, such things were unheard of then. Other than the perimeter tower staff keeping their eyes open I am unaware of any specific plans for interdicting drones. I am confident that something will be developed, well behind the curve. Correctional systems are almost always reactive rather than pro-active.
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