Correctional Officer

Correctional Officer

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.

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454 Questions

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Last Answer on February 10, 2022

Best Rated

How do you write a report writing if you a prison officer

Asked by Paul about 9 years ago

A proper police report is very much like a proper news story.  Who, what, where, when why (if known) and how.  Most of them have a boilerplate appearance to them because of this, but we are not talking about literature here.  We are talking about imparting needed information in a clear, straight-forward fashion.    i.e.     On Tuesday, January 5, 2016, at approximately 0900 hours, while working Tower 9 over the yard gate during morning yard release, I observed an inmate later identified as Smith `A12345 attack and stab an inmate later identified as Jones B54321.  I immediately picked up my weapon (identify weapon specifically) and fired one round striking inmate Smith In the chest, ending the attack on Jones.            there would be a lot more information but that is the general idea.  Kind of like Joe Friday.  Learning how to write a decent report is a huge advantage to an officer.  The academy spends a lot of time teaching people how to do it.  .              

Can a corrections officer date a former inmate still on probation? They did not meet while she was an inmate. it was 2 years after the fact. and they did not even know each other while she was incarcerated.

Asked by Gina almost 8 years ago

The law, and administrative rules, will vary from place to place.  In California, and I suspect most states, the relationship would have to be reported both to the probation officer and to the officer's chain of command.  It would be at best seriously frowned on and likely prohibited.  A person on parole or probation is still under the jurisdiction of the department and is under constructive custody if not actual custody.  Any personal relationship, especially a sexual one, could be considered to be coercive. 

In California is a male officer allowed to escort a female inmate to the restroom and watch her urinate with another male officer watching when there where 2 female officers available to take her?

Asked by Love love over 8 years ago

Unless there was something HIGHLY UNUSUAL going on that would be a no.  Observing a urine sample being given would normally be done by MEDICAL staff and not custody staff.

if someone gets caught bringing in contraband to the prison how long does it take them to get charge

Asked by Be over 8 years ago

It varies TREMENDOUSLY from one jurisdiction to another.  Could take days, weeks or even MONTHS depending on circumstances.

Is there a way to look up where a CO works? I'm trying to find my sisters dad, we havnt had any contact with him in 10-12 years and I have some questions.

Asked by Synthia almost 9 years ago

I don't know.  In California the state maintains a web site that can tell you what job an individual person has with the state, but not necessarily the location.  There are 33 prisons in CA so you would have to call each individual prison and check with the personnel office.  At least in CA the information is not confidential.  Other employers might have different ways of doing things.  Now days there are lots of commercial web sites that can locate an individual for a modest fee, so as long as you have a name and an approximate age or birth date it shouldn't be that hard.

As a former CO, what advice would you give someone interested in claiming allowances with w4? Have you ever done it, and was it worth it? I was thinking about claiming 2 or 3 a year.

Asked by Newbie CO about 9 years ago

I am sorry but I have no idea what you are asking about.  Is this income taxes?

How would you handle a situation involving a prisoner who has told you he was raped?

Asked by Neal Bracken over 8 years ago

Turn it over to the Investigative Services Unit and/or medical department to gather evidence, and file an incident report.