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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Last Answer on February 10, 2022

Best Rated

Was there anyone you felt bad for in prison? Maybe someone who was just having a rough patch, someone who you did not think deserved to be in prison, someone who you thought or was innocent, or any other reason? Why or why not?

Asked by John almost 5 years ago

The only one I felt even a little bit sorry for was a young fellow who was more than a little mentally deficient who had been manipulated by a older girl to kill a younger girl so the younger girl could not testify against the father in a child rape case. Other than that, not really. It is VERY HARD to get into prison. Almost nobody goes to the joint the first time around.

What kinds of drama did you have among co workers, inmates, and other people who had to deal with?

Asked by Amy almost 5 years ago

All kinds. Most of the on-going drama was person as opposed to job related. Sick family, dying family, dead family, personal relationships turning to crap, that sort of thing. Work getting in the way of family. Family getting in the way of work. Usual stuff.

Why does the BLM not care about the Australian- American woman who was shot by police?

Asked by Dimmie almost 5 years ago

Because she was White and the cop who shot her was a Somali Muslim. Also the cop was convicted and sent to prison..

Are the lock down orders constitutional?

Asked by Dimmie almost 5 years ago

I am not a constitutional lawyer. My understanding of the law is that they are very dubious. A quarantine order, which IS constitutional, is issued by a court or by competent medical authority against a specific named person. None of these lockdown orders do that.

They crawl out from under the bridges to the public libraries and find sites like this to use for a few hours until the libraries close. Looks like the libraries are open again maybe

Asked by Jess over 4 years ago

There is always the mission downtown, but I don't think their WiFi is as good as the library.

What are programs you liked in prison and disliked?

Asked by Connie almost 5 years ago

While I was working there were a lot of good vocational programs at the prison. They had an auto body and paint program, and auto mechanics program, office machine repair and an FAA certified Air Frame and Air Engine program. There was also a very small program for waste water treatment plant operations and a map making program that made maps for CalFire. Those programs went away when the prison went to a total reception center operation. Now that the RC program is gone and the prison is going back to General Population some of these programs MAY be coming back. Or not.

How do you contain prisoners at times when they might get out of hand. Say a fight you have people fighting and then you have opportunists who might try to d something while the guards are distracted. How do you manage mayhem?

Asked by Sammy over 4 years ago

Physical containment is actually fairly effective. You only have so many people in a given area and eventually you will be able to find out who they are. If bodies start dropping you know who was there, or at least who could have been there. Poured in place cement walls, detention quality doors and very good fences do that job fairly well. If push comes to shove we thump on people, use chemical agents or them, or shoot them to make them stop. Eventually they stop.