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 sure that it helps, but it doesn't hurt. Quite honestly most higher-ups in CA, people that make hiring decisions, look a LOT of states as flyover country and view experience there as insignificant (or at least did when I was still working). However, experience anywhere does tend to mean you have time in the environment and won't just walk away becuase you find the venue psychologically uncomfortable. It is PROBABLY a positive, and is almost certainly not a negative.
Money is most helpful and welcome. Complaints about how rough things are at home without them, or how stupid they are to end up in prison, are probably the least helpful.
Good question. I dont have a good answer for you since I was never in the hiring loop other than interviewing. I had nothing to do with background checks. I admitted to a little weed in highschool in the 1960s, more than 15 years before I hired on. They had no problem with that. I suspect they have a problem with recent drug use. Obvisouly any felony conviction is disqualifying. My guess is they would have a problem with any significant hard drug use history.
Never worked at a female prison. I have been told the women have cliques, but they are not nearly as racially based as the men's.
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Very rarely do such crimes occur in full view of staff, or other witnesses. When reported they are actively investigated. Also preadtory inmates (or even likely victim inmates) are classified as such, and are often single-celled or housed in protective custody. IN addition staff do patrol the tiers and dorms to keep an eye out for all sorts of nastiness.
It is difficult due to the shift work. Once you get some seniority (in the Calfiornia system anyway) you can bid on a job and the days off and shift that go with it. Some people stay on first watch (graveyard) voluntarily for some time so they can interact more with their family. Also vacations are seniority bid so it can take several years to get a summer vacation. Most people start the job young and don't have children yet. That helps. Family and work is a juggling act in the real world. The shift work does make it harder.
I have no idea. They did not have a formal psych screening when I started with the department.
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