Big On The Inside

What is a Correctional Officer? Over the years I've seen about every size, shape and manner of persons that have been good to outstanding Officers. Size and shape doesn't matter as much as the person inside. I have met some people that I would have hated to take on with a club, but they couldn't work in Corrections. That is because what counts is not how big you are on the outside, but how big you are on the inside. Being a good Officer takes courage and self-control.

In the old days, at a very rough prison I worked at, one of the most respected Officers was a short stocky man with a quiet manner about him. No matter what was going on, if he told an inmate to come with him, the inmate went without a lot of problems. I asked one time what was up with this Officer and was told that very few inmates had the nerve to say 'No' to him.

This was in the days when only a certain breed of Officers worked the ground and cell houses. It was rough back then, and if you asked for trouble, you received the consequences.

Some of the Officers were not too tall or big on the outside, but were giants on the inside. I recall another highly regarded Officer, a short retired military officer for whom the inmates had the utmost respect. When his niece was raped and killed, the killer had to be sent to another state because the inmates announced to the Officer that as soon as the killer arrived, he would be dead. No matter what anyone told them, they would not change their minds. The killer was finally sent out of state.

I remember the time when two inmates jumped one of our older Captains at another prison. One of them told me later that he was never so happy in all his life to see Officers show up and put a stop to the fight. He said, ?You know, boss, we thought he would be easy. We were younger and, we thought, tougher. When the Officers came to our rescue, he had one of us face down on the floor with his knee in the back of the neck and the other one he had by the ___.? (Groin) This Captain was quiet and good-natured and I don't remember him ever raising his voice. He was older and a little overweight, but all Officer.
 

When women Officers started, it was interesting to watch who would work where. If they didn't want to work a position, all they had to do was just say so and they would be assigned another one. There was, however, one little female Officer that stood only about 5ft. 2in. and would work anywhere. She was a giant on the inside and helped lead the way for female Corrections Officers at that facility. If trouble started, the only problem was to keep her back. Her fellow Officers were in a fight and, by golly, she was going to be in it too. I have met several female Officers that had this attitude. Being female never stopped them. All that mattered to them was that their fellow Officers were in danger, and that they, the women, were Officers, too.

Officers may complain about this and that, but are always at their posts, sometimes even with a fever and feeling bad. They know that if they miss work, fellow Officers will have to pull a double shift or come in on their day off and lose family time.
 

Officers wear their uniform with pride, no matter what type. Officers may feel that they are on the bottom of the pecking order, but will still work to the best of their ability.

Good Officers may be scared or nervous about their assignment but will be there anyway and do the best they can.

It takes a very big person to day after day go to a job they may not come home from; keep their cool when they have a 6ft. 4in. tall inmate in their face and they are only 5ft. 4in. tall; and remain professional while walking up to a group of inmates and telling them to disperse.

Any one can do these things by yelling and being a bulldog, but it is always a pleasure to watch an Officer who knows his or her job and handles it with no yelling and no bulldogging.

These are only a few of the many things it takes to be a Correctional Officer. Wear your uniform and badge with pride. You've earned it by being the best.

Take Care,