Thanks, Kris. I am also wondering what's next for me. In this (super minor) way I can relate the guys I teach - I wonder where I'll be sent....But of course, no matter where I'm teaching, I get to go home. They do not.
Thanks for your insights Kate. I was incarcerated here in the UK between 1983-2005 and so met many prison officers (as they're called here) over the years. My experience reflects your observations...some were simply psychopaths in uniform, others were decent men and women, others were neutral in that they were simply doing a job to pay their mortgage and feed their kids, that is, they had no axe to grind. One prison officer, Mr B, will always stick in my mind. He came to the medium security prison that I was in at the time straight from training college. Initially, he exuded goodwill toward the inmates, going out of his way to 'connect' and he helpful. However, tere is a certain type of inmate that see this type of decent humanity as weakness and so over time Mr B was exploited and I observed on numerous occasions his colleagues quietly 'advising' him on how things really are from their perspective ie prisoners are (as you say) "wolves in sheep's clothing". Within 6 months, Mr B went from being a humane man who obviously wanted to make a positive difference to being the one of the most nasty of officers in that prison. Based on my observation and experience prison corrupted this man, just as it further corrupts prisoners. Such a sad truth...if only there were a more beneficial way to persuade people that there are better ways to live one's life than by resorting to crime.
Michael, thanks so much for your comment and your insight. Hearing about this experience was really helpful. I hadn't thought about it before - prison can corrupt officers too, even those that start out well-meaning. You're right - a sad truth about the system.
Thank you for not making anything definitive about someone who is a CO. Although I didn't have the most pleasant experiences with them when I taught in prison and I have thoughts and feelings about the role being filled by men in an all female prison, it still isn't fair to make them all one thing. People do this with probation officers as well. And in my time as a life coach in an ex offender reentry program, I did find some who really cared.
Always absorb your writings and musings. Now that class is over I wonder what is next and look forward to it.
Thanks, Kris. I am also wondering what's next for me. In this (super minor) way I can relate the guys I teach - I wonder where I'll be sent....But of course, no matter where I'm teaching, I get to go home. They do not.
Thanks for your insights Kate. I was incarcerated here in the UK between 1983-2005 and so met many prison officers (as they're called here) over the years. My experience reflects your observations...some were simply psychopaths in uniform, others were decent men and women, others were neutral in that they were simply doing a job to pay their mortgage and feed their kids, that is, they had no axe to grind. One prison officer, Mr B, will always stick in my mind. He came to the medium security prison that I was in at the time straight from training college. Initially, he exuded goodwill toward the inmates, going out of his way to 'connect' and he helpful. However, tere is a certain type of inmate that see this type of decent humanity as weakness and so over time Mr B was exploited and I observed on numerous occasions his colleagues quietly 'advising' him on how things really are from their perspective ie prisoners are (as you say) "wolves in sheep's clothing". Within 6 months, Mr B went from being a humane man who obviously wanted to make a positive difference to being the one of the most nasty of officers in that prison. Based on my observation and experience prison corrupted this man, just as it further corrupts prisoners. Such a sad truth...if only there were a more beneficial way to persuade people that there are better ways to live one's life than by resorting to crime.
Michael, thanks so much for your comment and your insight. Hearing about this experience was really helpful. I hadn't thought about it before - prison can corrupt officers too, even those that start out well-meaning. You're right - a sad truth about the system.
Thank you for not making anything definitive about someone who is a CO. Although I didn't have the most pleasant experiences with them when I taught in prison and I have thoughts and feelings about the role being filled by men in an all female prison, it still isn't fair to make them all one thing. People do this with probation officers as well. And in my time as a life coach in an ex offender reentry program, I did find some who really cared.