Patience is a Virtue - C.O.P. (Correctional Officer in Prison)
Learning to Be Patient as a C.O.P. (Correctional Officer in Prison)
I will now share, briefly, some of the issues I had to deal with, personally where I had to learn patience for my own self being when I was getting hired on as a correctional officer. For most candidates it takes up to a year for someone to get hired on in corrections (which I did not know at the time.) The department had to do a background check, drug test, a physical exam from the doctor, an actual physical agility test and an interview from a board of three made up of administrators and actual supervisors. I found out later I was lucky in the hiring process because it only took me 4 months from the time I filled out my first application to the time I got hired and went to the correctional officer academy. I feel blessed that I did not have a lot of cob webs to go through and I was pretty much "spider free" when they did my back ground check. I thought, at the time, I was being very patient in that I had to wait 4 months, but when I found out that others had to wait longer, then I really felt blessed and I really had not shown that much patience as others had to show.
The true test of patience for my personal self came when I reported to the academy on February 1, 1987. The things I learned there about patience came from a lot of hard work from studying hard all of the information a peace officer had to learn, as well the physical testing we had to do. I thought I was in pretty good shape, but some of the things I had to do put my patience to the test. The academy was set up; I have been told, like a miniature military "boot camp." My next article will deal with my experiences that I dealt with in the academy and how all of the training that they have there taught me how to be patient and to be prepared for the world of inmates and prisoners. The only thing they did not teach me is how to be patient with my supervisors.
Published by TREX
These articles, mostly relating to my experiences in prison, will cover the period from 1987 to 2006 that I worked as a correctional officer for the State of California. Thank you AC for giving me the oppor... View profile
- Working the Night Shift as a Correctional Officer in Prison (C.O.P.) After such a such a horrible time with my breakdown I never wanted to go through that kind of episode again. To help with this they put me on medication that seemed to help tremendously. I went back to work in San Die...
- How to Become an Unarmed Security Officer in OklahomaSee what you need to do to become a Security Officer in Oklahoma.
- Doing Time: Thoughts of a Corrections OfficerSome of my personal opinions and observations from my time as a corrections officer in a county jail.
- The Stanford Prison ExperimentAfter reading an article discussing an experiment performed to provide a real-life synopsis of what goes on behind the scenes in prison this article reviews the comparisons made and provides an opinion .
Going to PrisonWhat you can expect when you are preparing to start your prison sentence.
- My Interview with a Correctional Officer
- What the First Six Months are Like as a Correctional Officer (Part 1)
- What the First Six Months Are Like as a Correctional Officer (Part 2)
- So, You Want to Be a C.O. (Correctional Officer)?
- Have You Ever Thought About Being a Correctional Officer
- 8 Hours at the Big House as a Correctional Officer
- Holes in the Boat - Family Life as a Correctional Officer
8 Comments
Post a CommentIv'e been a "CO" for more than 25 years and I am well aware of the dangers faced inside the walls, but the most dangerous place in prison is the parking lot after yhe shift is over!
the back stabbing was phenonmenol, I do recall that. The inmates were definately usually easier....Interestingly enough, I had the word 'patience' tattooed on me while working within a prison...nice article.
Interesting read for someone who was just hired as a CO. Thank you for sharing.
One more thing about the different aspects of patience...picking your battles, being observant and biding your time are valuable tools as well. The assholes are always going to be assholes and if you don't get them today you can always wait till tomorrow.LOL
You speak the truth in regards to the supervisors or "white shirts" as we call them. However, you have to admit they have a difficult job. I noticed that you are retired at just 20 years. We have to go 30 and I started at the age of 35 soooo, I'll probably die inside that place.
I can't even imagine all the patience, understanding, empathy, and everything else it takes for this kind of job. I'm in awe of those who can perform it well.
Criminals and co-workers are human beings and it does take above average self-control and patience dealing with either. I admire that you would willingly put yourself in the position of dealing with controlling a population who like to make their own laws. AC's Milton Jordan has a good article from a former cellman: "Prison: A College of Crime or a School of Change".
I enjoyed your article Trex. I'm majoring in criminal justice although I haven't decided exactly which direction I want to take it in. I look forward to reading your next article.