How Secure Is Your Unit?

[Bowles]

I work at a minimum custody facility. We still house the same inmates who were once in closed or medium custody. We have several lifers; many inmates have pending charges that are serious felonies. What I'm getting at is while these inmates have earned minimum custody thru their good behavior or they are misdemeanors they still have the potential to be a serious threat to the general public.

A single 12

[KwaHThgiN]

I work in a fully secure facility though we also house medium and open inmates due to several work camp closures in 2001 by the new liberal government. There is one outdoor ballfield/recreation area that is only used by the open inmates and is surrounded by 30 foot candycane fencing. There is also two work areas outdoors within the fence that are restricted to open/medium inmates. The secure inmates have access to three separate ourdoor courtyards that are all surrounded by 48 foot brick walls. The entire facility has an extensive network of cameras. We also have two remand units which are max security.

[Graydog]

Security of facility

First off, most prisons and jails around the country have some kind of weaknesses or fubar, as you call it. Sounds as if your yard is a minimun security yard by your discription of the fence and staffing.
In my old joint that was exactly how our level - 1 yard was. I say was. They finally put up taller fences after 6 - 8 escapes. One thing that puzzeles me a bit. Why do you have any inmates with less than a felony conviction, and only convicted felons at that, and not pending cases? Then only pending cases we ever had was the new ones they pick up while in prison. Out here less than 1 year or less than felony convictions, all go to county jails. All closed custody inmates are house behind double fences, armed towers, and armed control rooms upstairs in their housing units. Besides being counted an extra number of times per day. And they don't go outside the fences.
Sounds to me like your depatment is just asking for some kind of trouble.

Watch your back and stay safe.
Graydog
Retired from Ca.

[Centurion44]

My unit's pretty secure. I could make it more secure but a cup is too uncomfortable to wear during a 10 hour shift.

[Bowles]

One thing that puzzeles me a bit. Why do you have any inmates with less than a felony conviction, and only convicted felons at that, and not pending cases? Then only pending cases we ever had was the new ones they pick up while in prison. Out here less than 1 year or less than felony convictions, all go to county jails.
Sounds to me like your depatment is just asking for some kind of trouble.

Watch your back and stay safe.
Graydog
Retired from Ca.

I was amazed at that myself. I worked in WV as a police officer before moving to NC. NC is the only state I've seen that sends their misdemeanors to state prison. We have DWI's walking the yard with murders and sex offenders.

I just returned from working an escape about 1 hour ago.

[GrizzlyLC]

Bowles,

Where were you a Police Officer in WV?

I work at the Industrial Home in Salem, WV

[BillP]

I was amazed at that myself. I worked in WV as a police officer before moving to NC. NC is the only state I've seen that sends their misdemeanors to state prison. We have DWI's walking the yard with murders and sex offenders.

I just returned from working an escape about 1 hour ago.

Have them in PA. DUI's were making a large percentage of the population at my Institution for the first 5 years it was open. Mixed right in with lifers, etc. Kind of a 'create a con' atmosphere.

[KC5GJN]

I work at a private facility in Oklahoma. Our camp seems secure as far as the camp itself, I think if anything about is unsecure its the people. People get laxed in their job and foget its a prison sometimes. Our facility is a 900+ bed medium yard and i swear it houses the friendliest inmates in Oklahoma. You wuold just have to work there to see what i mean. Unfortunately the inmates at out camp are coddled. that is the only thing unsecure as far as im concerned.


btw this is my first post on here, hello to all.

[BigD380]

how secure is your unit

I know what you mean. My facility is labeled as a minimum facility but actually houses mostly medium security inmates. On a good night I have 4 barracks officers to cover 22 barracks housing a max of 42 inmates each. I also have 3-4 Search & Escort officers roving around and 1 perimeter officer in a car doing fence checks. The inmates think the facility is a joke (aka Camp Snoopy). We have alot of young gang members who think they have something to prove. We only have our O.C. and hands on tactics as a first line but also have a pepperball launcher in reserve if it gets to bad. I'm trying to persuade the management to allow collapsable batons inside but that will take sometime to get through. I'm hoping to find other facilities in CA that currently use batons inside to follow behind on presenting to the management but am just getting started on the project. With an average population of 850 - 875 inmates the odds are way against us.

[Bowles]

I know what you mean. My facility is labeled as a minimum facility but actually houses mostly medium security inmates. On a good night I have 4 barracks officers to cover 22 barracks housing a max of 42 inmates each. I also have 3-4 Search & Escort officers roving around and 1 perimeter officer in a car doing fence checks. The inmates think the facility is a joke (aka Camp Snoopy). We have alot of young gang members who think they have something to prove. We only have our O.C. and hands on tactics as a first line but also have a pepperball launcher in reserve if it gets to bad. I'm trying to persuade the management to allow collapsable batons inside but that will take sometime to get through. I'm hoping to find other facilities in CA that currently use batons inside to follow behind on presenting to the management but am just getting started on the project. With an average population of 850 - 875 inmates the odds are way against us.

Hey, at least they allow you to carry OC. We are only allowed to carry if we are working in Seg or transporting. Superintendent's decision! We are the largest minimum facility in the state and we can't carry man-in-a-can, OR CUFFS! When some $hit goes down (and it often does) we have to attempt to restrain the inmate until a Sgt. arrives with some cuffs. How F*^#ed up is that!

[horne80]

My unit's pretty secure. I could make it more secure but a cup is too uncomfortable to wear during a 10 hour shift.

Damnit! That's what I was going to say!

[Bowles]

Damnit! That's what I was going to say!

Yeah, thats funny right there I don't care who ya are.

[Danish guard]

Im working at a minimum secure prison.. but my inmates dont try too escape.
some have jobs outside the prison or go to schools to educate them selfes. its a rehabilitation unit who takes pride in having a low return rate of prisoners.

[Jabrim]

Well:

All of the officers at our facility carry cuffs and only certified officers carry spray. They have a small arsenal of less than lethal weapons and other weapons, pistols etc. As far as the facility being secure its secure from what I have seen. We have from minimum security to maximum security, occassionally have death row inmates on their way to death row as well.

[cdc_cop]

The facility I work at is pretty secure. All the cops have stab-proof vests, collapseable batons, 18% MK-9s, cuffs, CN & OC grenades, and gun coverage on the yards and in each housing unit. We have a minimum security yard and the cops there have the same stuff except for the gun coverage. But if they push the panic button, they'll have plenty of ground gun coverage in a moments notice.

In the level 4 area, we have three fences. two talls ones with lots of razor wire and one in between that is electrified. We have patrol units and several towers with officers providing gun coverage.

It would be cool if those robots from the movie I-Robot worked in the prisons. The only bad thing is, I along with many others would be out of jobs. So I guess it wouldn't be all that cool.