Corrections Voices: Breaking Down the Wall of Silence In DOC

It has been more than 5 years since Missouri DOC came under new management. With a new Director and quite a bit of "house cleaning," the idea was to replace the "good ol' boy system" with something better. At least that was the sales pitch.  It is worth noting that turnover at many Missouri prisons went up significantly after the change in leadership. This includes seasoned staff who had spent many years working within the institution walls. With so many jumping ship, it certainly did not appear that the new management was well received. Supporters of the change would argue that it's all part of "cleaning house" and that the institutions were improving. Let's take a look at some of what has transpired in the last few years. On the positive side, pay for corrections officers went up significantly. However, it seems that this was the only way they could keep the prisons staffed. Understaffing has been a huge issue for the department ...

https://www.koat.com/article/jailhouse-video-shows-attack-on-officers-las-cruces/28584036

perfect description of a Corrections Officer's job Buy it

Missouri Department of corrections had quite the year in 2018. Lawsuits, riots, attempted murders and escapes. We saw the department illegally threaten, harass and abuse staff like never before. We also saw an unprecedented response from staff and former staff standing up against DOC corruption. Let's look at some of the biggest moments from MODOC in 2018. Court Cases and corruption One could argue that court cases defined Missouri DOC in 2018. The smoking ban which went into effect April 1st was the result of a lawsuit by an inmate. Of course, the settlement and tobaco ban was less to do with the inmate legal action and more an opportunity for Director Precythe to push forward her policy changes. Numerous employee lawsuits came about in 2018 as a result of blatant harassment, discrimination, and unconstitutional application of policy. The most high profile legal case, however, had been in progress a lot longer. The class action suit against the department which addressed em...

Sometimes, the things that are hard to look at are what the people need to see. Brutal assaults at Jefferson City Correctional Center have been on the rise. The department tends to not report them or to creatively report them as non life-threatening injuries rather than attempted murders. Offenders have beaten, stomped and stabbed officers with little response from administration. The Department tries to keep this information from the public because the truth is disruptive to their corrupt scheme. If people see the reality of the prison system and the dangers to staff, it will be a lot more difficult for central office to rob the people blind and profit on the backs of the officers they throw to the wolves. The latest JCCC Staff assault occurred when a segregation Offender attacked an officer with a homemade weapon. The officer was cut and stabbed leaving him with deep lacerations on his face. This officer will have scars for the rest of his life inside and out. The offender ma...

It is a fact that the quality of your employees is directly connected to how they are treated by management. If an employee is treated as though they are valued and respected, they will give the most to their job. In terms of staff retention, the key is so simple that it's honestly a bit confusing how so many managers don't understand it. The key to keeping your staff is to give them a job they don't want to leave. Sounds simple right? Well, it's taken many years for employers to realize this concept. What it comes down to is the way we look at the relationship between employer and employee. Should an employee be thankful for having a job that puts food on the table? Of course, but should the employer be equally thankful to the staff for the work they do? Again, this sounds like an easy yes, but employers often miss this part of the equation. When thinking of this particular error in management, I am reminded of an Officer who left the Missouri Department of Corr...

Corrections is an interesting term for the prison system. The word prison itself is really only used out of habit as most such institutions are now called Correctional facilities. Somewhere a long time ago people decided that prison sounds too harsh. It sounds like a place where convicts are thrown to punish them for their crimes. "Wouldn't it he better if we were correcting, not punishing?" They thought. The idea of a prison being a bad place for bad people was slowly replaced by the concept that facilities could be used to rehabilitate those who had turned to a life of crime. The idea of rehabilitation is admirable. Turning a life around rather than throwing it away in a dark prison cell is certainly more beneficial to us all. However, not all are capable of rehabilitation and many of those who are, are not given what they need to change. This is the problem with calling modern-day prisons "Correctional Centers." Prison is kind of like sending your kid ...

A young woman steps out of her office into the warmth of a summer day. She walks only a few steps in the sublime ignorance of perceived safety. She doesn't know he's behind her. In seconds, he has her held on the ground with a jagged piece of metal against her throat. She can't move and knows that she is in the grip of an extremely violent murderer. This is what happened not long ago at Jefferson City Correctional Center. The full story reveals that this dangerous multiple murderer was able to escape from solitary confinement due to a security breach initiated by the Unit Manager. When this offender escaped, he grabbed the first staff member he saw. She was alone and the decision of whether she went home at the end of the day or left early in a body bag was solely his. A handful of the institution's remaining skeleton crew staff responded and began to negotiate with the inmate. He demanded to speak with the Functional Unit Manager or he would kill the woman in his g...

Jefferson City Correctional Center just experienced the latest in the continuing theme of violence and growing danger coming out of Missouri Prisons. It was reported by local news outlets that a staff member was Recovering after "Allegedly being attacked." As usual, the DOC Spokesperson gave little information and tried to downplay the seriousness of the event. In reality, this is another example of the department not taking staff safety seriously. Fortunately the staff member was not physically harmed and the potential was far worse. An offender who is supposed to be held under strict custody supervision due to a propensity for violence and an "alleged" murder of his cell-mate escaped from a faulty recreation cage and made it all the way to a housing unit at the other end of the camp. This was able to happen due to the lack of staff during the current shortage. As this dangerous and violent offender was roaming free, he encountered a staff member who he took h...

Missouri DOC has a lot of issues to deal with including staff shortages, the constant threat of erupting violence in the prison system, harassment and retaliation issues that seem to be going nowhere and administrative failures which keep the department from making any substantial steps toward improvement. Any addict will tell you that you cannot fix a problem without acknowledging there is one. This is where MODOC gets into trouble. The department has always had an honesty problem. The huge harassment and discrimination issue plaguing DOC is not new, but only in the last couple of years has it received any real national attention. Why? Because the department would not admit that it was happening until they had to. The volume of payouts from the department to victims shows that they were aware of the problem for decades but kept it quiet. This of course was until the Pitch article exposing Corrections harassment and department cover-ups went viral. Once everyone was talking about i...

We have received word that there may be another disturbance taking place in a Missouri Prison. This has yet to be officially confirmed, and if it is true, the Department will do what it can to keep it from the public. We do have good info indicating that there is a disturbance taking place in at least one Missouri Institution. We have made the decision to not release the institution names we are hearing for the safety of those involved if a disturbance is actively in progress. UPDATE: Tipton Correctional Center experienced a Riot leading to damage of at least four housing units and evacuation of staff. Unfortunately the media promotes the narrative of the department without question. You will not hear the word riot on the news. You will only see it referred to as a disturbance. The fact is that staff were evacuated and outside law enforcement was brought in. These are not actions associated with a disturbance but a riot. What we do know is that if riots are actively occurring or imp...

We have talked a lot about the problems in the correctional system in this country. We have discussed administrative failures, criminal cover-ups, harassment and discrimination. We have talked about everything except for the elephant in the room. Now it's time to get into the dirty truth no one wants to discuss. It's time to lay down some unpopular truth. Tough Love Time The reason Corrections is getting worse not better is not because of administration. It is not because of government corruption. It is not because of the criminals in the cells or the criminals in the offices. Corrections won't change for the better because of the staff. Out of all of the people who have read and shared the posts tearing apart the department, a large portion are a part of the problem. To understand, we need to step into science class. Newton's first Law of Motion states that "Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external f...

Nurses week is a time to honor the great nurses who work long hours doing a thankless job. Nurses often sacrifice their own time and health working diligently to help others. Nurses often do not receive the respect they deserve, and this is never more true than in corrections nursing. About Corrections Nurses A prison is a functional mini-community with a fully functional medical unit. Correctional Nurses provide health care services which range from inpatient and outpatient medical assessment and treatment to emergency medicine. Corrections Nurse AKA Badass shirt $21.59 Risks and Danger of Correctional Nursing Working in a prison is dangerous, but nurses face specific risks. First, while other staff enter with handcuffs, pepper spray, assorted protective gear and training, medical staff walk into the institution with a stethoscope. Nurses work closely with offenders in the prison population and rely heavily on the custody staff in America's understaffed prison systems ...

As we wrote previously, the largest number of staff leaving the Missouri DOC are those with years of experience. Not only is there a shortage of staff, but a shortage of experience. we can surmise that there is trouble on the horizon when those who know what's happening and can read the writing on the wall are choosing to make their exit. The question is why is this happening? What is it that experienced staff have seen in their time that makes them turn in their badge after years of service? We are dedicated to sharing the voices of those staff who feel abandoned by the department they serve. We have received a lot of feedback from former employees and are always looking for more people with a story to tell. The following was written by an Officer who left the department after over a decade of service. Buy Corrections Officers Solidarity T-Shirt Where to begin Corrections isn't pretty. It would be foolish to expect a job in a prison to be sunshine and smiles. People wh...

Sexual harassment is a problem for Corrections Agencies throughout the country with more and more claims being made about the culture of workplace harassment and alleged department cover-ups. The Michigan Department of Corrections has a long history of issues with harassment, so much so that the department took on reform measures decades ago to address the problem. According to several current and former staff, these measures have not brought about much needed change. Considering that, according to a free press investigation, there were 186 sexual harassment complaints filed between 2015 and 2017, it would appear that reform is still a work in progress or likely at a standstill. Female staff members claim that not only are they subject to harassment and discrimination, but, harassers are often not disciplined appropriately if at all, and victims are retaliated against for filing complaints. What's interesting is that while the department says that they are taking a strong stance ...

What is Correctional officers and Employees week? Corrections officers are often forgotten and underappreciated for the work they do. Police, firefighters and emergency workers are respected for the service they provide and the dangers they face. Corrections Officers often do not earn the same honor from the public because their work is done behind a wall hidden from public view. While they serve the public and face danger everyday, their efforts are not seen and therefore, unfortunately, not recognized. Furthermore, corrections does not simply involve Corrections Officers. The prison system is a fully functional community with individuals holding many jobs. Also within the department of corrections are those on the outside who work with offenders reintegrating into society. All of these Corrections employees provide a valuable service to society, and Corrections week is a time to recognize them. When is Corrections Officers and Employees week? First implemented during the R...

Again South Carolina sees violence and death in it's prison system as 7 inmates were killed and 17 injured in a riot overnight. Lee Prison has been an especially violent institution in an especially violent state. A similar situation occurred in 2013 resulting in multiple inmate deaths, two officers were stabbed in 2015 and more inmate murders occurred in 2017 and February of this year. The latest is the largest disturbance to take place in years, involving multiple inmates and lasting over 7 hours. More to come as the story develops.

We have discussed the Missouri Department of Corrections quite a bit, and will continue to do so while it implodes. The problems facing MODOC are many. Chief among them, in terms of sustainability is the critical staff shortage in Missouri Prisons. The fact is that there will be blood and violence in the Missouri Prison system sooner rather than later. While the institutions are stocking up on riot gear and preparing for the disturbances to come, staff numbers are too low to perform even normal daily operations. The staff shortage is a crisis. But more interesting than the high turnover of officers is the pattern of who is leaving. Correction Officer's Prayer Brushed Steel Dog Tag What we see more and more is that it is not the new officers that are turning in their badge. It is the veteran staff who have served for years that are choosing to hang it up. In a time of impending unrest in the prisons, when experienced officers are needed most, the institutions are being left ...

Corrections officers face danger everyday, but they often face it alone. Officers Work a job that is hidden away from the public and not given a second thought by those who sleep safe in their beds. Officers who lose their life in the line of duty get a passing mention in the news and then are forgotten by all but those closest to them. To the public they are a "Prison Guard." To their families, they are a Grandfather, a Sister, a Mother, a Son. Officers who are killed on the job deserve more than one sentence in the newspaper. In honor of those who serve behind the walls and razor wire, Here are three people who we should all take a moment to remember. The above picture is SGT Mark Baserman of the PA Department of Corections. He was killed on February 15th 2018 when an inmate attacked him for confiscating a towel from his cell. He was punched in the back of the head, knocked to the ground and stomped on. He did not get to go home that day all because his life was worth no...