un-official site: COLLEGE KIDS AND "OLD SCHOOL" OFFICERS

College kids and "old school" officers

Over the past few years, as many departments alter their requirements, corrections is seeing a whole new breed of officer pass through the gates: The college kid.

The college kid is different from the officers who came before him, and there are good and bad aspects to this difference between the personality types of experienced officers and rookies. On the positive side, many of the new officers are eager and ready to learn. On the other hand, many of us don’t even know how to approach them.

In a social setting, these two types of personalities would likely never speak, but they’ve been thrown in together to work side by side on the toughest beat in the world.

As someone who is right the middle between old and young, I’ve spent time speaking to both generations of officers about this.

In the hopes that it will help all of us learn, I’m going to define the two stereotypical characters of this relationship: the “old school” officer and the rookie. My goal here is to discuss ways they can better work together.

The “old school” officer
You, the “old school” officer, are the foundation of this system, but like it or not, you’ve been around for a while, and nearly everyone knows your tour is near its end.

Over the years, you’ve watched corrections change dramatically, and, frankly, you’re not impressed (especially with all these new ideas about inmate treatment).

You’ve spent your whole life fighting the very inmates that are now getting better medical care than most free citizens can afford! It just doesn’t seem fair.

The funny thing is that back when you were a rookie, there was another generation of officers that felt the same way about you. Those boys were roughnecks, but they also made sure that you knew what you were doing, even if their training methods were a little… unconventional.

There was that one officer who was like a mentor to you, who taught you so much. Sure, you had to tweak some of his teachings — his stubborn old ways — but that doesn’t change the profound impact he had on your career.

With this in mind old friend, before your final shift approaches, isn’t it time for you to be a mentor for someone else? You may not think they are listening, you make shake your head at the way they act, but when you first started, the old generation probably felt the same way about you.

The Rookie Officer
If I get one more e-mail telling me that you do not like being called a rookie, I’m going to scream.

You are a rookie, an FNG, and no, you do not know how to run a unit, let alone a prison. A Lieutenant once told me: “You don’t even know enough, to know that you don’t know enough.”

Let that sink in for a minute. Does this sound like the way you have been talked to by other experienced officers? I have some news for you: they are trying to help.

First of all, welcome to your new career. I promise you that if you are willing to listen, you’ll leave with a nice pension, all of your internal organs and your extremities.

The first thing you need to understand is that you have entered a world that you didn’t even know existed. The normal rules of society often do not apply inside the walls that contain our nation‘s criminals.

You will form bonds with your fellow officers that cannot be rivaled by any friendship in the outside world. You will see things that they can’t even show on HBO horror movies and you will hear stories that are so horrifying they will never make it outside of the walls of prison.

It is your job to learn from them.

This learning process starts the first time you put on your uniform. In most jobs, the way you dress will not get you hurt, but there are right and wrong ways to wear your boots and equipment. Inside of a prison those things can mean the difference between being able to reach the tools you need or being stabbed or punched.

There is usually more than one right way to do something, but there are always many more wrong ways to do something. It is your job, rookie, to learn and listen.

Finding common ground
One of the most effective ways I have seen an officer trained is to reenact a situation with them, showing them what could have gone wrong.

For example, I remember watching a rookie officer feed the inmates. He was standing directly in front of the food port and had not checked the small window to the side of the door for obstructions.

My partner at the time, an older officer, took the new officer on the tier and walked him to an empty cell. The older officer walked inside of the cell, and closed the door. He told the newer officer to pretend he was feeding him through the food port. The new officer fed the old officer as he had fed the inmate earlier in the day. The older officer then grabbed him, pulled him to the door by his belt and simulated stabbing him about five times before the newer officer even knew what had happened. The older officer then instructed him to try again. This time turning on his light, standing a little to the side of the food port, and having the inmate remove his window covering.

Becoming the teacher
For your part, “old school” officer, recognize that “show me” training will stay in the minds of the new officers for the rest of their career. There are pitfalls, of course, and you need to make sure it is conducted safely, but I got my training this way and there are still times when I am performing certain tasks that I can picture my mentors showing me what could go wrong.

Having said this, there may be officers that do not respond well to “show me” training. You will have to take the time to turn your normal office conversation into small training sessions. If there is something that every officer enjoys, it’s war stories. Stories from your career, especially one where you learned a valuable lesson, are fun for all officers to listen to, and can also add to their arsenal of knowledge.

Another fun way to train is to “what if” a situation. When you have some down time, come up with a realistic situation and ask the officer how he would respond. The critical part of this training is that the officer leaves a winner. Any response short of “I don’t know” is a good one. His approach to the situation may not be the way you would do it, but find some positives in the way he reacted before you shut him down.

Leave your legacy. Leave that little piece of you behind for others to learn from. As much as you have to hear people talk about how terrible of a place they think corrections was in the past, do not think that you do not have the gratitude of us all. It was your dedication, vigilance, and willingness to adapt that kept us all safe from the worst of the worst as we grew up unaware of the subculture inside out nation’s prisons.

Becoming the student
For your part rookies, realize that the guy you think is just a grumpy old officer is actually the guy who can teach you. Here are a couple things to keep in mind as he does:

1. Don’t be defensive: If an officer points out a mistake, ask them how they would do it. Do not argue right away. Listen to what they have to say. Nobody expects you to know it all.

2. Don’t try to change things you don’t fully understand. You may not like the way prisons are run, but guess what, you are not the only one. There are hundreds of officers that agree with you, but using this as an excuse to ignore the veterans isn’t going to help anyone. Learn how to do the job before you try to change the workplace.

Yes, you may have a college degree, but you are lacking something that no college can teach: experience. You will learn more in your first two years as an officer than any college or academy could teach you in ten years. It is critical that you approach everyday as a learning experience.

The day you quit learning is the day you retire

How long people will call you a rookie will depend on your willingness to learn. You need to recognize your lack of experience and feed off the knowledge of the outgoing generation of officers. If you are able to do this, you will have a great, safe career.

Having said this, there are also going to be some very disgruntled officers. If you run into one of these, try to pick out the good information from a lot of bad information. There are going to be times you will have to trust that little voice in your head and dismiss advice you get. If you are not sure, take it to an officer you trust and ask them. Chances are they will help you sort it out.

At the end of the day
The goal is that every officer leaves the institution at the end of the day in the same condition they entered it in. We walk in as a team, and we leave the same. Anytime anyone’s blood is shed, we all lose.

Be safe out there and watch your six. As always, if I have left something out, or you have something to add, use the comment section below, or e-mail me.

Sgt. Evert started his career in 1999 at Pelican Bay Super Max in Crescent City, Calif., then transferred in late 2000 to High Desert Calif. state prison where he worked until returning to Pelican Bay as a Sergeant in 2006, where he is currently. Sgt. Evert has 10 years experience in dealing with both street and prison gangs. His book, "Scars and Bars" is due out anytime, and is dedicated to helping new Officers efficiently survive their first two years on the job, both on the job and at home. To Sgt. Evert, correctional officer safety is paramount, and is the core of what he writes and teaches.