Budget Cuts Threaten Prison Guard Safety

Think that is bad? Try the Lois M. Deberry Special Needs Facility where two man posts guarding the worst of the worst are often only manned by one. Units 7C AND 7F. These are the Hannibal Lectors and super crazies and they will pull one man off the post leaving only one to feed them from a simple pie flap. The State does not care and they have been told about all this hundreds of times and nothing changes. Someone is going to die and even the inmate's lives are at isk.

what happened to the other 100+ posts???????
scott

We have small talks in here about the TDOC. Then they stall untill somebody puts them back at the top of the list, again.

I found the following in another blog from when officer Church was injured and thought it should be reposted:

I have been in law enforcement for over 10 years. Officer Church is a fine officer. I have worked with him, and trust him with my life. Officer Church did the job that was asked of him that day. The post that he was working is a two person post. On paper that happends every day. In truth, the 2nd person is always tied up helping somewhere else on the compound. When the pay is substandard and you worry about the quality of offcer that is coming out of the correctional academy (the academy does what they can with what they get), you worry about some of the people that you work with. And there are always new faces because of the turn over rate. People leave because of stress (from inmates, and management), or to better paying departments. It is common to have half of shift working a double (16 hours). And now with the state hiring freeze things will continue to get worse. Internal affairs is even short, so it is harder to investigate the problems that they do have. On top of officer shortages, equipment is another issue. It is up to each warden of their facility as to what equipment is carried. At one facility every officer has freeze plus (pepper spray)on their belt, where Charles Bass Correctional Complex does not allow it. It is locked outside the compound in the armory, and good luck getting permission to get it brought inside. Which brings up another issue of wardens doing things as they please. TCA 39-17-1350 grants authority for all law enforcement officers to carry firearms at all times, to include vested correctional officers. This is state law, but TDOC policy grants each warden the ability to say that they cant lock their weapons up at their workplace, even though every facilty has an armory. So depending on your facility, you have uniformed law enforcement officers that travel to and from work unarmed (some 2 hours each way).Some gangs initiation is to bring in a bloody badge and it doesnt matter if it is a security guard, a corrctional officer, or a police officer. This just means our officers are put in a position where that cant protect themselves. Also TDOC vehicles that are used to chase ambulances to the hospital during emergencies (inmate on board, 10-33 traffic) are not allowed to have any other colors than clear/amber. Many of our vehicles have almost been involved in accidents because of this. And our Corretional Emergency Response Team CERT members are required to be at the facility within an hour of being alerted for an emergency (riot/escape/drill) but they are not allowed to use emergency lights on their personal vehicles and it it just good luck toyou getting there. Some facilities have unofficially told CERT members that they can install emergency lights on their personal vehicles, but wont admit to it, and wont back them if the officer is pulled over. And unless you are assigned to transportation every day, you are still using .38 revolvers, where full time transportation officers have Glock 22(.40 caliber semi automatics)Glock 23 for internal affairs. Full time transportation officers are assigned a set of body armor just for that person. Anybody else that has to go on a transportation run (happens all the time) they get a vest that is hanging up from a central location (control room/armory)that several other officers have worn since it was cleaned. The tragedy that happen to officer Church is just a small insight of what is wrong with the TDOC

Carl wrote:

I found the following in another blog from when officer Church was injured and thought it should be reposted:
I have been in law enforcement for over 10 years. Officer Church is a fine officer. I have worked with him, and trust him with my life. Officer Church did the job that was asked of him that day. The post that he was working is a two person post. On paper that happends every day. In truth, the 2nd person is always tied up helping somewhere else on the compound. When the pay is substandard and you worry about the quality of offcer that is coming out of the correctional academy (the academy does what they can with what they get), you worry about some of the people that you work with. And there are always new faces because of the turn over rate. People leave because of stress (from inmates, and management), or to better paying departments. It is common to have half of shift working a double (16 hours). And now with the state hiring freeze things will continue to get worse. Internal affairs is even short, so it is harder to investigate the problems that they do have. On top of officer shortages, equipment is another issue. It is up to each warden of their facility as to what equipment is carried. At one facility every officer has freeze plus (pepper spray)on their belt, where Charles Bass Correctional Complex does not allow it. It is locked outside the compound in the armory, and good luck getting permission to get it brought inside. Which brings up another issue of wardens doing things as they please. TCA 39-17-1350 grants authority for all law enforcement officers to carry firearms at all times, to include vested correctional officers. This is state law, but TDOC policy grants each warden the ability to say that they cant lock their weapons up at their workplace, even though every facilty has an armory. So depending on your facility, you have uniformed law enforcement officers that travel to and from work unarmed (some 2 hours each way).Some gangs initiation is to bring in a bloody badge and it doesnt matter if it is a security guard, a corrctional officer, or a police officer. This just means our officers are put in a position where that cant protect themselves. Also TDOC vehicles that are used to chase ambulances to the hospital during emergencies (inmate on board, 10-33 traffic) are not allowed to have any other colors than clear/amber. Many of our vehicles have almost been involved in accidents because of this. And our Corretional Emergency Response Team CERT members are required to be at the facility within an hour of being alerted for an emergency (riot/escape/drill) but they are not allowed to use emergency lights on their personal vehicles and it it just good luck toyou getting there. Some facilities have unofficially told CERT members that they can install emergency lights on their personal vehicles, but wont admit to it, and wont back them if the officer is pulled over. And unless you are assigned to transportation every day, you are still using .38 revolvers, where full time transportation officers have Glock 22(.40 caliber semi automatics)Glock 23 for internal affairs. Full time transportation officers are assigned a set of body armor just for that person. Anybody else that has to go on a transportation run (happens all the time) they get a vest that is hanging up from a central location (control room/armory)that several other officers have worn since it was cleaned. The tragedy that happen to officer Church is just a small insight of what is wrong with the TDOC

Thank you Carl, for keeping on top of this

I would like to hear more

yeah, but maybe in ONE POST & NOT SEVEN!!!!!!!

fed-up wrote:

yeah, but maybe in ONE POST & NOT SEVEN!!!!!!!

whatever it takes to get noticed. I hear down town main office is squirming because this hasnt gone away.

Carl wrote:

I found the following in another blog from when officer Church was injured and thought it should be reposted:
I have been in law enforcement for over 10 years. Officer Church is a fine officer. I have worked with him, and trust him with my life. Officer Church did the job that was asked of him that day. The post that he was working is a two person post. On paper that happends every day. In truth, the 2nd person is always tied up helping somewhere else on the compound. When the pay is substandard and you worry about the quality of offcer that is coming out of the correctional academy (the academy does what they can with what they get), you worry about some of the people that you work with. And there are always new faces because of the turn over rate. People leave because of stress (from inmates, and management), or to better paying departments. It is common to have half of shift working a double (16 hours). And now with the state hiring freeze things will continue to get worse. Internal affairs is even short, so it is harder to investigate the problems that they do have. On top of officer shortages, equipment is another issue. It is up to each warden of their facility as to what equipment is carried. At one facility every officer has freeze plus (pepper spray)on their belt, where Charles Bass Correctional Complex does not allow it. It is locked outside the compound in the armory, and good luck getting permission to get it brought inside. Which brings up another issue of wardens doing things as they please. TCA 39-17-1350 grants authority for all law enforcement officers to carry firearms at all times, to include vested correctional officers. This is state law, but TDOC policy grants each warden the ability to say that they cant lock their weapons up at their workplace, even though every facilty has an armory. So depending on your facility, you have uniformed law enforcement officers that travel to and from work unarmed (some 2 hours each way).Some gangs initiation is to bring in a bloody badge and it doesnt matter if it is a security guard, a corrctional officer, or a police officer. This just means our officers are put in a position where that cant protect themselves. Also TDOC vehicles that are used to chase ambulances to the hospital during emergencies (inmate on board, 10-33 traffic) are not allowed to have any other colors than clear/amber. Many of our vehicles have almost been involved in accidents because of this. And our Corretional Emergency Response Team CERT members are required to be at the facility within an hour of being alerted for an emergency (riot/escape/drill) but they are not allowed to use emergency lights on their personal vehicles and it it just good luck toyou getting there. Some facilities have unofficially told CERT members that they can install emergency lights on their personal vehicles, but wont admit to it, and wont back them if the officer is pulled over. And unless you are assigned to transportation every day, you are still using .38 revolvers, where full time transportation officers have Glock 22(.40 caliber semi automatics)Glock 23 for internal affairs. Full time transportation officers are assigned a set of body armor just for that person. Anybody else that has to go on a transportation run (happens all the time) they get a vest that is hanging up from a central location (control room/armory)that several other officers have worn since it was cleaned. The tragedy that happen to officer Church is just a small insight of what is wrong with the TDOC

This is just a small look into what is wrong with the TDOC. And I take my handgun to work. When they do searches since we cant lock them up... well I call in with something like car trouble, else they want a Dr note if you call in sick.

TDOC corruption wrote:

<quoted text> This is just a small look into what is wrong with the TDOC. And I take my handgun to work. When they do searches since we cant lock them up... well I call in with something like car trouble, else they want a Dr note if you call in sick.

I carried my weapon to and from work for years. I didnt come in several times when they were doing car searches. But I always got called to say, it would be a good day to stay home.

It may be possible that CCA may have something to do with this. They want to house all of the state's prisoners and maybe have a monopoly on the privatized prison market.

Carl wrote:

I found the following in another blog from when officer Church was injured and thought it should be reposted:
I have been in law enforcement for over 10 years. Officer Church is a fine officer. I have worked with him, and trust him with my life. Officer Church did the job that was asked of him that day. The post that he was working is a two person post. On paper that happends every day. In truth, the 2nd person is always tied up helping somewhere else on the compound. When the pay is substandard and you worry about the quality of offcer that is coming out of the correctional academy (the academy does what they can with what they get), you worry about some of the people that you work with. And there are always new faces because of the turn over rate. People leave because of stress (from inmates, and management), or to better paying departments. It is common to have half of shift working a double (16 hours). And now with the state hiring freeze things will continue to get worse. Internal affairs is even short, so it is harder to investigate the problems that they do have. On top of officer shortages, equipment is another issue. It is up to each warden of their facility as to what equipment is carried. At one facility every officer has freeze plus (pepper spray)on their belt, where Charles Bass Correctional Complex does not allow it. It is locked outside the compound in the armory, and good luck getting permission to get it brought inside. Which brings up another issue of wardens doing things as they please. TCA 39-17-1350 grants authority for all law enforcement officers to carry firearms at all times, to include vested correctional officers. This is state law, but TDOC policy grants each warden the ability to say that they cant lock their weapons up at their workplace, even though every facilty has an armory. So depending on your facility, you have uniformed law enforcement officers that travel to and from work unarmed (some 2 hours each way).Some gangs initiation is to bring in a bloody badge and it doesnt matter if it is a security guard, a corrctional officer, or a police officer. This just means our officers are put in a position where that cant protect themselves. Also TDOC vehicles that are used to chase ambulances to the hospital during emergencies (inmate on board, 10-33 traffic) are not allowed to have any other colors than clear/amber. Many of our vehicles have almost been involved in accidents because of this. And our Corretional Emergency Response Team CERT members are required to be at the facility within an hour of being alerted for an emergency (riot/escape/drill) but they are not allowed to use emergency lights on their personal vehicles and it it just good luck toyou getting there. Some facilities have unofficially told CERT members that they can install emergency lights on their personal vehicles, but wont admit to it, and wont back them if the officer is pulled over. And unless you are assigned to transportation every day, you are still using .38 revolvers, where full time transportation officers have Glock 22(.40 caliber semi automatics)Glock 23 for internal affairs. Full time transportation officers are assigned a set of body armor just for that person. Anybody else that has to go on a transportation run (happens all the time) they get a vest that is hanging up from a central location (control room/armory)that several other officers have worn since it was cleaned. The tragedy that happen to officer Church is just a small insight of what is wrong with the TDOC

I would like to hear more.

scott wrote:

what happened to the other 100+ posts???????
scott

some seem to have been deleted

fed-up wrote:

yeah, but maybe in ONE POST & NOT SEVEN!!!!!!!

I agree!

It hasn't been deleted, this is a new thread on the same subject...

rukiddingme wrote:

It hasn't been deleted, this is a new thread on the same subject...

There were more posts on one thread, but it has vanished. It wont even come up on a search any more. And the more people complain about there being several threads about the same subject, the more attention it draws, and the more you will see it happening.

There are 5 or 6 threads on this same topic that are active...Some have many posts some have a few...

(1)Budget Cuts Threaten Prison Guard Safety (Oct '08) 1 min rukiddingme 17
Pro gun bills, carry permits 20 min Libertarian ... 47
Meth Lab Explosion Injures Hickman Co. Man (May '08) 44 min Mark 93
(2)Budget Cuts Threaten Prison Guard Safety (Oct '08) 45 min Mack 84
Three Women In Court In Prison Smuggling Case 54 min Mark 12
(3)Major Cuts Expected For Tenn. Prison System (Dec '08) 1 hr jlt67 49
Mother blames police for murder-suicide 2 hr rukiddingme 11
Senate To Hear Tenn. Abortion Amendment 3 hr rukiddingme 30
Tennessee Saggy Pants Proposal Likely Dead 3 hr Mark 22
(4)Budget Cuts Threatens Prison Guard Safety (Sep '08) 4 hr Mark 17
(5)Budget Cuts Threaten Prison Guard Safety 4 hr Mark 54
Early Morning Apartment Fire in McMinnville 5 hr Mark 23
(6)Attack On Guard Raises Questions About Prison S...(May '08) 12 hr Ned 57
(7) Attack On Guard Raises Questions About Prison S... 12 hr John 11

Here are 7, and they are just the ones I see at the top of the page...

More info can take place on just one single thread with all posters than with 7-8 . Most people will leave rather than jump back and forth trying to get them all.