Thursday, October 13, 2011

Professionalism...

The Screw sits in the block office, looking slightly frazzled.  "I shouldn't say this in front of you but there are times when I want to bash their brains out!", indicating the corridor of cells.

It had been a busy, fractious day with the occupants of the Block giving the staff a bit of a run-around.

A few minutes later I saw that same screw at a cell door, seemingly perfectly calm as he was faced with an irate, aggressive con.

Is this the definition of professionalism for prison staff?

6 comments:

  1. It's a pretty common feeling for anyone who's employed to deal with people for a living. I know I get it.

    Not showing, or acting on it, is where the professionalism comes in.

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  2. Good point there Ben. Who'd be a screw?

    I once stayed with a woman prison officer whilst attending a conference in London. She was very nice and showed us ( me and a friend who was also staying with her) the lovely cakes she had made; we duly admired them. Then we went to along to the conference (which was gripping) and soon forgot all about the cakes. When we got back to hers, she accused us of stealing her cakes! Neither of us had touched them, and from what we could tell, none of it missing even, and, other people had been around to hers while we were attended the conference ...

    That incident so stuck in my mind as I wondered if this is what prison officers could be like since I generally don't meet them (and I would like it to stay that way too!).

    The only ones I know of right now are ones who go regularly to a local jujitsu class along with members of the probation service and the police force, they dominate the classes even though classes are advertised to everyone in the community.

    All of this certainly makes me think; and feel quite sorry for prisoners.

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  3. the above is disgusting they should not tell you stuff or treatyou differently as itcould put you at risk from others prisioners.

    From the above comment why do the job if you are that parinoid. jujitsu is self defende surely this must be taught on the job. Some people who do martial arts can be aggresiveand have to prove themselves bullyboys. I met a copper one who was showing off how his collegues had stolen stuff on a night out at a night club.
    Iwould be scared if one of my relatives or me where a prisioner

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  4. You should here what defense lawyers say about their clients in the Robing room. Or for that matter, what prosecutors say about the victims.

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  5. 'You should here what defense lawyers say about their clients in the Robing room'

    I guess that also applies the other way around.

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  6. re anonymous Oct 13 above -
    hello??!! How deluded you are! The reality of life in prison is that its a community & whilst there are some lines that have to be maintained, everyone notices what's going on with others by their body language at least! The screw is just demonstrating how human he is - he was having a bad day but handled it well. Nothing worse than bottling up frustration. Ben is a big boy now too in prison terms - don't imagine he is some vulnerable person - he knows how to play the system.
    Cari

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