CA's prison guard union just got a little richer thanks to Jerry Brown. (Trinidad: mortgage, standard of living)

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by steelstress

Interesting little detail: Upon retirement when they cash out all that saved vacation time, it'll be paid at their current rate of pay... not the rate at the time it was earned.

***** Moonbeam

I wonder how the average life expectancy of Corrections Officers compares to other professions?
I worked in a maximum security institution in Nebraska for ten years. Over the years I talked to C.O.s from many states and working conditions in our states (Nebraska) institutions were paradise compared to other states. I was in my early forties when I started working in corrections. There is no way in hell I would recommend a career in corrections to a young person just getting out of college or high school. However one or two years working in a corrections environment can be a very valuable learning experience. If I would have worked in an institution in California, Illinois, Florida, Louisiana etc. I am sure my experiences would have been vastly different.

Gl2

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

I am more sympathetic of teachers and police officers.

As far as prisoners are concerned, we should herd inmates like livestock. Work them to the bone like slaves. If life hasnt taught them good sense, then prison should be the place where it finally becomes crystal clear to them what it means to earn your keep and survive by the sweat of your brow-no questions asked.

They should be maintaining our highways, picking our produce and doing all the grunt work for any and every project funded by the people of the State of California. All to pay their debt to society.

************************************************** *********
Run that idea by the A.C.L.U and see how many lawsuits they file. But I do agree with your idea.
GL2

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Gunluvver2

I wonder how the average life expectancy of Corrections Officers compares to other professions?
I worked in a maximum security institution in Nebraska for ten years. Over the years I talked to C.O.s from many states and working conditions in our states (Nebraska) institutions were paradise compared to other states. I was in my early forties when I started working in corrections. There is no way in hell I would recommend a career in corrections to a young person just getting out of college or high school. However one or two years working in a corrections environment can be a very valuable learning experience. If I would have worked in an institution in California, Illinois, Florida, Louisiana etc. I am sure my experiences would have been vastly different.

Gl2

Suffice it to say, in Califrornia it's nasty. I worked a maximum facility and Security Housing Unit/Deep Segregation where we housed the cadre of all the major prison gangs. I also worked standard housing units, control and was a watch sergeant. CA's prisons are horribly overcrowded with 30-40 inmates in a dayroom and perhaps three hundred, triple-tiered in a gym. It's really ugly with tons of mandatory and volunteer overtime - often I worked three doubles a week for the OT - noisy, smelly and dangerous. On one day I ended up the sole officer inside a culinary when a riot erupted because I was furthest from a door and couldn't get out before it was locked-down to contain the riot.

Like you, I wouldn't recommend it but it certainly is an experience!

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

. . . - often I worked three doubles a week for the OT - noisy, smelly and dangerous. . . .

************************************************** *****
I did a lot of doubles also. I remember one week when we had a blizzard and I did doubles with an eight hour break in between the doubles over a four day period. Since we had a couple vacancies on our Death Row at that time I slept in an empty cell there on two of the nights and showered in the D.R. shower during lockdown. Spooky feeling. On one of the other nights I had to sleep in a counselors office at the adjustment center ( AKA the hole). Talk about noise LOL. Mandatory overtime was necessary because of staff shortages so when I retired I had maxed out my vacation and sick days plus a lot of comp time.

I always thought that the C.Y.A. attitude of administration caused a lot of unnecessary expense but when you have the courts and outfits like the A.C.L.U on your back you cannot always do what makes sense. Ironically the prison reform movement has created some of the biggest problems in corrections (even for inmates) IMHO. Outsiders do not understand this comment but most who have worked in the system will.

GL2

[mistermoose]

Unions have ruined California! The unions are the Democrats puppetmaster. Whatever the unions wants, the union gets!

[Bulldogdad]

I guess we all know who the real union prostitue is now don't we. I wonder if he likes to run train or one on one.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by bulldogdad

I guess we all know who the real union prostitue is now don't we. I wonder if he likes to run train or one on one.

Assuming you mean "prostitute," could you be a bit more specific? Exactly who are you referring to?

[BeauCharles]

Yet another demonize the unions thread by the bitter, envious and ignorant. And no, I'm not in a union. I'll unfortunately never have the pension my dad did from the Operating Engineers, but at least I have a 40 hr work week and some generally accepted workplace rights the unions helped establish as a standard long ago. Considering they're an ever-shrinking pool of the workforce and have long been in the Republican Party's crosshairs we'll see how well those standards fair when there's no organized worker's clout to keep them in place. The slow degradation of the middle class standard of living and lopsided wealth redistribution that started three decades ago is not on organized labor. Neither is our current national economic mess. Try to tell that to the Fox News sycophants though.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by BeauCharles

Yet another demonize the unions thread by the bitter, envious and ignorant. And no, I'm not in a union. I'll unfortunately never have the pension my dad did from the Operating Engineers, but at least I have a 40 hr work week and some generally accepted workplace rights the unions helped establish as a standard long ago. Considering they're an ever-shrinking pool of the workforce and have long been in the Republican Party's crosshairs we'll see how well those standards fair when there's no organized worker's clout to keep them in place. The slow degradation of the middle class standard of living and lopsided wealth redistribution that started three decades ago is not on organized labor. Neither is our current national economic mess. Try to tell that to the Fox News sycophants though.

::::sigh:::: Another union kool-aid slurper.

[.highnlite]

Funny thing, Unions gave America the standard of living it enjoys, the standard of living that gives even those who bad mouth Unions a quality life.

And Curmudgeon, you got a little Alzheimer's going on? You sound a bit demented. First I was Clarks and now I am Fauntleroy?

Do I get to choose my next incarnation, or must we wait in suspense for you to come up with something.

Ha the Ozarks,

Who Are the Hungry in the Ozarks?
The answer may surprise you.
For more than 150,000 people living in poverty in the Ozarks, empty cupboards are a harsh reality. Of the 150,000 hungry people, 50,000 are children who go to bed hungry! Thousands more have disabilities or low-paying jobs, and a number are seniors who must choose between buying food and paying for medications. These Ozarks residents are often forced to rely on emergency food assistance from food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters to survive.

Unlike he and his wife, both of whom obviously planned badly, we retired on more than adequate pensions and benefits to sustain us, even had we remained in California.

Dear Curmie, have you forgotten that my wife and I spent a month on vacation from our retirement home in France last October? Remember, I showed you pictures, Now, I know France ain't the Ozarks, but it was ok.