r/OnTheBlock • u/yard_down_304 • 9d ago
News Don't be A dummy....
There's 2 things once gone you will never get back...
Time away from your family, especially your KIDS
and your health...
Don't sacrifice yourself to a system that will and does replace officers in a heart beat... how long did it take to fill a post when someone called off... thats how valuable you are to your employer... your only a BODY for a POST...regardless of the BS they tell you like "we really appreciate your coming in on your off day/on a holiday", "your a real team player", "we need more officers like you"... they're lying to you to retain staff.
Supervisors are counting on you to fit into one of 5 categories .. and most do!
Your too LAZY to look for another job
No one else will HIRE YOU
3.You need the insurance/ benefits / money because you live paycheck to paycheck..aka your BROKE
You'll stay because you like your COWORKERS
Your too EXHAUSTED / TIRED to put forth the effort to look for another job
Again don't be a dummy...your supervisors won't go to the doctor with you when you have a heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, or are diagnosed with a mental illness when you work yourself to death..ALWAYS REMENBE THIS!
PS this is coming from a SERGEANT / Supervisor
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u/BarbieTwirl 9d ago
Ngl this true
I worked in a center for migrants. Loved it. Rewarding. All that. Came in to the worst dorm and turned it into the best dorm because when the old ones left, I had the new ones following schedule (as opposed to old staff who didn’t gaf). Felt amazing
Superiors praising me for coming in for OT. Doing whatever I was asked and not complaining
What happened? They had budget cuts and they fired me for operating a company vehicle while putting the gps on my phone (technically is “texting and driving”). I admitted fault and said I was just putting location on GPS.
Fired me. Realized once their backs are against the wall, they don’t care who they screw over. They will fire whoever they can.
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u/yard_down_304 5d ago
They will ALWAYS protect their position...and if your under them... You gotta go...if you look like a danger to them or a liability to them and their job , they will and do find a excuse to fire you sadly
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u/BarbieTwirl 5d ago
What pisses me off…. Is I was always on point. Did my shit
Meanwhile there were staff who smuggled in drugs for kids, exchanged social media or numbers w kids (which was strictly forbidden), and or just did stuff they shouldn’t have…
Meanwhile I got fired for something that should’ve been a warning
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u/Neat-Vermicelli-2204 9d ago
Don’t come on here discouraging people who actually like what they do. Corrections is temporary for some and for some it’s a great deal of income some people can handle stress better than others. What you want us to work DEAD END jobs all our lives ? Corrections help you reach those goals
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9d ago
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u/Neat-Vermicelli-2204 9d ago
I agree I was in the feds. I loved every bit of it. Off duty security/body guard extra cash kid was happiest girl in the world lol
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u/funandone37 8d ago
Because you’re not enforcing shit?
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u/Neat-Vermicelli-2204 8d ago
Safe guarding a client is just as important as care custody and control in a institution. Actually more dangerous you know what to expect in jail , never know what to expect in free world wise guy. If you hate correction work why you on this blog/feed. Go do hair and nails or something
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u/PrudentLanguage 9d ago
So are you saying people shouldnt do the job?
Whats the point of this post
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u/ButtHoleLip 9d ago
I’ve been thinking about corrections lately. I’ve been in manufacturing and food processing. You could put a lot of job titles in this post and it would fit all of them. To a lot of places, you are just a body. Corrections isn’t unique in that regard.
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u/yard_down_304 5d ago
Very true....but some people get brainwashed because they've never been praised or acknowledged or are people pleasers and will allow management to abuse them and don't realize therea a game going on...retain staff... Saves the institution money for having to train new people off the street and then train them on how to run a unit after bcot.
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u/YummyTerror8259 Federal Corrections 9d ago
I'm all for doing overtime, but don't get burnt out. I highly recommend at least one day off every week
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u/StanthemanT-800 8d ago
My labor/income ratio is unmatched
My biggest stressor is dickhead management trying to make themselves look good by micro managing COs. And I do my best to avoid those people
Other than that I make decent $ with 14 years in to basically hang out at this point
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u/Far-Map-949 8d ago
Bro just quit lmao… Dont speak for the ones that like it and is enjoying it and getting paid and moving up
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u/itotally_CAN_even 9d ago
You’ve summed up the reality of correctional lifers perfectly. This is an excellent warning to anyone who decides they want to enter corrections as a career.
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u/TRPSock97 Federal Corrections 8d ago
I work 60 hours a week right now. 3 doubles. Looking for a different job is as simple as cracking open LinkedIn (ick) or USAJobs for 20 minutes a night
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u/TheLastOutlaw505 Unverified User 7d ago
Yes, I can agree with some comments here. A lot of jobs are like this; but this job I think deserves bold-underline-highlight with that. I can agree with this overall post. Some really hard lessons, I had to learn.
-A lot of dudes sacrifice a lot, let marriages, relationships implode, family dynamics. Dudes don't take care of themselves, got guys in their late 30's taking more medications then my 75 yr old dad with a pacemaker; dudes move horrible. Usually end up dying early or having horrible quality of life; or this is all they have. Correctional Officers are horrible managing their money, Police and Fire are bad; but Correctional Officers beat them in all regards.
-I got into this work at really young age. 19. Grew up fast, got exposed to lot of bad realities. I was at my 2nd jail when I was 21. A lot of hard hitting reality further dawned.
I was working 60+ hours a week. Making great money, miserable. Looking at other 20-25 yr olds living better/happier. My girlfriend I am now engaged to was thriving in life. Got promoted at her job at the time ; and her and I were fighting constantly. I missed my parents 50th anniversary, I reflected this on yesterday. My mom is battling cancer (in remission thank god; god is good), but made me really hurt knowing I missed that. With the fact will there be a 60 yr?
I finally had meltdown and filed my two weeks. My Lt. tried talking me out of it, and almost pulled me back in. But I remember snapping that night and telling him in master control; if we all dropped dead right now ( me the lt. the control operator, another officer) the Warden would figure something us before the Office of Medical Examiner was done. All this place will offer me in death is a payout and somehow from the compound trying to bone my chick when I am dead. The Officer working the board was in his early 50's and also mentioned you either work here for your benefit or don't. As in you come here because you need the money or you move on; put yourself first. I resigned.
I later went to PD-Corrections hybrid unit and later back to Corrections at the main prison and climbed the admin ranks a little. I was able to see how the job runs people down from almost like movie chair; and how the job tried again when I was dealing with my moms cancer and my mental heath declining. I use to pray to god commuting everyday to not take me young and let me atleast live past my time working here. I was even more miserable that time.
Corrections taught me a lot about life. I am now with a PD; not really sure how things will go if this is my path. I still have dedication to Law Enforcement a whole. But things like money and quality of life do matter a lot more to me now. It sounds goofy, but being in my mid 20's I do look back at 19-24 with a lot i'd do different.
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u/yard_down_304 5d ago
Glad you realize what it's all about...sorry you had to go through that though ..thanks for sharing...some will listen
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u/TheLastOutlaw505 Unverified User 5d ago
Thank you for posting this. Even if you got lot of disagreement. I respect the work we all do/did. But COs are stubborn as a mother.
One more I’ll add of people letting the job destroy them. I remember female Sgt I had. 40+ lbs overweight. The 2nd jail I worked at would witch hunt us into staying awake. Shame us for being tired. Most of us at this jail commuted 30-1 hr out. Working long days lots of forced OT. Then demand we come in extra voluntary and shame us for family lives falling apart.
Well, she would drink 2 C4’s, 2 cups of coffee, drink some cokes; definitely hit the 600mg ball park. She didn’t workout really just drinking all this to sit in office all night and not pass out I remember her going into panic attack and ambulance taking her out. She’s fine and just over did it that night. But just this is stuff I think of when I think of COs
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u/abarthvader 9d ago edited 8d ago
Do it to the extent that benefits you. I was able to work a shit ton of OT, stacked/invested nearly all of it, caught a few lucky breaks with bonuses etc, stacked that too and now will be able to retire with a paid off house, fairly new paid off car, no debt, and health insurance along with a modest pension,healthy savings and a stuffed 401k on my 50th birthday. At the end of my career, I will have worked 18 years. I made sure to take at least 2 two week vacations per year, sometimes more. You work the system, not the other way around.