LIFE AND TIMES OF A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER
By R. Mark Shepard

(Chapter 11)

The inmates would also pick up and drop off their laundry on the way to eat because the laundry was located right next to the chow hall. One day while feeding the entire prison compound the noon meal, an Hispanic inmate ran past the chow hall, to the laundry line, and began cutting and stabbing another inmate as fast and as furious as he could, trying to kill him. This inmate had 2 homemade knifes taped to his hands and wrists. It took myself and 4 other officers to stop this incident, and about 7 more officers, or more to handle the other 50 or 60 plus inmates, so the situation would not get out of control, anymore than it already was.

What happened was, that the inmate who got cut and stabbed had slapped and disrespected the other inmate about 2 weeks prior. It took 2 weeks for this inmate to sit and stew about what happened to him, all the time getting madder and madder. This just one incident where something happened that neither the Officers nor anyone else could predict or do, until it had happened.

The Struggle for Survival between the strong and the weak is much more enduring, because the struggle to keep your life intact in the prison system is a 24 hour a day job. If you are an inmate who is a little weaker than the rest, and you do not have any friends, homeboys, or brothers in the system, you are definitely on your own.

Case in point: An inmate who did not want to be bothered by anyone, and was not the strongest person mentally or physically, always made a routine day on the compound. Other inmates who watched and observed him were sure to take advantage of his actions and traits, and were sooner or later sure to beat him and rob him of his material items. And that day came.

After buying some goods from the canteen, 3 inmates approached this inmate and told him that he owed them some money, or some of his canteen goods, if he wanted to stay alive or not be beaten on a daily basis.

As I said, this inmate was a total loner and wanted nothing to do or say with anyone else. The loner inmate ran to the housing unit, trying to get the housing sergeant to let him in. At that particular time of day, the housing units were locked, and the only inmates allowed in the Unit were those who were cleaning. If you did not have a pass or a particular job to go to in the housing unit, you would have to stay out on the yard along with everyone else.

The inmate was trying to tell the sergeant about his problem, but the sergeant kept telling the inmate to "go away". This went on for a short period of time, and the sergeant finally gave the inmate a direct order to leave from in front of the Unit. The inmate complied with the sergeant's order and returned to the yard.

Later, while I was on the other end of the compound escorting inmates from a lock down unit to and from the doctor’s office and the dental office, I heard a call come over the radio that there was an inmate down in front of the canteen. After I had finished my escort duties, I went to the compound emergency room and saw an inmate laying on a stretcher with all of the medical staff and different officers assisting in giving this inmate CPR. After a short period of time, the doctor had pronounced him dead.

Of course this was the same inmate that tried to get into the housing unit and could not. He had returned to the canteen, and refused again to give up his canteen items to the 3 inmates. He could have just given up his goods, but he wasn't about to be bullied, so he told the 3 inmates to go "F___ off!"

One of the 3 held the Inmate while another kicked him and hit him in the throat and neck area, and the third inmate robbed him of his goods. This inmate Died for approximately 4 to 5 dollars worth of canteen goods.

The difference of survival maybe should not be associated with one being strong or weak, but maybe with just being stubborn or Stupid.

Strong does not mean that you are muscle bound or that you can lift 300 pounds with ease, because most of the inmates are only strong when they are with their friends. I think the saying is, "strength is in numbers", but it sounds like gangs to me.

When you put anyone of these strong inmates in a room by himself, on a one to one confrontation with any one officer, the inmate will usually end up saying, "it won't happen again sir", or "I'm sorry sir", and he will 'Yes' and 'No sir' you to death.

Usually a Correctional Officer will not counsel an inmate in a room alone, unless he is either huge in stature and muscle bound, or just plain Stupid. He will do it with 1 or more officers in attendance.

Sounds like Strength in numbers, or another gang to me.

(Chapter 12)