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

(Chapter 9)

Another place on the Compound that deserves a lot of credit for being so security minded, is the Prison Library.

Now, you would think that this would be a place that there would be no problems at all. This is a place where inmates go to catch up on the News events, check out books to read, at a later date when they are locked up in their cell, or work on their legal cases, with the prison library legal assistant, whom They call the Jail house Lawyer. No difficulties in this area, RIGHT! You are right, there isn't, EXCEPT, for those darn big hearted state females employees who think that these poor Inmates are solely unjustly accused, and sentenced of a crime, That they didn't do, according to the inmates.

To go along with the story about the doctor's secretary, there was a Librarian whom also enjoyed the help of inmates to clean and straighten up her work area. This Librarian was a little different than the rest. She didn't tie herself down to just one inmate. Everyday at count time just before the Noon meal, This Librarian would always call in an out count from the library, to the control room, of at least 2 inmates that would have to be there to help her. Even as suspicious as we are, we did not catch this employee in the act.

She eventually went to the Prison Inspector and told him that she had been molested by one of the inmates who work for her. Her story changed a couple of times from Molestation to Rape. During the course of this investigation, the prison investigator interviewed myself and several other officers to see if we had seen anything out of the ordinary at any particular time. The one thing that EVERY officer had told the Inspector was that every time the Noon count was announced, the librarian would always keep 2 or more inmates in the library with her, and we could always see at least one or more at the front window, but not the other inmate or the Librarian.

The inmates were interviewed and put on a Polygraph Machine, to see if the story of the Librarian was true or not.

In all, the investigation turned out that the Librarian had lied About being molested or raped. But in fact, that she loved to Have sex with different inmates, and in the meantime, she also Had become pregnant. The problem with her being pregnant Is, that her husband was Sterile, so she had to have an out, as How to explain how she had become pregnant, and save face With her husband, so she figured that she had no other choice But to Holler, RAPE!

If it sounds like that women are a problem in the Men's prison facility, I'll let you make that decision. There are a FEW Women that are good, Professional Correctional Officers. These women have a different outlook and perspective on life in the prison system, and adapt themselves accordingly. The Few good Female officers are there for a career in Corrections. They are there to support their families and provide Health care for their Children, and themselves. After all, the state does, like any Government agency, have good insurance, and the pay is well above any other job, in the area. The only one thing that the state does, that NO Correctional Officer agrees with, is that they do not pay all of the Correctional Officers the same.

For example, As a Sergeant, I got paid X amount of dollars Working in the South West Florida Region, and a Sergeant in the Northern part of the State would be getting paid much less, just because of the area. And a Sergeant in the Very Southern part of the State would be getting paid a Considerable amount more than me and the Sergeant in the northern part of the State, just because of the area that the prison was built in. Someone in the head office, in all of his or her wisdom, came to some conclusion that it costs more to live in let's say Miami, than in Ocala. But, the Inmates are still the same, no matter where you live, or what part of the state you live in. If the Prison is built in the middle of a swamp, miles away from Civilization, the Institution therefore must pay even MORE money, just so officers they will stay, But, the Inmates are still the same.

Then we get back to the institution that has no problem in staffing officers, not because of the location, but because the officers are treated with respect, and they are allowed to do their jobs without the interference from the Higher Ups, unlike Some places, where some supervisors sit behind the desk and Micro-manage the officers, so they are unable to do their job Effectively. These Institutions that show officers respect are Very hard to get into, or transfer to, because these officers do Not quit or get fired, they Retire. But it's not fair to them to Receive a lower wage for doing their job effectively, but it's Suppose to be fair for the officer who gets paid more, and takes so much more abuse and Crap from his Supervisors, and is so unhappy with his or her job, that he or she wants to put in 10 years of Service instead of 20 years. The Region Directors, and the Secretary of Corrections don't see this, and Basically, DON'T CARE!.

CONTACT MARK SHEPARD
markshepard2003@yahoo.com