- Correctons and Gangs - Prison Correctional Officers inside the walls

This page is dedicated to the men and women in the profession of corrections who put their life on the line day after day and to their fallen comrades who have made the ultimate sacrifice. On this page you will find articles relating to the corrections profession as well as information that hopefully will assist you in your daily duties on the job.

As someone who has spent 50 plus years in law enforcement, and someone who has worked, inside and outside of the prison walls, I can appreciate the job that is done by the the men and women in all levels of the corrections profession. I began my career inside the walls in 1956 with the State of Maryland Department of Corrections. The prison in which I worked was called Patuxent Institution and housed mostly dangerous inmates who met the criteria for a special law that could be compared to a "three strikes" law - The Defective Delinquent Statute.

At that time there was no training academy; not even a one hour orientation class. Training, such as it was, was usually "on the job training" with a senior officer for several days and then you were assigned to a post. During my tenure I was involved in hundreds of fights, was injured in a riot and served as a lieutenant for three years. After eight years, I left the department as a lieutenant and for the next twenty-two years worked as a Special Agent for three federal law enforcement agencies, retiring in 1986 as the Agent in Charge of an office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Several years after my retirement from DEA, I was asked to take a position with the South Carolina Department of Corrections where I developed and directed all aspects of the newly created Security Threat Group (STG) Unit. I held this position until 1998 when I again retired and began consulting in gang identification.

I offer this bit of background information because of the changes that I have seen in corrections over the past fifty years.

In those early years, officers had no means of protecting themselves. There was no mace or other personal chemical agents (tear gas was available for major disturbances or individual cells); no tasers; no beeper alarms, no stab proof vests and officers did not carry handcuffs or batons. If they got into trouble, they had to rely on their wits and ability to survive until help arrived.

It is amazing how so many officers in this profession are so willing to run towards trouble......not away from it. As mentioned above, in 1961, I and four fellow officers were in a riot involving 125 inmates in the recreation yard. We were all injured and we were all hospitalized - one officer was shanked (stabbed), one was hit in the head with a softball bat (he never fully recovered from the injury), and the rest of us were beaten, kicked, and stomped. It was a sight for sore eyes to realize that the cavalry had arrived and was taking control. How do you spell relief? H-E-L-P H-A-S A-R-R-I-V-E-D.

Inmate cell extractions were no piece of cake. There was no riot gear, no helmets, or no shields. We used improvised shields by using canvas pads which served as a mattress in seclusion. The take down was not exactly textbook as it is today. We formed behind the officer holding the mattress and rushed into the cell, shoving the inmate down and smothering him. As dangerous as the job was in those early years, most of the inmates had some degree of respect for the officers as well as many of the other inmates. I believe this respect was created by the older inmates, "the old cons," who kept the younger inmates in line for the most part. The older cons usually had a reputation of sorts and the younger inmates quickly learned to respect that. There were no gangs in the system at that time.

Through the years, the profession has been slow to gain the respect that it deserves from our law abiding society. Correctional officers, or detention officers have been called everything imaginable; frequently through ignorance but mostly through disrespect. CO's have been known as "hacks," "screws", "bulls." "yard dogs," "turnkeys," "guards," and many more names that can't be mentioned here. In today's world of prisons and jails and well as on the streets, there is no respect for authority. Inmates as well as street criminals have absolutely no regard for human life. Much of this has been brought about by the street and prison gangs, who, in their attempts to earn a reputation, will assault or kill for absolutely no reason.

As indicated above the Maryland Department of Corrections is a division of the SPSCS. Maryland, like all other U.S. penal systems, has prisons gangs and these prison gangs have strong ties to street gangs as well as outside non-gang members who are willing to assist inmates on the inside with their criminal behavior which includes extortion, contract assaults and murder, drugs, sex, and more.

For several years, extensive criminal investigations into the gangs and staff within the Maryland DOC have been conducted and numerous persons have been indicted and convicted. These indictments and convictions are centered around the prison gang known as the Black Guerrilla Family - BGF. The BGF formed in the California prison system about 1966 and is known as one of the five traditional prison gangs. It's founder, George Jackson, was a former member of the Black Panthers. The original stated goals were to eradicate racism, struggle to maintain dignity in prison, and overthrow the U.S. Government.

Unfortunately for the State of Maryland, it appears that the BGF has supporters who are willing to help at any cost. Some of this assistance may be through ignorance or naïveté, but It is still against the law to participate in a criminal enterprise.

Too many Maryland Correctional Officers have been investigated, indicted and convicted in the courts. The convictions include smuggling contraband into various corrections facilities for cash and other favors. The contraband has consisted mostly of drugs (heroin and marijuana) tobacco and cellular phones.

It appears that the problems with staff and others who insist on assisting the BGF is no small problem and investigations will continue.

To learn more about this problem and what is happening in Baltimore, and other parts of Maryland, read the many articles below written by Van Smith, an investigative reporter.

MORE MARYLAND CORRECTIONS NEWS TO FOLLOW

A new E-book is online and is must reading for Corrections

Scars and Bars

Click cover above to order

Barry Evert, an experienced Sergeant with the California Department of Corrections and a prolific author, has written an outstanding book for officers in the corrections profession. When I first read the book and was writing the foreword for the book, I commented to Barry that the book was a sure bet to become the “bible” for corrections officers.

Scars and Bars is a tool for the new correctional professional to use as a guide to his/her integration into prison. The book is meant as a guide only; a tool to learn from the mistakes of others. It is intended to help fill in the blanks and answer questions that the academy may not have addressed.

Scars and Bars at any price is worth every penny. It might be compared to an insurance policy that may save you or a co-worker from injury or even death.

Currently Scars and Bars is available as an E-book, in PDF format only. It can be saved to your PC or laptop and read at any time. Later, it will be published in a hard cover.

The E-book cost is $9.99 - Click the picture above to order

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Corrections Associations

Employment and Wages

Union News

Law Suits and Court Decisions

Federal Bureau of Prisons

Too much time in prison - An attempt to amend "good-time credit"
Obama signs law banning cell phones in federal prisons
Feds seek input on cell phone interdiction solutions
Stabbing reported at Ashland Federal Prison (FCI)
Union (AFGE) plans to air radio ad to bolster image of federal workers
Prison Dentist Sentenced for Sexual Contact with an Inmate
Warden of U.S. Prison charged in web postings

Desert Waters Correctional Outreach

A non-profit organization for the well-being of corrections staff and families

About Desert Waters Correctional Outreach

Listed below are links to dozens of DWCO articles concerning the job, marriage, hazards, teamwork and more. Each link is a long list of articles written by the person(s) indicated.

Training for correctional officers

Spanish For Corrections Note: I taught Border Patrol Spanish many years ago and I feel that this program would be beneficial. The program offered is not conversational Spanish but it appears to give you some very good basic phrases to assist you in communicating with Hispanics. I believe it is worth the small price; some of what you learn may save you or you or others from harm.
Speedy Spanish for Corrections Personnel A handy pocket guide tool that was written in an easy to read, easy to learn style. When time doe not permit in-depth study, this guide will provide the right reference.