Posted by Officer Friendly on Thursday, October 13, 2011,
Maybe the corner has been turned -- somewhat. Compared to a couple/few weeks ago, I can see SOME improvement in SOME areas... not enough to have me doing cartwheels, but enough to cautiously hope that Admin realizes all is not well on campus and that changes are yet needed. The jury is still out; let's hope within a few weeks I can report a favorable verdict.
The question now is "What part can and should I play in helping get things back on track?" The Powers That Be obviously want to squa... Continue reading ...
Posted by Officer Friendly on Monday, October 10, 2011,
In :
RANTS
If a picture is worth a thousand words, it's time the people on The Hill and in Austin take a close look. Y'all are shooting yourselves in the damn foot by not giving a rat's ass about what staff have been saying... what I'VE been and YOU'VE been saying on this site -- and when the time comes to pay for thier inattention I'll have no sympathy for what they've brought upon themselves.
What we all know, already, is that the necessary changes are going to be painful... but more painful than what...
Continue reading ...
Posted by OFFICER FRIENDLY on Tuesday, October 4, 2011,
In :
Legal Issues
Tell the kids: "Here are some areas we're going to start working with you over the next few weeks or until you've learned more pro-social and positive habits. If you refuse to comply and work on your thinking and behavior, we will put zero's on your Conextions paperwork. This may delay getting higher stages, chances are you may increase your stay, you'll have NO priviliges, and when sent to Security you'll be gone from the dorm for a matter of days, not hours. If you still continue to refus... Continue reading ...
Posted by Officer Friendly on Monday, October 3, 2011,
Probably BEST that the question I posted on YAHOO! to be potentially asked of President Obama remains annonymous HERE, anyway, for the time being. But I did have some questions... and he's going to maybe be asked them on a live YAHOO/TV question-and-answer program to air today.
Not to be toooo coy about things, but I DID mention a few recurring themes here... some sense of the seriousness and urgency, I hope... my faith that he would have the courage to open the Can Of Worms TYC is/has become...
Continue reading ...
Posted by OFFICER FRIENDLY on Friday, September 30, 2011,
It's hard to have hope of anything getting better on campus when they hold a meeting and don't address the CURRENT PROBLEMS we have... and pass out funky little questionnaires with confusing questions instead of ASKING FOR FEEDBACK. Sigh.
I guess Admin and Those Above JUST DON'T GET IT, and it may be time to speak out louder to be heard? Please read over the latest postings on the GUESTBOOK (link is on homepage) and offer any input you may have -- there's some good stuff being written there ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Officar Friendly on Monday, September 26, 2011,
CLICK THIS LINK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp-XqMybw6Q for a quick video that really drives home the "We don't need no education" mentality of kids (and I mean really LITTLE kids!) nowdays. Kinda makes you want to laugh AND cry while your stomach is twisting up in knots. A must see!! Teachers -- take notes!!
ANYHOW...
What we're dealing with is a campus that is struggling to actually get by or at least appear to be doing so. Shift by shift, day by day. EVERY shift, EVERY day. How long... Continue reading ...
Posted by OFFICER FRIENDLY on Monday, September 26, 2011,
In :
Videos
CLICK THIS LINK http://www.archive.org/details/RiotInJuvinilePrison-Trailer for a B&W video trailer clip of the classic movie... and be thankful we don't have to put up with kids like THESE!!
 Continue reading ...
Posted by Officer Friendly on Sunday, September 25, 2011,
In :
After Hours
OK, y'all, we need another JCO 5 on campus due to a recent resignation. Some of you may see it as your Big Chance To Move Up in the agency, or a means of increasing your income. Others may look forward to increased responsibilities, prestige, authority, etc. Who knows? All I know is that I DON'T want the job, thank you!
The Ideal Candidate (IMHO) would be someone with at least 5 years experience as a lower level JCO... with some college... a parent who's raised teenagers (so you're goin... Continue reading ...
Posted by OFFICER FRIENDLY on Friday, September 23, 2011,
In :
RANTS
I'm ALL FOR everyone being unique... or belonging to a certain group that shares common interests, or of social/political cultures etc other than my own. I was taught that people have more in common than there are differences, and to respect individuals for who they are -- not for the color of their skin, religion, age, sex, etc etc etc.
So for me, dealing with overt -and- covert racism/bigotry is a difficult thing. I don't respect racists and bigots, who most often are small-minded peopl...
Continue reading ...
Posted by Officer Friendly on Wednesday, September 21, 2011,
In :
After Hours
THAT'S what I want... as defined: Restore (someone and/or a State Agency) to health or normal life by training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction, or illness. OK, now that we've defined the term, I want TYC GIDDINGS' overall culture, policies, and procedures REHABILITATED since all are sick, sick, sick. All I really want is to be proud to work for an HONEST and REALITY-FOCUSED State Agency where I'm valued and validated... where there's opportunities to utilize my skills and abilities... Continue reading ...
Posted by Officer Friendly on Tuesday, September 20, 2011,
In :
RANTS
Last shift was only remarkable in that the same crap went on:
- JCO 5 left me on the dorm by myself, before relief staff coverage was certain, with 17 kids. Nothing new there.
- Fellow JCO was left with holding the other side of the dorm with way over quota of kids.
- It was a 12 hour shift; another one tomorrow. I'm burning out to a frazzle this week.
- Got drafted to work on another dorm for a while, where one kid went apeshit and destroyed the vacuum cleaner, poured bottles of chemicals/cl...
Continue reading ...
Posted by Officer Friendly on Friday, September 16, 2011,
In :
RANTS
It can't be easy.
Imagine you're 19 years old, and have spent a few years locked up in TYC. Say you CAN go back to the family home you came from, if you came from one... everything you owned back in the crib has probably been stolen, pawned, or broken by now. The adults have gotten on with their lives... other family members may have moved in or out of the house. You're an interloper or a stranger, at best. You've changed. You're a "grown man" now.
Uh-huh. We've all heard THAT line.
What d...
Continue reading ...
Posted by Officer Friendly on Friday, September 16, 2011,
In :
After Hours
So what's new?
Kids are regularly getting up on top of the buildings again -- nothing new there. STILL no one has had the will to put enough barb wire up around these places to keep the kids off; don't wanna hurt 'em, right? But just wait till one falls off!! Oh, the lawsuits that'll follow.
I hear a long-standing reading teacher at the school just up and resigned... said she wasn't willing to work in such a dangerous (and presumably deranged) environment. What does the Admin think about th... Continue reading ...
Posted by Officer Friendly on Wednesday, September 14, 2011,
In :
RANTS
How obvious should it be that leaving a single staff -- male OR female -- to hold a dorm for ?? hours -- no matter which shift -- is a BAD IDEA? Gosh. It was obvious to ME on my last shift that when I'm working with a 18:1 ratio, well shucks... durn near ANYTHING can happen. Guess it's STILL OK for a single female to hold the dorm with over 12 kids, 'cause that was the situation. Guess we just lucked out, huh? No blood on the floor is always an indication of a good shift around here nowd... Continue reading ...
Posted by Officer Friendly on Tuesday, September 13, 2011,
In :
Old Timers
Guess it depends on a lot of factors, if one is to be part of the "in" group here on campus (or not) . What are these factors? Hell, I sure don't know, but I DO have some general ideas. I also know I'm not part of this group, never will be and wouldn't want to be... as odd as that may seem.
I think it helps to have been here many many years, like double digits numbers of years. It probably helps if you're a JCO 5 or 6. Might be real handy to have relatives/kin that work here, too, and to ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Officer Friendly on Saturday, September 10, 2011,
In :
Old Timers
Y'all know about the boring Bulletin Board on the main Gateway page, where you can ask questions of head TYC folk? Well... here's my experience with it.
Last question I left was "It's been 4 months since you updated any answers to questions asked. Why don't you provide more timely feedback or just get rid of it?" Not an unfair question, eh? I've asked a number of other topical questions there and somehow no one has ever addressed any of them. Hmmm. Gotta wonder why.
Never mind. The que... Continue reading ...
Posted by Officer Friendly on Thursday, September 8, 2011,
In :
After Hours
Posted by JCOfficer on Monday, September 5, 2011,
In :
RANTS
We have to understand one thing -- this is a serious place we work.
Or it's not.
But I am.
THE WAY things are going, all I can do is wish the best for everyone connected with the "recent event" on campus. I know you know what I'm refering to, without even having to say more than that. IF you're not a 1-4 JCO and spend your R-Daze with your head in the sand, you may not know what/who I'm referring to. Allow me to offer help myself and other fellow co-workers find some closure? Thanks.
You ha...
Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Friday, September 2, 2011,
In :
Old Timers
Happy TJJD Day!
Let's all make a special effort to work with those who set policy and those who follow it here at TYC Giddings... and by that I mean we need to make the best of a bad situation.
Those who make policy, say, regarding CoNextions -- THEY don't have to fill out the paperwork. THEY don't have to deal with the kids who don't give a rip if they get 1's OR 5's, and can't be consequenced enough, on a daily basis, to make them modify their behavior. If they want to call the current sys...
Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Friday, September 2, 2011,
In :
Old Timers
Happy TJJD Day! Let's all make a special effort to work with those who set policy and those who follow it here at TYC Giddings... and by that I mean we need to make the best of a bad situation. Those who make policy, say, regarding CoNextions -- THEY don't have to fill out the paperwork. THEY don't have to deal with the kids who don't give a rip if they get 1's OR 5's, and can't be consequenced enough, on a daily basis, to make them modify their behavior. If they want to call the current sys... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Monday, August 29, 2011,
In :
RANTS
Go figure. On July 5, 2011 I get a no-explanation summons to go to The Hill. OK. Get there, and a couple JCO 6's greet me and say it's time to receive my LIVE (oh?) Yearly Evaluation. Hmmmm. As usual, ALL ratings are just "meets expectations" --- same as every time, over 6 years now. OK, fine. So far.
Then the kicker. I get read a letter that I think was done TOTALLY off the books. And that was carried out in a TOTALLY unethical and most likely illegal manner. And yes, I did sign it... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Sunday, August 28, 2011,
In :
After Hours
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-juvenile-20110706,0,3151563.story ~~ This is a recent L.A. Times Editorial -- and a QUICK MUST READ! I'm tellin' y'all ~~ check out this link NOW and come back to this blog post when you're done. Don't worry... I'll wait. It's kinda like waiting to get relieved at work. Smile. Now... do you think I might be (over or under) qualified? Obama would LOVE ME, I know. And I'd be ready to give him a big warm Man Hug, too, because I WANT TO H... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Friday, August 26, 2011,
In :
Old Timers
September First looms... out with the old, and in with the new?? Who can say...
No one has really made it clear to ME what to expect when we go from TYC to TJJD -- can anyone help me out? It would seem there might be some changes ahead, but WHAT?
Are we ready for it... are the kids... we can only hope. When/if the word goes out to JCO's like us that groups are being formed to cuss and discuss new developments and ideas -- I'm rarin' to go for it! From what little I understand, the changes... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Thursday, August 25, 2011,
In :
After Hours
It might help clarify issues facing us all if a POLL was conducted. I think if honest questions were asked and honest answers provided it would be possible to focus on problems and solutions, instead of just having folks whine and deny. So here's some questions you can consider... 1 is lowest/least/no and 5 is highest/most/yes. You can respond using the SHOUT BOX on the THINKING REPORTS page and indicating by entering question number and your answer.
1. Do you think the Admin/Supervisors b... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Wednesday, August 24, 2011,
In :
After Hours
The thinking report is what we're given as a "tool" to help the kids ... ahh... THINK, I guess. I'm not really sure. If done with sincerity and some degree of penitence, if necessary, a thinking report MAY well help bring someone to a clearer appreciation of their actions/feelings and how they may negatively affect both themselves and the community. While the questions themselves are honest enough, we RARELY get anything more than whiney, mewing, little screechy cries for more this, more t... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Tuesday, August 23, 2011,
OK -- check this out. Wasn't told I was expected to pull a 12 a few days ago by any supervisor, nor did my schedule reflect it. Came to work the usual time, and was informed I should have been there 4 hours earlier. Ahhh. Communication breakdowns are common on this dorm. Then, was told I had to stay for 4 hours PAST my otherwise 8 hour scheduled shift. ??! Best not to try to argue/make sense/explain/negotiate with someone who's -- HELLO!!? -- not listening. Well, OK. Screw me, AGAIN. I... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Tuesday, August 23, 2011,
In :
After Hours
Ever hear the old Dylan song where he sings "you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows" -- ? How about the 60's Army saying "we had to destroy the villiage in order to save it" -- ?
We all know winds of change are beginning to blow on campus, and for good reason. People are speaking out, other people are coming and ready to ask questions, and I'm just waiting to see where the cards fall after the dust settles. I'm hoping for the best... am willing to be part of the chan... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Monday, August 22, 2011,
Oh, don't we love it!? In lieu of timely and real information, we get rumors. Instead of working on honest interpersonal interactions, we get gossip. It's time for a change.
It's the FACTS we want, really... but we're either too lazy, too burned out, too afraid, or too non-caring to find out what's going on around here. And we don't deserve any better unless we speak up to people who can bring about the changes we want, who can help make this a better/safer/more meaningful place to work.
I'... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Friday, August 19, 2011,
In :
Legal Issues
Another missed opportunity to do the right thing...
NEW DIRECTIVE: The kids are to sleep under their sheets. OK... we tell them this, a number of times. They KNOW the expectation. BUT... there's problems.
Do the 2-10 JCO staff monitor this when they can watch them all go to bed at 9:00? I'D say yes, it's their responsibility. So, by 10:00 the kids who have chosen not to sleep between the sheets can be appropriately consequenced (at the on duty JCO staff/s discretion) for their behavior...... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Tuesday, August 16, 2011,
In :
Old Timers
KID : "I need a new toothbrush."
ME: "I'll go see if we got any."
(No toothbrushes available; no surprise)
ME: "Sorry, we don't have any."
KID: "Call the "A" side and get me one."
(I call; "A" side has none -- again, no surprise)
ME: "They don't have any either, sorry."
KID: "Call the dorm-next-to-us and see if they got some."
ME: "No, I'm not going to do that right now. We'll see you get you one when the next (expected any minute, late) staff shows up."
KID: "@%&*#! etc etc etc."
I explain why... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Tuesday, August 16, 2011,
In :
Real Kudos
LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE TAO OF TYC!!
If you need to ask what TAO is, you don't need to know, and I can't tell you. It's just the way it works.
But everyone intuitively grasps, I feel, the SPIRIT of the Tao... whether they act upon it or not. And the Tao of TYC is the way we do business -- for better or worse. We either Do, or Not Do. That is the Way. There is no other way.
TYC Giddings has lost its Tao. We're given a course and told to set sail on a rudderless ship... so finding our destinat... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficers on Monday, August 15, 2011,
In :
Newbies
Had a new staff of a few months quit yesterday in the middle of their shift... what does that tell you? It tells ME --
- They were not given proper support from Admin/their supervisors to handle the stress.
- The dichotomy between what they learned at Corsicana and the reality on the floor was too wide to bridge.
- The dorm was seen as a dangerous place and not worth the pay, given the potential for injury.
- There was nowhere to go and no one for them to turn to to get the encouragement and h...
Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Sunday, August 14, 2011,
In :
Legal Issues
The upside of the situation is if I just absolutely can't stand working at TYC, I can quit. This would keep me from getting unemployment... but that's allright. I might have to go lean for a while, sure, but my mental health, marriage, physical health, safety etc are pretty important to me, at least! So I'll do what I gotta do to keep my job while I'm still employed and when the time is right, move on to others things with an amicable parting of ways.
The downside of working for TYC is they... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Tuesday, August 9, 2011,
In :
After Hours
We've all heard a kid say "I go home regardless" -- and know that sometimes "regardless" is regardless of finishing out one's sentence in TDCJ, right? But -I- get to go home ANY TIME I WANT and never have to step foot in a dorm again. That's kind of a nice feeling, knowing there's an escape hatch should I need it.
And the nice things about home? Ohhh, I've been blessed because of what I've earned at TYC. Things like:
- Double-ply toilet tissue.
- More video games, movies, high speed inte...
Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Monday, August 8, 2011,
In :
RAVES
Good to see the State provides the kids with sun block if they go outside more than 30 minutes or so. Wouldn't want them to get all burnt up in this hot weather we're having lately. And all that Gatorade helps, too. How nice. Bet their mouths are already watering for those snow cones coming up, eh? One can only imagine the cons in TDCJ would like some snow cones, too... but not probably gonna happen. If nothing else, the snow cones for the kids can be an incentive for them to not to get ... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Monday, August 8, 2011,
In :
Real Kudos
It's not the BEST institutional food I've ever had, but I'd say the food served at the school, overall, is pretty OK. It's not a lot of food, but enough, for sure. Not much seasoning as typical in institutions, but prepared well and nutritious., Variety is not that emphasized, but it beats "food loaf" at TDCJ, I'm sure. And, it's generally served hot and fresh. I've sampled all three meals and don't see how the kids can legitimatly complain about what they're being fed. The servers, both ... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Friday, August 5, 2011,
In :
RANTS
Yes, it's another shift of slogging through the motions of meaningless paperwork, confrontments, firm/fair/consistant personal behavior, day by day. Who cares, who knows, who bothers? Well -- a lot of things bother me on the job. But here's the catch -- the worse it gets around here, the more people we have going out on stress leave. That REALLY bothers ME, since I don't go that route. We're ALL stressed, kids and JCO's and everyone else... right? But when things get un-manageable, like t... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Wednesday, August 3, 2011,
In :
RANTS
I've got a bit of a problem with this program:
* Pool tournements??! Just what the little hustlers need. See y'all at Bernie's in a few years, SUCKERS!! Geeeze.
* What does a place that offers slip-n-slides, cookouts, movies, snow cones, video games and karaoke contests sound like to YOU? A cruise? Boy Scout camp? A damn RESORT??! Or a maximum security prison for juvenile felons? YOU TELL ME!
* Excuse me, but even though Michael Jackson could dance like nobody else and had some catchy... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Monday, August 1, 2011,
In :
After Hours
A Quote From The Book "1984" By GEORGE ORWELL: "Statistics were just as much a fantasy in their original version as in their rectified version. A great deal of the time you were expected to make them up out of your head. For example, the Ministry of Plenty's forecast had estimated the output of boots for the quarter at one-hundred-and-forty-five million pairs. The actual output was given as sixty-two millions. Winston, however, in rewriting the forecast, marked the figure down to fifty-seven m... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Thursday, July 28, 2011,
In :
RANTS
But what if the kids DON'T comply? What then, especially if it's a group non-compliance? By the book, it'd be the check in/thinking report/time out/LOP routine for individuals who simply were defiant and refused all checks. If those interventions don't work, we can (I guess) start referring them. But say a kid just is cursing, or out of dress code somehow, or is a little touchy-feely with a peer, or isn't into group movement. He's bust being contrary... having a bad day and is in a non-carin... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCofficer on Tuesday, July 26, 2011,
In :
After Hours
If someone is ALWAYS LATE coming in to work then eventually they're really not late, you follow?
FOR YEARS a co-worker came in late, every shift, 10-15 minutes or more after the hour. We complained and complained about it, and were told time and time again by the JCO 6 that at least this person eventually DID come in consistantly, and what would we rather do -- work another 15 minutes or another 4 hours? Ok, I get the drift... but... sorry...
That's the WRONG ANSWER.
Or how about this -- you'r... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Sunday, July 24, 2011,
In :
RANTS
From the excellent http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/ website, July, 2011, regarding the influx of new kids at Giddings -- "If youth are simply moved to remaining facilities, the agency, Legislature and public should expect conditions inside facilities to worsen. Youth lock-ups that house more youth are more likely to have staff-on-youth, youth-on-youth and youth-on-staff violence, like what the state saw prior to the TYC reforms initiated in 2007. Returning to those conditions would undo ... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Saturday, July 23, 2011,
In :
Legal Issues
http://blog.chron.com/texaspolitics/2007/03/tyc-another-missed-opportunity/
Click on the link above then post a SHOUT, please. We're either pissing in the wind or not, and I'm not sure who's really interested in the future of the youth of Texas -- but I know I'M serious and that yes, I DO care enough about our kids AND my co-workers to just call a spade a spade and let the cards fall where they will. But who to deal with??
The above link is yet ANOTHER missed opportunity, indeed. Can we aff... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Friday, July 22, 2011,
In :
After Hours
Sometimes I just can't wait to get on the other side of the fence, you know? Especially after a 12 hour shift. Even more especially since it's due to a co-worker who I've NEVER seen come to work except past the hour they should have BEEN on the dorm... WHEN they actually come in at all. For some people, it seems a "dog ate my homework" type of excuse is no problem for them, but I don't think I could pull that off, myself.
And you know what just torques me?? The CASE WORKER comes on the dor... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Wednesday, July 20, 2011,
Here's the Official Line, taken from the Official TYC public website:
AGENCY PHILOSOPHY
Texas Youth Commission staff adhere to these principles:
-
TYC will create an organization of which all Texans can be proud.
-
TYC will value its employees as the agency’s greatest asset.
-
TYC will create an organization where teamwork and collaboration is paramount.
-
TYC will create an organization that will care about the youth in its care and will strive to make a positive impact on their... Continue reading ...
Posted by Curtis Moss on Monday, July 18, 2011,
In :
RANTS
Here's some excerpts of what I've been hearing and reading lately... thanks y'all for the input!
"Please advise on who is going to be responsible if one of the students get hurt. The dorm is out of control and it doesn't help go to check or confront students anymore because they just tell you to go f*** yourself."
"The students who are trying to sleep can't, and are starting to get upset with the others and and I'm afraid they may get into a fight with the non-compliant students."
"... after th... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Monday, July 18, 2011,
In :
RANTS
Sorry that the best The Hill can come up with to JCO questions at a recent campus wide meeting are various shades of the "I don't know", "It's hard to say", etc variety... what DO they know? Obviously, no plans... and clueless as to the real nature of what's been going on at the dorms. It's out of our control to promote postive change?
I DON'T THINK SO.
DO they have any short or long range plans/ideas/goals?? ANY??? Must be nice to get scheduled time off, but what do -I- know about THAT? ... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Friday, July 15, 2011,
In :
Old Timers
Here's a letter from Officer JCOC3P0:
"Just would like to know if anyone has noticed a change in attitude around campus? Students going around with their T-shirts out, or pants way down low. How about the tight cuffs; does this bother anyone other than myself? What happened to no talking in line movement?
Does it piss you off at the med window when students sit down and you can't refer them. Funny how staff still yell at students to tuck thier shirts in or uncuff their pants and the student... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Tuesday, July 12, 2011,
In :
Real Kudos
Gotta love that Callahan character -- sometimes it's hard not to just say what you really think to the young people of today, and offer some advice and wisdom, as well. When Dirty Harry speaks, like to the punk in the video clip (link below)-- he caught the guy's undivided attention right away, had a few wods for him, and was given kudos by a co-worker. How cool is THAT??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=UznxI3Z4NU8 Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Tuesday, July 12, 2011,
In :
Videos
When Clint Eastwood says ~ http://youtu.be/mevxenJ6Mtc ~ he's pointing a .44 Mag 'tween a punk's eyeballs and letting him bet on if he'd just fired FIVE SHOTS... or SIX. Go ahead... make my day. Yeah, right. Dare ya.
Let's get it out in the open, and not mince words: CoNexTions sucks. The kids know it. We all know it. NO ONE I KNOW HAS EVER HAD ANYTHING POSITIVE TO SAY ABOUT IT. Is that right, or not? You know it's true.
OK, I'm not an Expert, but I KNOW when a kid deserves a 0, he sh... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Monday, July 11, 2011,
In :
RANTS
"The alarming rise in juvenile crime continued. In Texas, from 1990 to 1998, the juvenile proportion of total arrests increased from 23% to 35%. Juvenile violent crime arrests also increased. The 74th Texas Legislature passed the most expansive juvenile reform legislation since 1973. This legislation that took effect in January 1996 has been described as a "get tough, balanced approach" that reflected the public attitude that we want to punish youth in some meaningful way, and yet not abandon... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Monday, July 11, 2011,
In :
Legal Issues
No, there's nothing much positive to say today. It's probably a GOOD THING that a blog post I'd just been writing on got poofed out into the ether after I got a little trigger-happy on the mouse and blitzed it off to never-never land. I was getting just a WEE BIT testy there towards the en d... and while I can never hit all those exact same keys in the exact same order, below is the gist of what I had written. Enjoy, and keep posted. Sure there will be more fairly soon. GRRR. Topics include... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Saturday, July 9, 2011,
In :
Newbies
The kids wore orange clothes. They marched, and called cadence. They all did "parade rest" etc etc. They could lose their stage if they exhibited poor behavior. High state youth acted as mentors. Zero tolerance meant zero tolerance and everyone knew what that meant. There's soooo much history a Newbie here will never know unless told about. Anyone who worked here prior to the 2007 sex scandal revelations really knows what the "old days" were like... ASK THEM if they don't tell you about how situat... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Friday, July 8, 2011,
In :
Videos
BE ADVISED ~ This video is a bit disturbling. Click on link: http://youtu.be/FT1w2hJ34Ug Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Friday, July 8, 2011,
In :
Real Kudos
Getting better at this; click on the link below for a pretty exciting YouTube video. I'm still wanting to work it out so the video shows are in a regular window here on the blog, but for now I'm happy to have got this working as well as it does. Smile. I'm NOT suggesting we do anything like this at TYC Giddings, necessarily, but I can see it WORKS. When these guards say ZERO TOLERANCE, they MEAN it.
PRISON SHAKEDOWN Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Friday, July 8, 2011,
In :
Old Timers
Word I hear is that 3 (new?) JCO staff all quit on one day on one of the dorms... 2 to 10 folks, as I hear. Not good. Why would people FLOCK out like that? My assumption is that they found that The Floor wasn't ANYTHING like what was painted in Corsicana. The reality of the situation lately -- that is to say, the kids totally in control -- probably wasn't something brought up in their two week training course. How to handle these situations? Disipline would help. Chairs would maybe work. ... Continue reading ...
Posted by OfficerFriendly on Thursday, July 7, 2011,
In :
Videos
OK!! So far, so good. Made some changes to the first two pages, and will work on the Shout Box on the Thinking Reports page next. Will be putting on -- or figuring out how, hopefully -- some videos here soon... so keep a look out. Wondering why there was extra SECURITY STAFF on a dorm to make the ratio legal yesterday? Never seen that happen before. I know we're short handed, but this is nuts! What if I have to work SECURITY next??! NO WAY. Kids were better than usual... think they got the... Continue reading ...
Posted by JCOfficer on Wednesday, July 6, 2011,
In :
RANTS
I am new to blogging, but I've used computers since '81... so this will take a little while to figure out and get in the groove. Looks like it works, though, so HERE WE GO! Your comments and opinions will be appreciated; otherwise I'll just rant on. Give me a little time. I need some sleep right now. Continue reading ...
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