Not much to report today. It was a pretty routine quiet night for me.
It appears we have lost another staff member. According to the rumor mill, he lost his temper with his girlfriend and grabbed her by the throat and threatned her. He was arrested, and will now lose his certification and will no longer be able to work for any sort of law enforcement in the state of Oregon. The guy had like 10 years in and pissed it away over what? a stupid argument with his girlfriend? What a waste, and he was a good officer. This is all of course just the talk, so it may not play out exactly as I have heard so far, but he is definately banned from entering the institution until further notice, so obviously something happened.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
February 21st
I guess I have slipped a bit and it has been a while since my last post.
There hasn't been a whole lot going on, at least for me, at work the last couple weeks. It has been pretty much the same old routine. It has been a little different in general population this last week though.
On Tuesday the 13th they had a fight in the dining room during the noon meal. This fight was between an African-American inmate and a Caucasian inmate. It appears that there was quite a bit of racial tension when this happened.
Then that evening there was a fight between 2 Hispanic inmates in D block. These inmates had just been recently released from IMU. They did not respond when staff arrived and ordered them to stop fighting. They did not respond and break apart even after OC spray was used, and staff had to intervene and physically pull them apart.
Because we have had an increasing number of incidents such as this, the administration slowed things down once again for several days. They limited the number of areas they allowed out to the yard at one time, and slowed the running of meals to limit the number of inmates out at one time. As of the time I am writing this, things should be back to normal schedule. I have been on my weekend for the last four days, so who knows what has happened while I was gone.
There hasn't been a whole lot going on, at least for me, at work the last couple weeks. It has been pretty much the same old routine. It has been a little different in general population this last week though.
On Tuesday the 13th they had a fight in the dining room during the noon meal. This fight was between an African-American inmate and a Caucasian inmate. It appears that there was quite a bit of racial tension when this happened.
Then that evening there was a fight between 2 Hispanic inmates in D block. These inmates had just been recently released from IMU. They did not respond when staff arrived and ordered them to stop fighting. They did not respond and break apart even after OC spray was used, and staff had to intervene and physically pull them apart.
Because we have had an increasing number of incidents such as this, the administration slowed things down once again for several days. They limited the number of areas they allowed out to the yard at one time, and slowed the running of meals to limit the number of inmates out at one time. As of the time I am writing this, things should be back to normal schedule. I have been on my weekend for the last four days, so who knows what has happened while I was gone.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
February 7th
Well, grab yerself a cup'o'joe and kick back. This is gonna be a long ass post.
For starters, I will explain what IMU (Intensive Management Unit) is, since that is my new post starting this week. IMU is a prison within the prison.
When Inmates break rules they get sanctioned time in our DSU (Disciplinary Segregation Unit). This is basically a jail within the prison. They are locked down for most of the day, but do get to walk on the tier 5 days a week, and go to a secure outside yard, weather permitting. They don't get these privileges if they are on LOP (Loss Of Privileges). So if they break a rule they go to DSU. If they continue breaking rules and keep getting sent to DSU, OR the rule they broke was severe enough, like an assault on another inmate or staff for example, they get sanctioned to up to 180 days in DSU. Then they get sent to IMU. DSU is a disciplinary process and they can only be kept there a maximum of 180 days. IMU is a program unit, and they can be kept there pretty much indefinitely until they decide to do the program assigned to them so they can get out and be placed back in GP (General Population).
So IMU is a maximum lock down unit. They are kept locked up except to go to an inside yard area 5 days a week for 30 minutes. Then they get a 15 minute shower and go back to their cell. The only other time they get out is if they have school or a program to go to, or a visit. The amount of visits they can receive is cut back as well. When they do come out of their cells, they are always handcuffed with a set of cuffs that have a tether attached, and there are always at least 2 staff with that inmate. It is a very controlled, secure area. IMU is made up of 4 pods, or units. The inmates are housed in a different unit depending on how well they are doing and the progress of their program. The exception is C unit, which is where death row inmates are housed. This is one of the more stressful areas to work, because we get the inmates that can't behave in GP and are often the most disruptive and violent. We are not allowed to work in this unit for more than 2 years at a time. After that we have to bid out of the unit for at least 1 bid (6 months) to get away from the high stress environment for a while. The same 2 year rule applies to DSU.
Now the other thing different about IMU is that we work 12 hour shifts there. It is the only part of the prison with this sort of shift. It is a 3 week cycle. For 2 weeks we work 3 days on and 4 days off, and the 3rd week we work 4 days on and 3 days off. If you do the math, that equals out to 120 hours in the 3 week cycle, the same as doing 8 hour shifts 5 days a week.
Our work weeks run from Sunday to Saturday. Because my old post I had Friday and Saturday's off, my weekend was at the end of the week. When I bid the new post in IMU I bid a post that I work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights (From 0600 pm to 0600 am). Then on my long week I go in a day early and work Tuesday night as well. So I have Saturday, Sunday, Monday and 2 of every 3 Tuesday's off. Putting this together, I was looking at having a nice 6 day weekend going into the new bid. You with me still? That would have been Thursday (I got off work Thursday morning at 0800 am on the old post) Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night, and I would then go in Wednesday night at 0600 pm.
So I was sitting at home last night, planning on enjoying my last night of freedom before having to go back in to work tonight. At about 0605 pm my cell phone rang. I answer it and it is the swingshift lieutenant in IMU. The conversation goes something like this.
"So, Gary, were you planning on coming to work tonight?"
"Um, no, wasn't planning on it."
"Well, you're on the boards for tonight."
"What?!? I don't come in until Wednesday night."
"Well, this is Wednesday nights board. It is Tuesday night, but it is considered 1st shift (graveyard) so you are on tonight."
"I know how the boards work, I have worked 1st shift for a long time. But my post is actually Thursday, Friday and Saturday, which is actually 0600 pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I only come in on Tuesday nights on my lo......
(Now at this point, with the Goddess as my witness, I SWEAR you could actually see a light bulb flicker to life above my head!)
....Aww SHIT lieutenant, what week are you guys on out there?"
(You see, the 3 week rotation doesn't re-set at the beginning of each bid. It just keeps cycling through.)
"Well, according to the board this is week 3."
"SON-OF-A-BITCH!! This IS my long week. I'll jump in the shower, get dressed and get there as soon as I can."
Ohhhh yeahhhhh, guess who was supposed to be at work by 0600 pm last night. So by the time I shower, get dressed and get to work it is 0730 pm. (I live about 45 miles from work, so it is almost an hour drive) Fortunately, the guy I was supposed to relieve at 0600 pm, decided that I could just pay him back the time instead of getting burned for being late. The lieutenant said that was ok with him, so now on my next long week, I gotta go in a couple hours early to pay him back for covering for me until I got in last night. What a great way to start the new bid.
Whew! WHAT?!? I warned you it was gonna be a long ass post.
Ok, one other thing to report. Apparently they had a pretty busy day on Monday, the 5th. They had 4 different fights during the day involving different groups of inmates. The first 2 happened within 11 minutes of each other in the dining room during lunch time. The first one involved 3 Hispanic inmates. The second one involved 6 African American inmates. The third one happened a couple hours later as the inmates were returning from the recreation yard back to the housing units. It involved an African American and a Caucasian inmate. The fourth was about 5 hours later in the evening and happened by the inmate's canteen exit door. At least three of the four fights are believed to be gang related, but they are all still under investigation.
Because of these fights, the line movements of inmates (including meals) was slowed down Tuesday to allow staff to better observe and control the inmates that were out at different times throughout the day. It sounds like everything went ok, but tensions will probably be running high, so it may be pretty volatile for a while.
OK, that is enough for now. I need sleep.
For starters, I will explain what IMU (Intensive Management Unit) is, since that is my new post starting this week. IMU is a prison within the prison.
When Inmates break rules they get sanctioned time in our DSU (Disciplinary Segregation Unit). This is basically a jail within the prison. They are locked down for most of the day, but do get to walk on the tier 5 days a week, and go to a secure outside yard, weather permitting. They don't get these privileges if they are on LOP (Loss Of Privileges). So if they break a rule they go to DSU. If they continue breaking rules and keep getting sent to DSU, OR the rule they broke was severe enough, like an assault on another inmate or staff for example, they get sanctioned to up to 180 days in DSU. Then they get sent to IMU. DSU is a disciplinary process and they can only be kept there a maximum of 180 days. IMU is a program unit, and they can be kept there pretty much indefinitely until they decide to do the program assigned to them so they can get out and be placed back in GP (General Population).
So IMU is a maximum lock down unit. They are kept locked up except to go to an inside yard area 5 days a week for 30 minutes. Then they get a 15 minute shower and go back to their cell. The only other time they get out is if they have school or a program to go to, or a visit. The amount of visits they can receive is cut back as well. When they do come out of their cells, they are always handcuffed with a set of cuffs that have a tether attached, and there are always at least 2 staff with that inmate. It is a very controlled, secure area. IMU is made up of 4 pods, or units. The inmates are housed in a different unit depending on how well they are doing and the progress of their program. The exception is C unit, which is where death row inmates are housed. This is one of the more stressful areas to work, because we get the inmates that can't behave in GP and are often the most disruptive and violent. We are not allowed to work in this unit for more than 2 years at a time. After that we have to bid out of the unit for at least 1 bid (6 months) to get away from the high stress environment for a while. The same 2 year rule applies to DSU.
Now the other thing different about IMU is that we work 12 hour shifts there. It is the only part of the prison with this sort of shift. It is a 3 week cycle. For 2 weeks we work 3 days on and 4 days off, and the 3rd week we work 4 days on and 3 days off. If you do the math, that equals out to 120 hours in the 3 week cycle, the same as doing 8 hour shifts 5 days a week.
Our work weeks run from Sunday to Saturday. Because my old post I had Friday and Saturday's off, my weekend was at the end of the week. When I bid the new post in IMU I bid a post that I work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights (From 0600 pm to 0600 am). Then on my long week I go in a day early and work Tuesday night as well. So I have Saturday, Sunday, Monday and 2 of every 3 Tuesday's off. Putting this together, I was looking at having a nice 6 day weekend going into the new bid. You with me still? That would have been Thursday (I got off work Thursday morning at 0800 am on the old post) Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night, and I would then go in Wednesday night at 0600 pm.
So I was sitting at home last night, planning on enjoying my last night of freedom before having to go back in to work tonight. At about 0605 pm my cell phone rang. I answer it and it is the swingshift lieutenant in IMU. The conversation goes something like this.
"So, Gary, were you planning on coming to work tonight?"
"Um, no, wasn't planning on it."
"Well, you're on the boards for tonight."
"What?!? I don't come in until Wednesday night."
"Well, this is Wednesday nights board. It is Tuesday night, but it is considered 1st shift (graveyard) so you are on tonight."
"I know how the boards work, I have worked 1st shift for a long time. But my post is actually Thursday, Friday and Saturday, which is actually 0600 pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I only come in on Tuesday nights on my lo......
(Now at this point, with the Goddess as my witness, I SWEAR you could actually see a light bulb flicker to life above my head!)
....Aww SHIT lieutenant, what week are you guys on out there?"
(You see, the 3 week rotation doesn't re-set at the beginning of each bid. It just keeps cycling through.)
"Well, according to the board this is week 3."
"SON-OF-A-BITCH!! This IS my long week. I'll jump in the shower, get dressed and get there as soon as I can."
Ohhhh yeahhhhh, guess who was supposed to be at work by 0600 pm last night. So by the time I shower, get dressed and get to work it is 0730 pm. (I live about 45 miles from work, so it is almost an hour drive) Fortunately, the guy I was supposed to relieve at 0600 pm, decided that I could just pay him back the time instead of getting burned for being late. The lieutenant said that was ok with him, so now on my next long week, I gotta go in a couple hours early to pay him back for covering for me until I got in last night. What a great way to start the new bid.
Whew! WHAT?!? I warned you it was gonna be a long ass post.
Ok, one other thing to report. Apparently they had a pretty busy day on Monday, the 5th. They had 4 different fights during the day involving different groups of inmates. The first 2 happened within 11 minutes of each other in the dining room during lunch time. The first one involved 3 Hispanic inmates. The second one involved 6 African American inmates. The third one happened a couple hours later as the inmates were returning from the recreation yard back to the housing units. It involved an African American and a Caucasian inmate. The fourth was about 5 hours later in the evening and happened by the inmate's canteen exit door. At least three of the four fights are believed to be gang related, but they are all still under investigation.
Because of these fights, the line movements of inmates (including meals) was slowed down Tuesday to allow staff to better observe and control the inmates that were out at different times throughout the day. It sounds like everything went ok, but tensions will probably be running high, so it may be pretty volatile for a while.
OK, that is enough for now. I need sleep.
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