I think this is the best advice. I used to work in psych hospitals for years & while not as violent or dangerous as a pod of inmates, it had it's similarities. You had to be quick on your feet with your words/thoughts/actions. What TJ describes is indescribably valuable. Also realize, that in a jail setting, you've got a lot of other jailers. They should have your back. Learn to be fair & firm as described, the inmates will be good with & to you. Keep your nose clean & don't put yourself in a position of lose/lose or isolated, you should be fine.texanjoker wrote:Don't worry about the jail. IMO ALL, I repeat ALL leos' should start in a booking jail. In a busy area you deal with more drunks, wackos, ect in one shift then small town cops (and big town) see in many years if not a career... example in san diego we had 60 plus DUI's come in on a weekend night... If you worked that tank that is a LOT of exposure to the various demeanor they exhibit. Then add the drunks in public (PI here), under the influence of drugs, felons, mentals, ect you were exposed to a lot quick. You learn how to talk your way out of stuff vs. just going to guns and you get more hands on experience then city cops by far and learn how to take care of yourself. As far as pod size, 50 + lol think 150 plus in a big dept if not more depending on their size. Also I am 5-9 and I survived 6 years inside the system before being released. IN fact if you treat them right aka firm but fare, I have had inmates help me in need...many are just normal dudes that made a mistake. You learn the cons, the games, see them lie day in and day out, learn the tat's, see the gangs, and see how it is. It was a very valuable experience that trained me well.
Anything worth doing, is worth doing right.