In Jail
I took a tour or the L.A. Men's Central Jail today. What a depressing, soul-sucking place! I think I could do most of the cop jobs but not this one. But the thing is, this is the first place you are required to work after graduation from the academy. They tell you that you have to work a least one year in custody (jail) and one year of patrol before you are able to move to any of the other specialty jobs. Sometimes, however, you get stuck working in custody well past one year. With the slow down of hiring, due to the recession, word on the street is that most new deputies will be working custody for 3-4 years!
I think working in this environment would change me in ways that I would not be happy with - at really deep, core levels. I'm a pretty light-hearted person. Sure I have my down days like everyone, but I'm mostly a kind, easy-to-get-along-with type. I'm fairly satisfied with my temperament. I kind of like myself just the way I am and I feel it would be close to impossible to keep this work from affecting me. So unless something happens to change my mind by tomorrow, I'll be ditching this possible career path.
I'll give you more of the details of what it was like "in the big house" soon. On a purely sociological level it was pretty damn interesting to see how that society works, survives and develops it's own hierarchy.
So the question is: Now what am I going to do?
posted by anabel @ 8:23 PM
3 Comments:
Better to have found out the emotional toll before taking on a new career, I say you dodged a bullet there!
I have no idea what I should do with myself either.
Aw, what a disappointment. I agree, it's better that you found out now.
On the positive side, now you know you're good enough to pass the cop tests and background check. Awesome. That means you can also pass the tests and background check of the job that's really meant for you when you find it. All my favorite past jobs, I accidentally found while looking for something else. :)
There are security jobs, there are many types of guard jobs, which are not public jail related. First off though the L.A. Men's Central Jail is cited in Amnesty and has had complaints brought before the UN - this is NOT an example of what a jail is. I am just saying, that working in a different jail with a different philosophy might be different. I think doing anything related to L.A. Men's central Jail would be soul sucking.
There is smaller towns, there is transporting, there is the sherrifs, become a sherrif and do witness protection relocation, or national data collection, trend collection or again, court security. In my town, we have the court house and we have 4 different police, the holding cells in the court house have thier own guards; is this a possibility; people going to a from trial is a different feeling. Transport of same. There is usually hospital security (not directly related to jails, though there is prisoner guarding but hospitals have a lot of the same requirements, assessment of possible danger, guarding of dangerous substances and the doctors and nurses from patients who are ill - is that something that appeals - using your skills to allow people to get better by helping them be contained occassionally while they are too ill to help themselves? I am just picking out some examples.
I don't know what you want to do but I know you have a useful skill set and a lot of times people who need protection need a easy-to-get-along with skill set - for example, where I am you could be PAID to train for a course which is six to eight weeks and to have someone like you on a ward with people who have dementia and keep trying to find their room (12 times a day) would be great - because your temperment would help, you would realize they are sick and not get angry, not take it out on them just go, "here you go Mr. B or Ms. E - I think your room is right here, are those your favorite slippers there?" - and they would ask you if you have someone over in 'nam and you would know to be calm, be easy to get along, keep them calm.
I don't know, I have an odd vantage point. I am glad however you have seen the prison and know what you don't want, that is important, drawing that line inside the self.
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