Topic: Security Central / "Officer Complacency" securities weakest link.

Your’re correct about complacency. It’s altogether too easy to “forget where you work” when things follow the routine day in day out, at least on the surface. Given the rejects hired at my institution, it’s surprising things don’t happen like that described in the 1st post more often. I think the only qualifications are no record and a pulse.

Topic: The Club House / Do you belong to a Union?

Kentucky has been in need of an effective union to represent corrections for a long time. Officers are grossly underpaid (barely above poverty level) ,treated like menial wage slaves, very poorly trained, exposed to needlessly unsecure conditions. Seems like they’ll hire just about any two-legged hominid with a pulse in this state. Kentucky is somewhere around 47th lowest in pay for corrections officers in the country, I believe, much lower than neighboring states. AFSCME is trying to organize the Ky. state dept. of corrections. Remains to be seen what effect, if any, it will have, though there’s nothing to lose for trying, that’s for sure. CO’s here need representation in the face of a shabby legislature and DOC.

Topic: A Broader View / This month, Corrections.com focuses on architecture. What makes your facility's design unique? What historic prisons have you visited?

I work at Kentucky State Penitentiary, the “Castle on the Cumberland”. It was built in 1889, still in operation, now overlooks Lake Barkley. The institution does actually resemble a castle-type structure from the front. The original cell houses have been turned into admin offices, except for one.