The attitude of prison guards towards the public

Colash · 06-06-2013 3:48pm #1

Ok I might get completely banned for writing this . But I have to put it up to see has anyone else had the same experiences ,. Prison guards !!!! Jesus some of them can be so ignorant . Now I'm not tarring every prison guard with the same brush as some of them are genuinely sound . But some have just a chip on their shoulder . I know they have a hard job and all that but I've met a few that would almost shock u with their ignorance and attitude towards the public , and by the public I mean outside visitors to a prison . Has anyone else had this experience ? Or is it just me who's trying my best to be polite to people who have no concept of it??

Reindeer · 06-06-2013 3:51pm

You couldn't pay me enough to be a prison guard.

Valetta · 06-06-2013 3:51pm

A little more detail wouldn't go astray.

humanji · 06-06-2013 3:52pm

If you stopped trashing your cell, you probably won't have a problem with them.

jimgoose · 06-06-2013 3:54pm

Fackin' screws. Ah fink the best fing a'do is feed 'em ta pigs. Go through bone laahk buttah. :cool:

DipStick McSwindler · 06-06-2013 3:54pm

This post has been deleted.

Omackeral · 06-06-2013 3:55pm

I myself am a prison guard (in a Dublin Prison) and I have to sympathize with you on this. I've seen it a lot myself from 'senior' staff especially.

My opinion is that visitors have it tough enough as it is, visiting their loved ones in jail, without having to deal with abrupt or rude staff. It's not their fault that the person is locked up, yet some officers make judgements anyway. Shame on them.

For what it's worth, we are instructed by management to be cordial and professional to all visitors to our jail and I can honestly tell you that I always am. But yes, there is a rotten attitude among some of the old timers and I'm sorry you had to deal with that. Hope it improves for you.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 06-06-2013 3:55pm

Colash wrote: »

Ok I might get completely banned for writing this . But I have to put it up to see has anyone else had the same experiences ,. Prison guards !!!! Jesus some of them can be so ignorant . Now I'm not tarring every prison guard with the same brush as some of them are genuinely sound . But some have just a chip on their shoulder . I know they have a hard job and all that but I've met a few that would almost shock u with their ignorance and attitude towards the public , and by the public I mean outside visitors to a prison . Has anyone else had this experience ? Or is it just me who's trying my best to be polite to people who have no concept of it??

What did you do that landed you in prison?

Colash · 06-06-2013 3:55pm

Valetta wrote: »

A little more detail wouldn't go astray.

Ok . U say hello to a prison guard ! They look the other way ..., u ask a prison guard if the visiting times are from a certain time to a certain time , they say "do u not know by now " .. U walk to an exit gate to be let out after a visit and a prison guard huffs at the top of their voice and says " Jesus not another one" .. U arrive at a prison after booking a visit and no evidence of the per booked visit in found , after u travelling 2 hours and your told " come back tomorrow " next please .. Are they trained to be so blunt and ignorant ?

Colash · 06-06-2013 3:56pm

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

What did you do that landed you in prison?

U obviously didn't read the thread . I visited a prison . I'm not a prisoner

Seachmall · 06-06-2013 3:57pm

A Prison Guard is one of those public-facing jobs where I can excuse a bit of rudeness or ignorance.

The only experience I have with prison guards was on a TY school tour to Mountjoy where, when we were walking in the gate, one of the prison guards pointed at the shy kid in our class and said "Ooohhh, they'll keep him!".

He shat his way through the entire tour.

Colash · 06-06-2013 3:57pm

Omackeral wrote: »

I myself am a prison guard (in a Dublin Prison) and I have to sympathize with you on this. I've seen it a lot myself from 'senior' staff especially.

My opinion is that visitors have it tough enough as it is, visiting their loved ones in jail, without having to deal with abrupt or rude staff. It's not their fault that the person is locked up, yet some officers make judgements anyway. Shame on them.

For what it's worth, we are instructed by management to be cordial and professional to all visitors to our jail and I can honestly tell you that I always am. But yes, there is a rotten attitude among some of the old timers and I'm sorry you had to deal with that. Hope it improves for you.

Thank u very much for this reply . And I'd shake your hand if I met u as u seem like one of the decent few I was referring to

Colash · 06-06-2013 3:59pm

humanji wrote: »

If you stopped trashing your cell, you probably won't have a problem with them.

As a moderator I would have expected u to read my original post !! But then again it's the after hours section .. I'm not in prison ,,.

gobnaitolunacy · 06-06-2013 4:00pm

Colash wrote: »

Ok . U say hello to a prison guard ! They look the other way ..., u ask a prison guard if the visiting times are from a certain time to a certain time , they say "do u not know by now " .. U walk to an exit gate to be let out after a visit and a prison guard huffs at the top of their voice and says " Jesus not another one" .. U arrive at a prison after booking a visit and no evidence of the per booked visit in found , after u travelling 2 hours and your told " come back tomorrow " next please .. Are they trained to be so blunt and ignorant ?

It's a prison, not a bloody 5 star hotel. What do you expect?

Seachmall · 06-06-2013 4:00pm

Colash wrote: »

As a moderator I would have expected u to read my original post !! But then again it's the after hours section .. I'm not in prison ,,.

Not yet, but you keep harassing mods like that and see what happens!

Colash · 06-06-2013 4:01pm

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

It's a prison, not a bloody 5 star hotel. What do you expect?

So saying hello and asking a question to a public servant is seen as excessive ???! Jesus Mary and Joseph has the county really come to this ?

humbert · 06-06-2013 4:01pm

You'll be off to prison here too if you don't start using the full keyboard and the guards there are real bastards.

mattjack · 06-06-2013 4:02pm

Seachmall wrote: »

A Prison Guard is one of those public-facing jobs where I can excuse a bit of rudeness or ignorance.

The only experience I have with prison guards was on a TY school tour to Mountjoy where, when we were walking in the gate, one of the prison guards pointed at the shy kid in our class and said "Ooohhh, they'll keep him!".

He shat his way through the entire tour.

The shy kid .... it was you , wasn't it ?

Colash · 06-06-2013 4:02pm

Seachmall wrote: »

Not yet, but you keep harassing mods like that and see what happens!

Harassing mods ? Ah lads c'mon .

Seachmall · 06-06-2013 4:03pm

mattjack wrote: »

The shy kid .... it was you , wasn't it ?

I'm not shy, I'm a lone wolf!

Colash wrote: »

Harassing mods ? Ah lads c'mon .

Hey now, no need to start on me. I'm just giving some friendly advice!

Roughian...

Micky Dolenz · 06-06-2013 4:03pm

I've done some volunteering work in prisons and found the staff to be mostly ok. Think after a while it erodes the soul. Would not do it for love nor money.

mattjack · 06-06-2013 4:06pm

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

I've done some volunteering work in prisons and found the staff to be mostly ok. Think after a while it erodes the soul. Would not do it for love nor money.

Very difficult to volunteer in prisons , the agency I work with only lets full time employees into prisons.
Pretty impressive to get in .

jimgoose · 06-06-2013 4:07pm

mattjack wrote: »

Very difficult to volunteer in prisons , the agency I work with only lets full time employees into prisons.
Pretty impressive to get in .

Yeah. I've worked in a couple of places like that...

OhHiMark · 06-06-2013 4:08pm

Colash wrote: »

Thank u very much for this reply . And I'd shake your hand if I met u as u seem like one of the decent few I was referring to

I don't understand. Your entire post reads grand, except you can't be bothered to type 'you'.

humanji · 06-06-2013 4:08pm

Colash wrote: »

As a moderator I would have expected u to read my original post !! But then again it's the after hours section .. I'm not in prison ,,.

I did read you rant and felt a quick quip was all it deserved. There's arseholes in every job that deals with the public. It's nothing new. Expecting everyone to treat everyone else with respect is asking a bit much from humanity.

Viper_JB · 06-06-2013 4:08pm

Yer, I can kinda understand, dealing with hardened criminals all day would probably erode your ability to put on a pleasant face for the public and on top of that I've heard of many prison guards getting a lot of crap from visitors - even threats against their families, lots of scum out there.

Micky Dolenz · 06-06-2013 4:09pm

mattjack wrote: »

Very difficult to volunteer in prisons , the agency I work with only lets full time employees into prisons.
Pretty impressive to get in .

I don't do it directly for the prison service. I am with an organisation that run work shops.

Specialun · 06-06-2013 4:13pm

Should this not be in the Prison Section?

Honey-ec · 06-06-2013 4:17pm

Colash wrote: »

Ok I might get completely banned for writing this . But I have to put it up to see has anyone else had the same experiences ,. Prison guards !!!! Jesus some of them can be so ignorant . Now I'm not tarring every prison guard with the same brush as some of them are genuinely sound . But some have just a chip on their shoulder . I know they have a hard job and all that but I've met a few that would almost shock u with their ignorance and attitude towards the public , and by the public I mean outside visitors to a prison . Has anyone else had this experience ? Or is it just me who's trying my best to be polite to people who have no concept of it??

I wouldn't know, thankfully I've never had cause to visit a prison.

SEPT 23 1989 · 06-06-2013 4:20pm

I can hardly get the gear outa me youngfellas nappie without dem annoying me

ResearchWill · 06-06-2013 4:25pm

Colash wrote: »

Ok I might get completely banned for writing this . But I have to put it up to see has anyone else had the same experiences ,. Prison guards !!!! Jesus some of them can be so ignorant . Now I'm not tarring every prison guard with the same brush as some of them are genuinely sound . But some have just a chip on their shoulder . I know they have a hard job and all that but I've met a few that would almost shock u with their ignorance and attitude towards the public , and by the public I mean outside visitors to a prison . Has anyone else had this experience ? Or is it just me who's trying my best to be polite to people who have no concept of it??

I visit prisons a lot, like all walks of life there are good and bad, to be honest the majority I have met are good. Was in a prison recently waiting in the waiting room to be processed through, women came into visit bf/husband she had her child with her, prison office had a chat with her about baby asking after the child and how was the person getting on very friendly and very polite.

PizzamanIRL · 06-06-2013 4:26pm

When they work in a nasty environment, see nasty things and have to put up with a lot of sh!t from prisoners it's probably hard to be all cheerful and jolly.

Duck's hoop · 06-06-2013 4:38pm

Honey-ec wrote: »

I wouldn't know, thankfully I've never had cause to visit a prison.

La de dah. I have, it was fascinating. Incredible stories from my detained acquaintance. And I could talk all I wanted, captive audience and all that.

The officers were all very courteous and helpful. Even some of the other prisoners seemed very civil and generally sound. Which is crazy when you hear what they're in for.

I have another mate who's a prison officer in the same place. He's extremely witty, ignorant as hell at times and a genuinely brilliant raconteur of just bananas stories.

Very tough job. The things they see and deal with on a daily basis are well beyond most people's ken.

Seedy Arling · 06-06-2013 4:46pm

Well, we must get onto our local TD's and write to them demanding that your prison visiting experience be improved. Those poor souls that are in there worked so hard to get there, and the prison officers too.

A complimentary glass of wine and foie gras on arrival perhaps?

gowley · 07-06-2013 12:01am

mattjack wrote: »

Very difficult to volunteer in prisons , the agency I work with only lets full time employees into prisons.
Pretty impressive to get in .

hes a cat mod. can get you places

downonthefarm · 07-06-2013 12:07am

IrishFeeney92 wrote: »

Every day they have to look over their shoulders, they have to treat everybody equally, they cant trust anybody and their always on edge. Wouldnt blame them TBH

they are getting well payed in fairness

krudler · 07-06-2013 12:11am

Stop chipping holes in your wall behind a Rita Hayworth poster and you'll be grand

NuckingFacker · 07-06-2013 12:23am

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

I don't do it directly for the prison service. I am with an organisation that run work shops.

In the past I did a good deal of work(practical skills rehab)with prisoners - I was an Instructor and got to train some really "interesting" characters, I was the one who got pushed forward to do those courses as I have quite a confident/well able to handle a class full of jack-the lads personality and get them to pay attention without running amok.

A couple of them were genuinely scary characters who I spent most of the time wondering wtf I would do if they did kick off as overpowering them was not going to be an option, happily, we all got along fine and I never once had an issue. I actually remember those times fondly and think I might just possibly have managed to do some good for some people who didn't really ever get much of a chance.
I'd be fairly proud of having done it, warm fuzzy glow and all that jazz.

On topic, I never had an issue with prison staff either - some were a bit aloof alright, but most were genuinely helpful and did give a damn - but then I wasn't visiting a prisoner, I was working, so maybe they treated me differently. Most of the inmates struck me as bored stupid and glad of a chance to do somthing outside the routine.

Micky Dolenz · 07-06-2013 12:35am

NuckingFacker wrote: »

In the past I did a good deal of work(practical skills rehab)with prisoners - I was an Instructor and got to train some really "interesting" characters, I was the one who got pushed forward to do those courses as I have quite a confident/well able to handle a class full of jack-the lads personality and get them to pay attention without running amok.

A couple of them were genuinely scary characters who I spent most of the time wondering wtf I would do if they did kick off as overpowering them was not going to be an option, happily, we all got along fine and I never once had an issue. I actually remember those times fondly and think I might just possibly have managed to do some good for some people who didn't really ever get much of a chance.
I'd be fairly proud of having done it, warm fuzzy glow and all that jazz.

On topic, I never had an issue with prison staff either - some were a bit aloof alright, but most were genuinely helpful and did give a damn - but then I wasn't visiting a prisoner, I was working, so maybe they treated me differently. Most of the inmates struck me as bored stupid and glad of a chance to do somthing outside the routine.

The first time I went in was for a few days and honestly if you asked me how I felt about it upon finishing I could not have told you. It took a while to sink in.

I meet some amazing people who are victims of circumstance but still chose to live a certain lifestyle. Like you I have met scary people who I truly believe are in the right place and should be kept there for as long as possible. It really is an eye opener though and I thank my good fortune on how life has fallen for me so far.

harry Bailey esq · 07-06-2013 12:58am

not a job id envy,but i frequent two bars in phibsborough where screws gather en masse and to be honest the op has a point,they come across as loud obnoxious ignorant fkers that view anybody with a local accent as potential scum.

Arawn · 07-06-2013 1:04am

It's the same in all walks of life, You get dicks in all jobs. But I will say this the absoloute **** po's put up with is scary and I'd be amazed if most of the population stuck it to retirement. My old lad is one, his first day on a job before him and other new ones started a guy slashed his wrists so blood was everywhere, they were walked along the trail of blood. Two blokes packed it in there and then according to my old lad.

The money would seem great starting off don't get me wrong but at what point of physical and mental assault would the money stop being worth it

goose2005 · 27-06-2013 11:42am

Seedy Arling wrote: »

Well, we must get onto our local TD's and write to them demanding that your prison visiting experience be improved. Those poor souls that are in there worked so hard to get there, and the prison officers too.

A complimentary glass of wine and foie gras on arrival perhaps?

It's funny that Irish people will tut about how terrible conditions are in American prisons, but don't give a damn about conditions in Irish prisons

Uriel. · 27-06-2013 11:45am

goose2005 wrote: »

It's funny that Irish people will tut about how terrible conditions are in American prisons, but don't give a damn about conditions in Irish prisons

If it makes you feel better, I don't care about conditions (for prisoners) in any prison.

mathepac · 27-06-2013 11:51am

Colash wrote: »

Ok I might get completely banned for writing this . But I have to put it up to see has anyone else had the same experiences ,. Prison guards !!!! ...

I can only conclude that you watch too much telly. The Irish Prison Service doesn't employ "prison guards" but does employ prison officers.

I've visited incarcerated clients in prison and have met staff at all grades and levels in prisons and have never been treated or witnessed anything but the greatest courtesy and professionalism

caustic 1 · 27-06-2013 11:54am

A lot of the people commenting on a negative level must be so content in the knowledge that they or someone they know will never be in prison.
I for one don't know what's round the corner for me or mine but I would hope that whoever I or they encounter would at least be courteous.
Perhaps one silly mistake led them there, who in here can say hand on heart they have never made a silly decision?

DubiousV · 27-06-2013 11:57am

downonthefarm wrote: »

they are getting well payed in fairness

By comparison to what?

biko · 27-06-2013 12:00pm

Colash wrote: »

As a moderator I would have expected u to read my original post !! But then again it's the after hours section .. I'm not in prison ,,.

AH response - sure that's what they all say. I'm sure you didn't do the crime either winkwink

On topic, when you spend your days working with hardened criminals and people that possibly would stab you given half a chance it tends to bring out the worst in people.

club goldgrain · 27-06-2013 1:24pm

caustic 1 wrote: »

A lot of the people commenting on a negative level must be so content in the knowledge that they or someone they know will never be in prison.
I for one don't know what's round the corner for me or mine but I would hope that whoever I or they encounter would at least be courteous.
Perhaps one silly mistake led them there, who in here can say hand on heart they have never made a silly decision?

it's only by mistakes that we learn.
and i for one have made many,never been in prison but know someone who was because of a silly mistake. so i agree we don't know whats around the corner for any of us.

homerjay2005 · 27-06-2013 1:26pm

Omackeral wrote: »

I myself am a prison guard (in a Dublin Prison) and I have to sympathize with you on this. I've seen it a lot myself from 'senior' staff especially.

My opinion is that visitors have it tough enough as it is, visiting their loved ones in jail, without having to deal with abrupt or rude staff. It's not their fault that the person is locked up, yet some officers make judgements anyway. Shame on them.

For what it's worth, we are instructed by management to be cordial and professional to all visitors to our jail and I can honestly tell you that I always am. But yes, there is a rotten attitude among some of the old timers and I'm sorry you had to deal with that. Hope it improves for you.

surely this works both ways, for every unhelpful officer, im sure theres plenty of ignorant prisoners and visitors in return.

Chucky the tree · 27-06-2013 1:35pm

DubiousV wrote: »

By comparison to what?

To the average person who's only education is a **** leaving cert.

DubiousV · 27-06-2013 1:47pm

Chucky the tree wrote: »

To the average person who's only education is a **** leaving cert.

Since 2007 new entrants to the prison service are required to attain a higher certificate in order to stay in the job.

The attitude of prison guards towards the public

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