Prison Officer

Shield

bitter_lemon wrote: »

rumours..... love it!

Me too...

LoanShark

bitter_lemon wrote: »

rumours..... love it!

As we were told "If you don't hear a rumour by Nine O Clock on a Monday morning..... Start one!!"

Old Trafford

Hi all
just out of interest is there many prison officers expected to retire this year in advance of pension cut next year?will all those eligible to retire go or do you think many will stay on regardless?thanks

480905

There are a few who think the place will fall down without them who'll have to be dragged out , but also a few diehards that nobody thought would go, are after putting in their papers.

bitter_lemon

its a bit of a mixed bag. i think some people simply can't afford to go after remortgaging and whatnot during the boom times.
i don't think i will be able to retire after 30 years service. i'd be still paying the mortgage for another few years. oh god how depressing is that

Old Trafford

Thanks for your replies!

Delancey

Old Trafford wrote: »

Hi all
just out of interest is there many prison officers expected to retire this year in advance of pension cut next year?will all those eligible to retire go or do you think many will stay on regardless?thanks

Old Prison Officers never retire , they just fade away.

cordub

Think we will all be in the same boat . Will be staying to pay for the big mortgages that we borrowed not forseeing the huge wage cuts :mad::mad::mad:

Rawhead

There was a huge intake in 1979/80 and that means that we had a massive amount reaching 30 years at the same time. The big exodus in our job was really last year and early this year, everyone who could go has gone. The ones left have to stay because of financial commitments or such.
I think it was a typically short sighted move by the government which has forced out a lot of experienced officers who could easily have done another 5 or more years.
All that said there is some decrepit old dinosaurs left who will have to be dragged out the gate by a 3 man team, they have become institutionalised just like the old boy in the Shawshank.

On a side note, anyone see "Russia's toughest prisons" on Nat Geo. If you get a chance have a look. I think the black dolphin regime is badly needed here. I can't imagine a Governor here ever saying that it curls your tongue to have to describe the lags as human. It's no fcuking wonder the eastern Europeans and Russians laugh at our set up here.

bitter_lemon

i saw that rawhead. thats the job! but our country is too liberal. thats the way it is. sure if you look at a dirtbird crooked nowadays you are in trouble with management.

re mass exodus - the mortality rate is apparently high among officers who retire. i have heard of 3 people in the past week who have retired recently or had a few months left and have cancer. its some kick in the teeth!

Rawhead

The Scottish service did a study a few years back and the average life expectancy after retirement was 18 months.

Things have improved in that the hard drinking culture is nearly gone and lads are more inclined to play soccer or go for a run at lunch than go for pints. Weight is still a big problem with a lot of officers as its a very sedentary job and the weight creeps on easily enough. We nearly top the league in most stressful occupations. If you combine all of the above with shift work and management who don't even acknowledge health and fitness it doesn't make for a long and healthy life. I haven't even taken into account the chances of some scrote sticking you with a HIV filled syringe, getting killed in a riot, taken hostage, stabbed or all of the other niceties we face.

It should be every warders ultimate aim to get longer on the pension than they did on the job. That's my plan and I'm sticking to it.

innercitydub2

Is there a certain number of POs the goverment need to cut as is the case with the Guards before they can begin to recruit again?.

Also whats this talk of bringing in Auxilary officers, would this be chep labour type secuirty for parts of the job that involves standing at the gate into the prison, guarding outskirts of prison etc.

Old Trafford

Prison officers have no rights and prisoners have too many,crazy!
I watched a documentary few months ago based on prison in UK,forget its name but PO's have a tough number and that's putting it mildly!

Old Trafford

@Innercity,I dont think prison service had to cut a certian number unlike Gardai as you say or Defence Forces for that matter.

Delancey

Currently reading the book '' The Governor '' by John Lonergan ( signed copy no less ) , interesting stuff.
Is it accurate ? Anyone here read it ?

cordub

Delancey wrote: »

Currently reading the book '' The Governor '' by John Lonergan ( signed copy no less ) , interesting stuff.
Is it accurate ? Anyone here read it ?

Oh yes ST john gives a good account of the poor prisoner , pity he wasnt as sympathetic to the staff that were held hostage by prisoners or staff who were assaulted by the poor prisoner who never stood a chance in life, He is a polititian in the making , His predesessor is now trying to sort out the mess he made ie ignoring the fact that drugs were freely allowed with his knowledge in mountjoy , because in allowing drugs there he kept the prisoner quiet.It makes me laugh when I hear all the joe soaps out there who dont know him as a boss and think hes a great man, He worked mainly as a great PR man for the prison service who now btw wants nothing to do with him !!!I wonder why !!Am curiuos to hear other opinions !!!!

480905

Old Trafford wrote: »

Prison officers have no rights and prisoners have too many,crazy!
I watched a documentary few months ago based on prison in UK,forget its name but PO's have a tough number and that's putting it mildly!

Prisoners don't cost the state a pension for the rest of their lives. . . . . .

480905

for all ye dog lovers out there...a bit of light relief..

MIRMIR82

480905 wrote: »

Prisoners don't cost the state a pension for the rest of their lives. . . . . .

Ya thats true - they only cost 80k for a years sentence - or if maximum security-250K - the PO's costs start at minimum wage.....sounds fair:rolleyes:

cordub

MIRMIR82 wrote: »

Ya thats true - they only cost 80k for a years sentence - or if maximum security-250K - the PO's costs start at minimum wage.....sounds fair:rolleyes:

Plus the cost of the damage they do when they wreck their cells and smash tvs etc , not to mention the damage they cause to staff when they assault them and cost huge man hours for them to be replaced while they recover :mad::mad::mad:

bitter_lemon

Delancey wrote: »

Currently reading the book '' The Governor '' by John Lonergan ( signed copy no less ) , interesting stuff.
Is it accurate ? Anyone here read it ?

em yeah i read it. cordub has pretty much said everything that i feel. i remember him being on a talk show years back and a victims support group asked him if he was ever the victim of crime. he said his car was broken into once but nothing was robbed :rolleyes:
he has not a clue about reality. he is a soft spoken lump of ****e with no back bone that is not suitable for work on the front line and hence through his contacts he was promoted without little experience of what being a prison officer is like. he loves the lags. he should have stuck to coaching the GAA!
Muppet - leaves a precendent in his wake for others who have no option but to follow through.
delancey - its pure bull****.

maybe read "screwed" by ronnie thompson or "newjack" by ted conver.
don't read "inside man" by philip bray. along the same lines of lonergans poo!

bitter_lemon

480905 wrote: »

Prisoners don't cost the state a pension for the rest of their lives. . . . . .

you do realise you are a muppet and have not a clue what you are talking about? prisoners cost the state a fortune! so much so that we suffer to make sure they are happy!

bitter_lemon

480905 wrote: »

for all ye dog lovers out there...a bit of light relief..

that dog died 2 days later after that was filmed

Delancey

bitter_lemon wrote: »

delancey - its pure bull****.

maybe read "screwed" by ronnie thompson or "newjack" by ted conver.
don't read "inside man" by philip bray. along the same lines of lonergans poo!

You're gonna hate me but the other ' Inside Prison ' book I read was the one by Philip Bray

I'll keep an eye out for the ones you recommend though.

LoanShark

I've been reading Lonergans book too. And it did strike me that he seemed to move through the ranks rather quickly... But if all that he has wrote is to be believed,then he didn't have it handy.. Or am I way off the mark??

I know from talking to others they say the joy is a better place now without him..

Rawhead

He really should have been done for negligence his governorship of Mountjoy was so bad. He used the same dung speech about deprived areas and society being to blame for all the poor lags hardship. At one stage he actually wanted to divert the canal through the Joy so the lags could have a water feature. During his time in charge 4 murders, 1 hostage taking and numerous riots occurred. He allowed the prison to become awash with drugs and caused morale among the officers to reach new lows.
He was so soft that during the riot last year the lags were shouting "bring back Mr Lonergan, he wouldn't allow us to be treated like this".

bitter_lemon

Delancey wrote: »

You're gonna hate me but the other ' Inside Prison ' book I read was the one by Philip Bray

I'll keep an eye out for the ones you recommend though.

lol thats gas!
you must understand though that even when the irish retire there is still a lot of politics involved and they have to paint a certain picture. whether it be involved in pension or medical benefits or basically the face of the media.
the other books are from a english and US perspective. very interesting reading and shows no allegiances to the cause. they go all out but "screwed" annoyed me a small bit because the author was full of bravado. but still i would be interested in what you thought of it and would appreciate feedback. they don't give a damn and say it how it is.
cheers

bitter_lemon

Rawhead wrote: »

He really should have been done for negligence his governorship of Mountjoy was so bad. He used the same dung speech about deprived areas and society being to blame for all the poor lags hardship. At one stage he actually wanted to divert the canal through the Joy so the lags could have a water feature. During his time in charge 4 murders, 1 hostage taking and numerous riots occurred. He allowed the prison to become awash with drugs and caused morale among the officers to reach new lows.
He was so soft that during the riot last year the lags were shouting "bring back Mr Lonergan, he wouldn't allow us to be treated like this".

rawhead there is not really any point in talking. he left in his wake the pieces we have to pick up. but the ordinary joe soap agrees with his stance. they have no clue what goes on in there. you have only to look at the dochas centre which was his baby. if the male lags had a brain in their head they should cry inequality and sue the females for living in such luxury.
and yes his reaction to the murder, hostage taking and riots was appalling. and yet he is living off a fat pension. unfortunately its all about public relations and hes a PR man.

Shield

bitter_lemon wrote: »

you do realise you are a muppet...

Infracted. No further comment on this post please and thanks.

innercitydub2

bitter_lemon wrote: »

lol thats gas!
you must understand though that even when the irish retire there is still a lot of politics involved and they have to paint a certain picture. whether it be involved in pension or medical benefits or basically the face of the media.
the other books are from a english and US perspective. very interesting reading and shows no allegiances to the cause. they go all out but "screwed" annoyed me a small bit because the author was full of bravado. but still i would be interested in what you thought of it and would appreciate feedback. they don't give a damn and say it how it is.
cheers

same here scrwed was quite honest and pulled no punches, but his bravado and jack the lad was a bit annoying at times, kept getting pictures of a danny dyer type screw walking the landings ha.

Other than that was a good read.

On another note, ive a question for all POs in here that i would very much like feedback on. Ive 2 years left of college to go and have always had a intrest in working as either a Garda, or Prison Officer, Im currently a reserve with the Gardai, but if the chance came up to apply for the prison service id defo go fo it.

Anyways for all the POs could you give us the pros and cons of the job in some bullet points.
Could you also give us a run down on what the hours are like without revealing too much, Is it any better than the guards system of seven work days two off on 10pm to 6am and then 3 weeks of a mix of 6am to 2pm 2pm to 10pm??, Id personoly prefer working a 12 hour system where you get more days on than 2 and back in for seven again. PM me if details cannot be posted public.