Was hoping to get your attention..........I was just wondering everyone's opinion of having FEMALE CO's working within the MALE prison system, and visa versa. Do you think it a good idea or even appropriate? Meaning do you think it causes more problems? I am sure we have all heard of females not only falling in love, but also falling pregnant. And then just the abuse of power for sexual satisfaction by both sexes.
What about how a person can be written up for indecent exposure as well. Not sure if that is the correct wording, but meaning that. If you only had the same sex CO's do you think it would reduce conflicts?
Interested to hear your opinions and what if anything your friends have shared regarding this.

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If you are compassionate in your approach to all tasks in life, believing that all "problems" contain valuable lessons, you will find peace of mind.
~Dr. Lee Jampolsky

yes smiley i do. I do not believe that woman should work in a mens prison or vis versa, ONLY cause it can/does create problems

I agree with Lulu. I consider myself a fairly liberated, progressive female as far as occupations go. I realize women can handle the job of CO in a male facility but I just feel it opens the floodgate for so many potential problems.

The fact that females can work in male prisons also forces the issue of male COs being allowed to work in women’s correctional facilities and there can be definite problems there and abuses of power. I think personally I would prefer the boys stay in their institutions and the girls in theirs and never the two shall meet.

However let me be perfectly clear about job designation. I know that plenty of females do volunteer work in male facilities. I am speaking to the occupational description of correctional officer specifically and those who actually work in the capacity of controlling inmates on a day to day basis. People that would be viewed as "cops" to inmates in other words.

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"Thats it then, they will go on double, secret, probation..."

I Think Everyone Has The Right To Work Wherever They Want To It Is Up To The Individual To Say Yes Or No To A Relationship With The Inmate Or Not

I was a Correctional Counselor for almost 5 years when I graduated from college (I only switched careers due to having a child and being unable to work 2nd or 3rd shift). I strongly feel that there should be no rules put on women working in a male facility and vice versa. There was never a day where I felt I could not do my job any better than a male officer. I personally feel that the respect factor from male inmates toward female officers is far better than it is toward the male officers. Most of these men have mothers and sisters and they often use the perspective of this is someone's mother or sister when choosing their demeanor toward female staff. Trust me you will get your fair share of horny inmates who will make comments & advances but that's when it comes down to a person's character and morals as to how they act on those advances. If you stick your guns, they usually stop the comments because word travels fast that you are not crooked. Believe it or not the scandelous staff who do sneak around with inmates are the ones that are least respected by inmates. I never went to work with "night club" make up on. I never went out of my way to look attactive or draw attention to myself. I went to work and did my job and did a damn good job at it!

thank you for sharing this with us. its good to see the situation from another point of you.

For me i personally believe women should not work as CO's in mens prisons, and visa versa. I think it only causes to serve problems for the inmates. I am not saying women cannot do a good job and do it respectfully and in a professional manner. I just believe they have no place in a mens jail for a many number of reasons.
I just believe that it has the potential to have a detrimental effect as what it would a positive. I can only go off what knowledge i have, and the men still often have interaction from those of the opposite sex within the other range of jobs held within the prison system. I just think it reduces the potential for circumstances that would not other wise happen if you were dealing with the same sex.
Hope that makes sense.

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If you are compassionate in your approach to all tasks in life, believing that all "problems" contain valuable lessons, you will find peace of mind.
~Dr. Lee Jampolsky

To me, it depends on the individual. I saw a prison documentary a long time ago, and the female CO working there had bleached blonde hair and "obvious" breast implants. She looked like a blonde Chyna, the wrestler. I was turned off immediately and wondered whether such a male-attention craving individual should be working there. Maybe she was a fairly decent individual, but what she did to her appearance gave me the impression that she might enjoy abusing her sexual power. Thus, to me, it depends on the individual.

Makes perfect sense to me. That’s also where I was going. I absolutely have respect for female COs and I know they can do the job. If anything I feel it’s probably more difficult for them to maintain the level of respect they need to keep themselves and other inmates secure.

There are inherent problems involved with having females work in male prisons. Conversely, there are also problems associated with having males work in women's facilities. You can’t have one without the other. You can’t say its okay to do this and not okay to do that. So I see problems on both sides of the equation that could probably be eliminated by just keeping employees responsible for population control as the same sex.

However, women can and do work in male prisons and vice versa and that is the occupational field they have chosen so I would support them 100% in that decision. Im certainly not doing it so someone needs to step upto the plate once these men and women go behind bars.

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"Thats it then, they will go on double, secret, probation..."

Silver, That's exactly what I was talking about when I said I did not wear "night club" makeup to work or dress in a fashion that would draw attention to myself. My position was not a uniformed position so I was very concious of the clothing I chose and my makeup and hair. There are definitly ladies who work in the prisons who go out of their way to look like Pamela Anderson or Chyna. They get off on the attention like some sick perversion. I can understand how many GFs and "friends" can get jealous of the woman staff becuase you don't know if your man is flirting with the CO's or even worse. I think that sometimes female staff in the prison system get a bum rap for being these attention craving, twisted women that most of them are not. I at the same time can respect that people do not think that they belong in a male facility. Maybe CO's could be same sex but I don't think the whole prison (ie auxillary staff, medical, mental health, clerical etc..) there is no way you'd be able to find that many male nurses and clerical workers and such to staff all the mens prisons in this country.