Why prison staff deserve more respect than they’re getting.

[prisonofficersareimportanttoo]

our officers face this regularly but they’re still overshadowed by the ‘emergency services’. *
They are currently dealing with nearly 83000 people being locked behind their doors, in 8x12 rooms, for a minimum of 23 hours a day. They are often locked up for longer as due to staff and prisoners getting sick, anyone else who has been in contact with that person then has to isolate until either the person is confirmed non-Covid or their 14 days without symptoms is up. They might not have enough staff to make sure everyone gets a phone call or shower that day and stays socially isolated.

If the prisoner is particularly pissed off, they might have saved up their fecal matter, ready to ‘pot’ the next person who opens the flap/door.

The staff are nurse, police, fire, therapist. They do this because they believe people should have the opportunity to put right their mistakes, because not everyone had ‘the best’ upbringing.

They are going into work, knowing they could bring this virus home to their families when they have to send a sick prisoner out to hospital, because staff still need to go with them. And even if they aren’t Covid positive, they could bring it back from the hospital, pass it on to colleagues and prisoners alike. All with fuck all ppe because the supplies aren’t arriving in sufficient numbers. But that’s ok, because they’re not frontline so don’t need it.

Not enough talking is being done about every other residential unit where prison officers, Carers, children’s home workers, are still going to daily, knuckling down and trying to do their job and keep everyone safe and virus free. The efforts they go to are no less than the nhs, police, fire. But because they don’t have blue flashing lights on their armour plated vehicles - carrying those dangerous criminals - they aren’t important.

So feck off with your sanctimonious clapping. It’s just remaining many of us how invisible we are.

Yet if a dangerous prisoner were to escape, you’d soon want to know they were behind bars and you were safe again.

• [Note from MNHQ: post edited at OP's request to remove a sentence which was detracting from the main point of the OP]

Thank you for the work you do. I'm sorry it doesn't feel safer for you - and I realise that's not a new situation.

Yep l agree. It’s a tough job and usually overlooked

Totally agree and was just thinking about this today.

Sorry Karen, working admin in an office doesn’t make you frontline nhs

It's not a competition and you've used a sexist/classist slur to make your point too

So true.

I mean about prison officers.

It’s a tough job and usually overlooked

Absolutely

Getting a bit tired of the people getting grief for clapping and not clapping

But a very important post

I think when we
Clap we do it for everyone dealing with this shit (literally )

And yes , but dont think people
Don’t care as we do x

Glad to read about this issue here.
I work at a CAT A . Haven’t seen my children for a month as I can’t risk infecting them or the adult who provides childcare while I work and is in at at risk category health and age wise.

I have just sat down after going shopping Tonight to buy groceries to take over to them plus their Easter eggs plus a card and presents and cake for my child whose birthday it is next week. I will watch him blow his candles out on FaceTime. I start at 6am tomorrow and my next day off is next weekend.

@DeeCeeCherry - but we are being made to feel that it is a competition. That having blues and twos somehow makes that group better, more worthy of preferential treatment.

The police pick the criminal up, the courts sentence them and prisons & probation pick up the pieces that are left.

How is that comment classist? Sexist maybe, given I know there are men who work in administration roles. But it’s just a name. It shows that the current system is being abused by people just because they have the current ‘in’ logo on their badge. Some of these people have spent less time in critical care than I have!

And sorry OP

I don’t know what to say
I know full well I have it so easy compared to you right now

And thanks

Totally agree with you op, I think there are plenty of people out there quietly getting on with their jobs.

You’re right that it’s not new @Palavah. It’s being particularly challenging right now because of the current pandemic situation. It is highlighting the gap between what should be provided and what is available.

Staff are treated appallingly and vilified when they dare speak out about pay and conditions. But no one ever thanks them for keeping the public safe from our most violent and dangerous people. But when things go wrong, the prison staff are hung out to dry, accused of failing.

Having worked in a prison I can imagine it being terrible at the moment for everyone, prisoners and staff. Especially with the warm weather ( imagine this at the height of summer).
The prisoners are locked in their cells and all prison visits have been cancelled. I can imagine the impact this must have, most prisoners live for visits.
You must be constantly answering cell bell alarms.

The company I work for carries out reactive call out work in prisons.

Our lads are highly protected, (escorts, no prisoners in their areas etc) but we hear what goes on and have the utmost respect for prison staff.

Oh OP I couldn't agree more, I work the other side of the gate, no one has reported on the two deaths in our region, the two officers from pentonville got minimal coverage and I don't know about you but we're all working with no PPE whatsoever and now come the early releases (without testing), and where on earth are they going to go!

The Prison Officer role is a thankless job. And when an prisoner does take their own life for example, it’s all a blame game.
I think the government used to think of them as overpaid security guards, who just locked doors all day. Then in the last two years ,the shit really hit the fan and they had to listen , finally.

I agree that it’s a very important role that is unfairly overlooked, and often looked down upon.

It is a far tougher role than I would be able to do at the best of times, but right now it must be insanely hard, if not downright terrifying. Thanks so much for all you do. I hope you stay safe, OP. And you too, lookingatthepast. It brought a tear to my eye to hear you won’t get to be with your child on their birthday.

It's a hugely underappreciated, risky, and to most people, an invisible role.
Prison officers deserve so much more money and support.

@ohdearmymistake - there are. I have family and friends who work in prisons as well, care homes, supermarkets. Going in to schools to care for children so those parents can do their jobs. None of us feel more special or less invincible than the other. All of us have grumbled equally that we haven’t got the protection we need to keep ourselves and others safe.
Some have chosen to stay away from their families to protect them. Iike you @lookingatthepast. I can’t imagine being away from my family. We’re taking our best precautions but already spoken about having to stay away from home if this goes on longer, to reduce the risk of anyone getting ill. I hope your child has a great day and know that you are doing what you have to do to keep your family as safe as possible. your colleagues hopefully are looking out for you as you are doing to them.

I’m an ICU dr.

I wasn’t aware there was a competition for ‘who is most exposed’.

Even more bizarre to learn that somebody wants to win it.

FYI a number of the admin workers you chose to deride with your silly sexist slur are most certainly at risk and providing essential support to the rest of the hospital.

@JediJim - and because the government had this perception, it is what was passed on to the general public, who really have no idea and think prisoners get handed privileges on a plate.

I appreciate you and what you are doing.

Ffs @trixiebelden77, it isn’t a competition. It’s a reminder that others are out there too. Maybe when you get a critically ill prisoner turn up in your hospital, you might appreciate the prison staff who will have to stay with that prisoner in order to keep you and your colleagues safe.

I am an OSG in the gate so not the same as being on landings. Don’t think we even get the £150 payment as we ‘aren’t prisoner facing’
A lot have their own worries (elderly parents , adult children or grandchildren they haven’t seen , friends they can’t go out with ) so people are lost in their own thoughts and worries to be honest. It’s a case of just get on with it