All In A Days Work

Any experienced Corrections/Custody Officer can tell you the meaning of discovering a long piece of metal missing off a structure inside a housing module. Imagine over 100 men mulling about in a large room, where someone has tossed in a knife. And no one can account for it. At first, you don't even know it's there. Some where. And when you find out, you pray it won't be the hard way.

It's now you, your partner, over 100 inmates, and a "shank". A lethal, hand made knife. And word also circulates that there's cocaine, as well. Just to make this more interesting, this is the intake module. A conglomerate of not yet classified individuals straight off the street and freshly booked inmates. Many are still under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Or beginning withdrawals. Or very angry towards anyone with a badge for their arrest. Some are psychologically or emotionally disturbed. Some are just plain hostile by nature. Altercations ranging from verbal to physical are common. Contrary to what the inexperienced public may think, officer safety risk is high. I've been told by several police officers that they could never do the job. Once your weapon is secured, it's just you, and them.

On September 6, 2000, I was looking forward to my upcoming vacation. Just four more workdays until a glorious two and one-half weeks off. I was also excited about the approaching Washington State Jail Association Training Conference. Even though it occurred during my vacation, I was eager to participate, network, and learn. Our shift that day began with a twist. Word was out that a particular module and inmate(s) had cocaine. Worse yet, a long piece of metal was missing from a piece of equipment. That meant somewhere, there was a shank. A briefing was held, and a plan devised. A large group of us would storm the module unannounced, secure the inmates, and begin a systematic pat-down and module search. Needless to say, the module was overcrowded. Many of the newer inmates were sleeping on the floor. My first contact was a cooperative inmate. I then moved on to the next. I found it a bit odd that he was still asleep through the commotion. I woke him and he sat up. I saw paperwork bulging from his front pocket. Its form was suspicious. He reached for the item and ignored my orders to stop. Everything from that point happened very quickly. He stood, turned to the wall and stuffed something in his mouth, followed by chewing motions. In the same moment I saw what appeared to be pieces of plastic wrap protruding from his lips. I grabbed for his mouth while ordering him to give it up, and yelling to my fellow officers it's in his mouth! In an attempt to stop me, the inmate slammed me backwards into the wall. My partners had now reached us and a struggle ensued. He was on the floor, I was on him, and others were on us as we all tried to gain control. He gave us quite a fight until we were finally able to cuff him. Even then, he violently continued to resist. This altercation yielded a large ball of what the arresting officer tested and proclaimed to be the purest cocaine he'd seen in 6 months. Unfortunately, the shank was not found. And I went to the hospital. My "vacation" had begun early, in the local emergency room. So far, lumbar strain, whiplash, and contusions. I say "so far" because the final vote isn't in until my doctor can compare before and after x-rays. And I pray we find nothing beyond superficial. Nothing long term. Nothing permanent. I simply cannot afford it.

While our brothers and sisters in the various police departments here in Washington are covered for such possibilities, we in Corrections are not. We stand alone in this inequity. We risk our lives, our livelihoods, and those of our families while we serve our communities. We often parade potential wayward youth through our facilities, to get a small taste of what could lie ahead, should they not rethink their behavior. Fear factor. Shock therapy. I only wish more of our lawmakers would join in these intimate tours for a closer perspective. I urge everyone to pay tribute to the memorial for fallen officers of our state, located at the Criminal Justice Training Academy in Burien. Look closely. You will see names of our own. In the mean time, and always, be safe.

Diana Novotney
Custody Officer
Snohomish County Corrections

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