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Post by lavelle on Nov 17, 2016 14:43:38 GMT -5
Hello everyone!! I'm attending the academy in December and will be working at Roach. Does anyone know if it has dorms for officers? Also any info or advice on the unit would be appreciated.
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Post by accussedsnitchgp11 on Nov 17, 2016 21:44:02 GMT -5
They are gonna love you..
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Post by lavelle on Nov 18, 2016 8:29:58 GMT -5
Why is that?
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Roach Unit
Nov 18, 2016 20:55:07 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by aco476 on Nov 18, 2016 20:55:07 GMT -5
Hello everyone!! I'm attending the academy in December and will be working at Roach. Does anyone know if it has dorms for officers? Also any info or advice on the unit would be appreciated. Here you go: backgate.proboards.com/thread/1931/availability-dorms-tdcj-unitsMy question is why you didn't ask Huntsville HR when they offered you the job. If you can't make it to work because you live too far away, why take the job in the first place? There will be a LOT of people counting on you being there every day. When you don't show up, there is another position on the farm that doesn't get filled because your position needs to be covered, not to mention there will be one less person to help if things go sideways. Don't forget what this is: work in a maximum security prison where often times the only thing standing between you, 144 offenders and a bad day is what you carry between your ears with not a lot of help minutes away. I wish you the best of luck but this was probably something you should have considered a long time ago...
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Roach Unit
Nov 19, 2016 12:13:29 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by lavelle on Nov 19, 2016 12:13:29 GMT -5
If that last little blurb was directed at me..you did a whole lot of typing for nothing. I'm retired military. I know the importance of being where you say you will. I don't particularly care if there are dorms just asked.wow.
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Post by accussedsnitchgp11 on Nov 19, 2016 17:45:43 GMT -5
Ever been to Childress ? First you excepted the job Second......See First reason Need a third reason ? Good News is Childress is getting a Heff's Burgers.
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Post by mley1 on Nov 20, 2016 10:33:11 GMT -5
If that last little blurb was directed at me..you did a whole lot of typing for nothing. I'm retired military. I know the importance of being where you say you will. I don't particularly care if there are dorms just asked.wow. Thank you for your service. We need more like you. Don't sweat any negativity. There's lots of that in the prison environment. You're use to adversity after working in the military, and that experience will come in handy working for TDCJ. You're gonna have asshole supervisors, and good supervisors. There is some similarities to military command structure, but it's not nearly as strict. Some units are more strict than others regarding chain of command. It all depends on the warden, and his command crew how they operate. As a rookie CO, but with military experience, you should be already use to maintaining situational awareness. Use it. You'll need it. Understand that our agency is policy driven. And, in critical situations such as use of force they WILL evaluate the incident with a fine tooth comb. Any violations of policy, no matter how minor, will be addressed through the disciplinary process. Some units are more critical than others with regard to how hard they come down on officers for minor violations. Use of force reports go through a review process at the unit level, then they're sent to the regional office where they are again scrutinized. Once completed at the regional level they are sent to Huntsville, where they are scrutinized again. In Huntsville the UOF reports will be scrutinized by a desk jockey, likely someone who's never even been in a UOF. So, they are policy driven, to the letter. I've seen it happen where everything was good until it hit Huntsville, and some desk jockey recommended discipline because the officer who did the strip search didn't ask the convict to run his fingers through his hair, or spread his cheeks, or lift his testicles. It happens. Follow policy as much as possible. With that said, remember this, you can justify ANYTHING if you have a good command of the English language and use policy to your advantage. You gotta know how to articulate what happened on paper, to your advantage truthfully. Whatever you do, don't NOT report a use of force. You will be found out, and you will be fired. Most UOF violations are dealt with at the unit level before it ever gets to the regional office. Most wardens understand what happens in a critical uof situation, and address things appropriately because they've been there, done that. I say most, because we do have some wardens who've never had gray on. They came up through classification, or through some other administrative avenue, and have no clue what it's like to be fighting a convict. Those types of wardens may not understand as much about UOF, and what goes into it. So, they may be harsher on discipline. I've seen that happen on occasion. Next piece of advice. Trust NO ONE. There are lots of snakes, snitches, and plain ass evil people working for TDCJ. Watch and observe. Actions always speak louder than words. When you find someone you can trust, pick their brain about the unit, it's pitfalls, who else you can trust. Do NOT get sucked into violating policy from anyone intentionally. There will be people who will try you, just to see if they can turn you. That goes for inmates as well as officers. They will test your integrity. Always maintain your integrity. Don't lie for anyone. That doesn't mean you have to be a snitch. You don't have to run and tell on every little violation you see. It's very hard to be perfect, and payback is hell. Remember that. With that said, there's things I will NOT let slide. Things like someone committing criminal activity, developing a relationship with an inmate, bringing in contraband, helping an inmate commit a crime, violations of PREA, will all be told on by me. Most other more minor things I will address directly with the persons involved. Do it again, and shame on their ass. Here's a pet peeve of mine, do NOT try to run someone else's position. Don't try to tell other folks how to do their jobs if your not the supervisor. It's not your place. I can't stand when a rookie comes in and try's to tell me I'm doing something wrong. That's the quickest way to get put on my shit list, and ignored. Do YOUR job, not anyone elses. I've written enough for now. Good luck at the Academy. I have no doubt you'll do great. Keep us posted. And, as always, if you have any questions just hollar. Some of us have been around the agency for a while.
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Post by aco476 on Nov 20, 2016 17:04:52 GMT -5
If that last little blurb was directed at me..you did a whole lot of typing for nothing. I'm retired military. I know the importance of being where you say you will. I don't particularly care if there are dorms just asked.wow. First, thank you for your service. I didn't retire, but I spent nine honorable years serving my country. "Prior military" means nothing to me. What you (and I) do right here and right now is all that matters to me. I know a lot of people that are prior military that are complete scumbags. I'm sorry if my being direct and to the point with you touched a nerve, but if you are prior military, you should appreciate a direct and truthful answer. I could have made my answer much shorter and not done a whole lot of typing for nothing. I could have simply put "Ask Huntsville HR." Truth is, I don't know the status of BOQs at every single prison in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Everything happens in this industry for a reason. You think that offender that just got his head caved in with a fan motor in a sock was just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Nope. There was a reason behind it. Just like I think there was a reason behind you asking about BOQs. If I lived 10 minutes from the farm I would have no reason to be asking about them... Hopefully that clears up my response to you. I still wish you the best of luck and I still want you to always remember where you're working. Don't ever get complacent and don't ever think that the thugs in white are your friend. Give them what the state says they get and nothing more and you'll have a pretty easy time.
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Post by crosstimbersokie on Nov 21, 2016 5:24:16 GMT -5
I've never worked for TDCJ, but I've toured Roach on three occasions. Once in 1995 and twice in 1997. I was extremely impressed with what I saw there. It was by far the cleanest and most orderly prison I've ever been in. But... Listen to Marty, and take advantage of www.tdcj.state.tx.us/divisions/hr/benefits/tlpp-benefits.pdf . You may need it. Let me explain. In 1990 I was fresh out of the Army after four years as a 19E & 19K. I went to work for Oklahoma Department of Corrections. There was an 'old timer' there named "Steve." Steve had been there about nine years and was one of the most adept people I've ever met at managing inmates. He could talk a thug out of his boxer shorts before the turd realized he had agreed to anything. In 1992 I went to work for the feds at El Reno, OK. About two years later Steve went to work for TDCJ and opened Roach. We stayed in touch and by May of 1995 he was already a Sergeant. I drove to Childress that month and toured the unit. The officers there were very motivated, the place was clean and orderly, and everyone was proud of the place. I went back in the late summer and early fall of 1997 with fellow employees from the feds. By then Steve was a lieutenant and seemed to be heading for a chief of security job or maybe even assistant warden. In 1997 I noticed that the place had not seemed to have changed much but it didn't seem to be quite as clean as it had been in 1995. That may not seem important, but it is. It's a reflection of the staff's morale and the control or lack of that they have over the inmates. Then in January of 1998 I lost contact with Steve and heard through the prison employee grapevine that he had quit TDCJ and departed for points unknown. To this day I haven't a clue what happened or where he went. But, it's not an unfamiliar story to me as I've known quite a number of former TDCJ officers and thousands of former TDCJ inmates over the 26 years I worked in prisons. There was "Rooster" who I first met in 1992 when I went to work for the feds. Rooster worked for TDCJ from about 1976 to 1986 before retiring as a lieutenant and going to work for the feds. Rooster worked for TDCJ during its most trying time--Ruiz V. Estelle and its aftermath. Rooster had been brutalized to the point that it effected his mental health. Rooster was an absolute paranoid nut-job during routine day-to-day operations. But, when the pressure was on there was no one in the world who had a better head on their shoulders or who made better decisions in emergencies than Rooster. Rooster retired in 2011. His son works at El Reno... I last saw Rooster in December 2014 at a retirement party. Other than being grayer and fatter, he was the same old Rooster. Then there are a couple of more I know whose names I won't mention at this point. But I believe them to both be solid officers with years of service in TDCJ. Both were hounded out of TDCJ essentially. It appears to me that TDCJ eats its own. I sit here retired for the past seven weeks, ready to return to work somewhere, but I'm leery of TDCJ. From a purely financial perspective, TDCJ is the best in Corrections in the middle part of the US. But, there's more to it than money and I still remain unconvinced... I would love to hear about what Roach is like nowadays though.
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Post by mley1 on Nov 21, 2016 18:23:14 GMT -5
I've never worked for TDCJ, but I've toured Roach on three occasions. Once in 1995 and twice in 1997. I was extremely impressed with what I saw there. It was by far the cleanest and most orderly prison I've ever been in. But... Listen to Marty, and take advantage of www.tdcj.state.tx.us/divisions/hr/benefits/tlpp-benefits.pdf . You may need it. Let me explain. In 1990 I was fresh out of the Army after four years as a 19E & 19K. I went to work for Oklahoma Department of Corrections. There was an 'old timer' there named "Steve." Steve had been there about nine years and was one of the most adept people I've ever met at managing inmates. He could talk a thug out of his boxer shorts before the turd realized he had agreed to anything. In 1992 I went to work for the feds at El Reno, OK. About two years later Steve went to work for TDCJ and opened Roach. We stayed in touch and by May of 1995 he was already a Sergeant. I drove to Childress that month and toured the unit. The officers there were very motivated, the place was clean and orderly, and everyone was proud of the place. I went back in the late summer and early fall of 1997 with fellow employees from the feds. By then Steve was a lieutenant and seemed to be heading for a chief of security job or maybe even assistant warden. In 1997 I noticed that the place had not seemed to have changed much but it didn't seem to be quite as clean as it had been in 1995. That may not seem important, but it is. It's a reflection of the staff's morale and the control or lack of that they have over the inmates. Then in January of 1998 I lost contact with Steve and heard through the prison employee grapevine that he had quit TDCJ and departed for points unknown. To this day I haven't a clue what happened or where he went. But, it's not an unfamiliar story to me as I've known quite a number of former TDCJ officers and thousands of former TDCJ inmates over the 26 years I worked in prisons. There was "Rooster" who I first met in 1992 when I went to work for the feds. Rooster worked for TDCJ from about 1976 to 1986 before retiring as a lieutenant and going to work for the feds. Rooster worked for TDCJ during its most trying time--Ruiz V. Estelle and its aftermath. Rooster had been brutalized to the point that it effected his mental health. Rooster was an absolute paranoid nut-job during routine day-to-day operations. But, when the pressure was on there was no one in the world who had a better head on their shoulders or who made better decisions in emergencies than Rooster. Rooster retired in 2011. His son works at El Reno... I last saw Rooster in December 2014 at a retirement party. Other than being grayer and fatter, he was the same old Rooster. Then there are a couple of more I know whose names I won't mention at this point. But I believe them to both be solid officers with years of service in TDCJ. Both were hounded out of TDCJ essentially. It appears to me that TDCJ eats its own. I sit here retired for the past seven weeks, ready to return to work somewhere, but I'm leery of TDCJ. From a purely financial perspective, TDCJ is the best in Corrections in the middle part of the US. But, there's more to it than money and I still remain unconvinced... I would love to hear about what Roach is like nowadays though. I have no idea what Roach is like nowadays. When you toured it the unit was new, and ran by some go getters that came from the horrors of the '80's, the bloody hallways, the homicides from gangs, the brutality. They were old school. Of course, as time goes on things change. There's not much room for folks with old school mentality anymore. If you can't adapt, they run you off. There's still a few of us left, but not many. Policy is your friend. Learn it, live it, USE it to your advantage. A lot of good people get run off because folks above them either don't like them, are threatened by them, or for whatever reason. The problem is that it's so easy to get railroaded. Investigations can be ran through with little or no evidence, or fabricated evidence, and the admin run with it. Just ask Maryanne Denner about bullshit investigations.
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Post by accussedsnitchgp11 on Nov 22, 2016 3:33:29 GMT -5
I can't speak for the Roach Unit..since I only Worked on the Allred Unit....but Like the saying Says...Apple doesn't fall from the Tree....Think about this...Two TDCJ Officers Killed within a Year..On Units Short Staffed..Across the State from each other.Everything Blamed on the Line Officers. Admins saying they didn't know staff was taking short cuts...TDCJ Leadership saying Staffing Shortages doesn't effect Safety.....
I can pretty much tell you If it is going on on a Unit Down South....It is Happening on Northern Units. People don't Quit TDCJ because they pay to much, They Don't Quit because they Treat us like Gods.... No matter what I say and post on here, people won't believe until they see it first hand. and Experience it. Just like the Military....While a Veteran I never Experienced WAR...Only Peacetime in Germany.
Just remember this once your on a UNIT, Unlike the Military...You won't PCS to another UNIT in a short time...You Will either Live through it and retire or Say "F" this and Quit or get fired for something that gets done all the time and allowed to happen until Sh$t happens and they need an Escapegoat.
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