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Saturday, January 19, 2008

A Crybaby From The WCDC Makes A Comment & Plays The Race Card

Its ignorant ass people like you that don't understand our job as correction officer's that makes it hard for us. I commend Sgt. Dickerson for what he is doing for the detention center and the officer's working there(present and future). We are the largest correction facility on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, we housed over 600 inmates. Not only locals but also federal and INS inmates. YES Worcester County makes 10,000 dollars more than what Wicomico makes. We put our lives on the line every single day we walk thru those doors, anything could happen within seconds. You say that we don't need a raise, that we're crying well I say step into our shoes just for 1 day or even a week and I guarentee that you wouldn't even come back the next day. What makes a correction officer's job less important? When Mike Lewis became the Head of the Sheriff Department I didn't hear anyone BITCHING AND COMPLAINING about what the County gave them. When they received rows of cars and a bus. Yes maybe the county do need to get rid of Director Devenyns, Duputy Director Roberts, Major Moore and Captain Foreman. You can't run a jail from sitting behind a desk all day. WHY SHOULDN'T WE RECIEVE A DECENT RAISE IS IT BECAUSE MOST OF THE OFFICER'S WORKING THERE ARE BLACK?!!! All that we are asking for is what is right for us. How DARE A Man try and compare his wife working at a zoo to working in a jail, trust me there is NO comparison. I say to the many officer's and to Sgt.Dickerson JOB WELL DONE AND KEEP UP THE EXCELLANT WORK!!!! TO people like you LEARN OUR JOB, DO OUR JOB BEFORE YOU JUDGE OUR JOB AND TRY TO TELL US WHAT WE DO OR DON'T NEED!!!

22 comments:

joe albero said...

I can't wait to see the Zoo Staf crying like little babies on PAC14 using statistics of just how dangerous it is to work with animals and how many Zookeepers get injured or killed every year.

Yeah, it's like cancer spreading because they take on these jobs and then as a group start demanding more pay.

There is a chain of command and DICKERSON broke it and should be terminated for such.

I said it once and I'll say it again. IF you don't like the pay, LEAVE! The County WILL find someone willing to replace you, trust me on that one.

Anonymous said...

Remember what the Mayor did to Larry Dodd for getting on Pac 14 and complaining about the 14% tax increase? He was there as a citizen and taxpayer, not with the fire department.

This guy Dickerson was completely out of line, I agree Joe.

Anonymous said...

I cannot believe these people have the nerve to pull this. Rick Pollitt should terminate every one of them and hire new people that will appreciate a good paying job.

Anonymous said...

The job of corrections at WCDC is dangerous, but not as much as ECI. Most of the inmates are low level street thugs with the occasional real bad ass. Most of the time they are likely to hurt or scam their fellow inmates and not the officers. However, with the mindset of most of them you cannot take that chance. These men and womenr protect the citizen from having these criminals in the streets again.
I know most of these officers and respect them for what they do. Its a hotbed of tension within those walls due to the strict rules that they must follow. Ask any corrections officer and they will tell you its the same anywhere. Officers know this going into the job and take on the task anyhow. Some stay for years and some only last days. Its not for everyone.
It is my opinion that the ratio of black corrections officers is because of the benefits provided. They earn a decent living with benefits and retire at an earlier age than most. Many institutions have a 20 year retirement plan at at least 50 percent, It not unlike any other public or civil service job.

I appreciate the work these men and women do. I could not do it for sure. The gentleman who spoke out will certainly draw some fire, but he did what he felt was right. The criticism will pass in time and his point will be made.

Anonymous said...

The largest correction facility on the easternshore? Three letters come to mind ECI over 3,000 inmates there

Anonymous said...

Why the hell do you deserve a raise when you can't even spell correctly?

Anonymous said...

A Corrections Officer’s job can be extremely difficult at times. We must remember that the people that were put in these facilities DO NOT WANT TO BE THERE and they were put there against their will by the conduct of their actions. That being said; the GOOD Corrections Officers do deserve recognition. Noticed I said GOOD; work in one of our lovely facilities for a while as a Corrections Officer and you will find that your biggest enemy comes from the other men and women working along side you wearing the same uniform as you. The best and most accomplishing thing we as citizens could do for the Dept. of Corrections is to raise the standards for its Correction Officers. Make testing more challenging, better background investigations, and above all physical fitness requirements. Some of our fine upstanding Corrections Officers need to go on a diet. Raise the requirements, increase the QUALITY of the employees, and they will be more productive and warrant better salaries. As for the comment concerning our Sheriff, Mike Lewis, nothing would be better than to have him take over the Wicomico County Jail; he would probably implement exactly what I had just stated.

joe albero said...

There are two kind of people entering the WCDC. You're right, ONE of them does NOT want to be there. HOWEVER, the other, YOU, does. YOU choose to walk through that door every day and you were paid what was agreed upon when you took the job.

I'm NOT knocking the work that you do there, it's honorable and appreciated. However, I will knock YOU if you ever attempt to be slick and go through the process you chose to and try to plead for a raise.

If you want to take the normal channels to get a raise, fine. However, I personally believe you insulted Rick Pollitt and the entire Council as well as the Warden. As a businessman, I would have fired the bunch of you.

Remember what happened to the Airline Traffic Controllers??????

Unknown said...

The sad thing is talk to anyone that has been incarcerated at WCDC and then gone to say Jessup for the balance of state time and they'll tell you "I'd rather be in lock down at the "Cut" than do 30 days at WCDC. The reasons are simple the criminals running the place and in the place are small time idiots that love to engage in juvenile games and love to jerk your chain.

Anonymous said...

We are the largest correction facility on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, we housed over 600 inmates. Not only locals but also federal and INS inmates.

Again, I ask, where are the federal dollars going that is paid to the county to house the federal and INS inmates? I would be asking someone with answers that question. Compare your pay rate to that of a federal COs pay rate. You are doing their job, you should be getting their pay.

To the person referencing ECI, that is a state run facility, WCDC is a county run facility with federal prisoners as well, hence the maximum security status. It's nothing like the Snow Hill/Worcester County Hilton.

Anonymous said...

I have spoken to criminals many times and hear the same thing over & over. They'd rather go to the Somerset County or Worcester County detention centers than go to WCDC. WCDC is a disgrace and needs to be overhauled. It's dirty and disorderly.
As for the comment at 10:34--You are the type of C/O that matters and that needs to be kept. Kudos to you and your kind.

Anonymous said...

Apparently it has gotten to the point that the upper echelon at WCDC does not care about their employees and it has taken someone with enough guts to stand up and ask for the opportunity to earn a decent living. What is wrong with standing up for your right to earn a decent wage. Unions do it all the time. I don't see you bashing the Sheriffs Office about going to the council. If the WCDC had binding arbitration then individuals wouldn't have to bypass the chain of command. And why should they all just leave if they are not happy with the pay. These are probably people with families who cannot just uproot and move to find another job in their career field. ECI is the only other game in town and I'm sure plenty of CO's leave WCDC to go their for the better pay and benefits, or join the police force for the same thing plus the prestige and a take home car. And don't you think they deserve better pay. These guys essentially are babysitters and I don't mean any sleight. The nature of the scum they have to watch and the conditions in that building doesn't dignify the poor pay. I hope you guys are able to get what you deserve.
Respectfully,
Norbie

joe albero said...

Again,

There is a process in which you are to follow. It's called protocol. You do NOT go over every one's head. Could this have been a set up? Could someone on the Council have quietly suggested this be done? I don't have the answer to that.

What I do know is, it was out of line, period. Do they deserve more pay? Perhaps. However, like I continue to say, they accepted the job and the pay, why gang up on the County all of a sudden?

These people are NOT Police Officers, period.

Anonymous said...

"WHY SHOULDN'T WE RECIEVE A DECENT RAISE IS IT BECAUSE MOST OF THE OFFICER'S WORKING THERE ARE BLACK?!!! "

If that's the case you're already over paid.

Anonymous said...

IF YOU DON'T LIKE UR JOB GET A NEW ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! QUIT F N COMPLAINING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Sgt. Dickerson has always felt that Policy, Procedure, and Protocol were for everyone but him and he frequently bypasses the chain of command to gain what he wants, right or wrong. His actions do not surprise me. I can pretty much guarantee that he won't get as much as a slap on the wrist.

As far as WCDC---- There is a fine line between keeper and kept in many cases.

Anonymous said...

Where do you think ECI gets their inmates. From County Detention Centers.
Wicomico County Dept. of Corrections gets them right off the street. Some come in fighting because they were caught and still mad about it or still high on drugs.
Some wait and throw feces and urine. Some of this has blood in it with HIV and/or aids. Think about this and then go home and kiss your spouse and children. You just may of gave them HIV or aids. This is not a safe job. The Officers do not sit behind a desk.
When the inmates start fighting, Correctional officers has to stop it. If there is blood with HIV and/or Aids in it and the Medical dept. knows who the inmates are with it. They can not tell us. We will find out if we came in contact later during the slow death.
Those of you who have no idea of the work involved as a Correctioal Officer and want to bash us for doing a hazardous job and think a little more compinsation is not justified. Come join us and find out.
Ask any Police officer if they will do our jobs. They will tell you no way. They all will say its bad enough to deal with 1,2 or 5 people on the street at one time. But they will not walk up to a housing unit or Pod open the door with 30 to 40 inmates and its only you. We have no weapons, but the inmates have homemade knives, socks with battiers, mop and broom handles and other items for weapons.
Yes alot of us stay for years. Some leave after a walk through before hired. We even had some leave on the first day and mail the uniform back.
Yes, inmates don't like WCDC and want to goto places like ECI. They have more freedom and the gangs have better chance to stay together. WCDC tries to keep them seperate. ECI is no picnic either.
I would bet that most that are bashing Correctional Officers are most likely exinmates.
Sgt. Dickerson is a fair man and is tring to do what is right. He is a true Christen.
So go ahead and bash my spelling. Its the only thing you can be negative about.

Anonymous said...

The CO's who start thier empoyment there are excited the first day of work. Then a couple of weeks go by and there being told by senior Ofc's and Supervisors that certain rules dont apply, and inmates can do this and have that. This begins to be tiresome to the new CO. Then the CO realizes that the majority of OFc's are either related to or friends with the inmates, and therefore those inmates get special treatment and the rules dont apply. It's even bad when the supervisors give special treatement to their relatives (inmates). The CO further realizes that the majority of his/her co workers dont care about the security of the institution, the safety of his/her fellow Ofc's, or even the S.O.P.'s (Standard Operating Procedures) and are only there to collect a pay check. So, how can you have order in an Correctional Institution where the CO's dont care.

As for being the only one at the pod door. Come on! If there is a fight between inmates, doesnt the floor OFc or Pod control Ofc call for an "All Available" to the pod. During the wait for backup, dont you attempt to lock down the pod until the supervisor arrives, so that would mean that no one (including Ofc's) goes into the pod and the pod door doesnt open until everyone is locked down. And when the supervisor does arrive, dont they usually spoon feed, or gently console the poor inmate and give them anything they want just so he/she will go into there cell, because it is a Gentler, Kindler, Softer Jail.

There are only a handfull of Ofc's, and a handfull of Supervisors that in fact follow the rules and enforce the rules, and take their job seriously. The Majority of Ofc's and Supervisors dont care, are lazy, and are only there to collect a pay check.

Also, there are alot of Police Officers that would and have done the job. They were there for a long time before they realized how screwed up WCDC is, and didnt want to take a chance of there fellow, non caring, lazy coworker getting them hurt. WCDC is a joke compared to other institutions, and we need to get rid of most of the supervisors and up, and then maybe they will fire the lazy Ofc's who dont care, and are hazardous to their fellow CO (you know who you are).

Anonymous said...

Okay, people, let's get real for a change. Can any one of you imagine what would happen at WCDC if every officer quit as Joe and others suggest? There would be more escapes, more murders inside, and not one civilian would be safe at home or at work. Why? Because you cannot graduate from the "academy" knowing all one needs to know about security and the handling of inmates. That knowledge must be learned over time, through actual experience. Put a bunch of green graduates in any facility and watch the safety of Wicomico and surrounding counties collapse. What a ridiculous notion . . . if you don't like the pay, walk out. Grow some brains here. Put brain into gear before putting fingers (or mouth) into motion.

Follow the proper chain of command? And just who would that encompass? 3D? Hell! We still don't even know who or what he really is! The man claims 10 years of Navy service, but try and find one ounce of Military behavior or mind-set in that man. It's not there, so who is he really? 3D lies to his co-workers, simpers up to anyone he considers political power, and humiliates anyone he considers less than his own personal "greatness". DD Roberts? She's still wrapped up in her last job, arranging programs for the inmates. Her only thought is the poor, mistreated inmates. Teddy bear Moor can hardly push himself up from his desk and is so absorbed with the "ladies" and telling jokes that he can't handle daily problems, and Baracuda Elliot is trying to sink his teeth into everyone else's back when they aren't looking, his version of clawing his way to the top. So just who do the CO's turn to?

3D should have been fired when that boy committed suicide and the COs AND supervisors on duty did not find him for 6 hours. The county council didn't have the intestinal fortitude. He should have been fired when that guy escaped over a fence with debris stacked against it. Again, the council hid its head. It took 3D one entire year to get his jail in compliance with Standards, and he only managed that once he'd been given an official citation. He has never managed to comply with the requirements of DoJ (Department of Justice). Why is 3D still Director? What will it take to get the county council off its lazy ass?

One anonymous said the COs should all face more stringent tests and get into physycal shape? How about getting rid of the dead wood first?

Anonymous said...

joe all i will say is that if you know so much I challenge YOU to work at wcdc. then we will see what you have to say. But i doubt you have the balls for that.

Anonymous said...

First of all I am a former employee of wcdc and I say that with pride because quitting my job at that shithole is the best thing I ever did. You all bitch about your raises and then someone pulls the race card with that crap of is because we are black? Seriously YOU ARE NOT ALL BLACK. Secondly you will never get your raises if you don't stop bickering with each other and start working together toward a common goal. AND THAT IS YOUR RAISE AND BETTER WORK CONDITIONS. You had a chance with the whole union thing and you blew it by not sticking together. Dickerson asked and asked for you people to go with him to the council meetings and with the exception of a few...YOU ALL FAILED HIM AND YOURSELVES. You have no one to blame for the situations you are in but yourselves. SO STOP WHINING AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! AND FINALLY GROW UP AND ACT LIKE ADULTS!!

Anonymous said...

while I'm at it I will go ahead and name all of the officers that are not worth a damn in the place starting with WILLIS,BROOKS,The KELLAMS, MAJOR MOORE, RITCHENS, POOGIE with her stupid looking hair that she has. LT KELLEY, CRIEGHTON, PARKER, BRATTEN, CHAMBERLIN, CAPT FOREMAN, Pretty much any of the women there. All they care about is looking pretty, which they don't oh yeah and dating Inmates. There ya go just putting it out there now you think about it.