tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post429067913711985170..comments2024-03-15T05:45:01.402-05:00Comments on Grits for Breakfast: Texas prison guards may get 20% pay hike - TDCJ requests 10.5% overall budget increaseGritsforbreakfasthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10152152869466958902noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-52624909493226736522009-05-09T01:51:00.000-05:002009-05-09T01:51:00.000-05:00I have yet to see more than a VERY few TDCJ guards...I have yet to see more than a VERY few TDCJ guards that have any command presence. Most look like short, fat, dumpy "alternative lifestyle" pseudo females or men that are one step away from a nursing home. TDCJ needs to start hiring physically fit illegals from Mexico like most Texas companies have been doing for years---to include the firms owned by the people in the Texas state legislature. Now the chickens come home to roost and it is really funny to watch.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-6040193104488821312008-12-10T00:40:00.000-06:002008-12-10T00:40:00.000-06:00If Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst were to donate som...If Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst were to donate some of his suits to a public auction TDCJ guards would be rolling in cash. Surely a French made custom tailored suit could feed a guard's family for a year or two...............Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-73492185094064503372008-12-09T21:59:00.000-06:002008-12-09T21:59:00.000-06:00So the TDCJ guards are worried about getting more ...So the TDCJ guards are worried about getting more money---maybe they should be a bit more worried about getting cancer and/or staying alive?! Most TDCJ units have drinking water that is laced with pollutants that range from thallium to industrial solvents, not to mention rat poison to pesticides. I STRONGLT advise all prison units to check their jail of employment against the list at ewg.com. It looks to me like a lot of prison guards may well be dying before the convicts they herd around, depending upon which group drinks more water.......Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-42677721746127855602008-12-09T00:47:00.000-06:002008-12-09T00:47:00.000-06:00Convict advocacy groups need to ally themselves wi...Convict advocacy groups need to ally themselves with groups such as the ACLU so as to get some cogent lawsuits filed against the state. Dozens of little groups are doing their own "bit" and the result is that nothing real gets accomplished. Until enough groups coalesce into a courtroom setting nothing will change. To the group that suppled fans---most of them have been confiscated by the guards. A united effort is the only thing that will work, backed up by a fund raising effort that covers all of Texas and beyond. Real lawyers cost money---and Norman Sirak's effort was a dismal failure for all of us. No time to dither however---we all know what has to be done.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-75359384750459056042008-11-18T20:50:00.000-06:002008-11-18T20:50:00.000-06:00I have read some of the blogs posted in this web s...I have read some of the blogs posted in this web site and from what i have read i am appalled. has anyone ever heard of the saying why do fightfighters run into a burning building when everyone eles is running out. the same goes for correctional officers why do we run to the riots, fights, stabbings, suicide attempts when everyone that were free world cloths stays in there office. I think it is a very good idea to give the officers a pay raise that is well deserved. It is them that puts their life on the line everyday to keep the public safe from convicted felons. there are only three types of offenders that is murders, rapist, and thieves, and we have to deal with these types of offenders with out knowning what kind of person they really are. after all they are not in there for singing loud in a church choir.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-34138157329094421802008-10-23T06:35:00.000-05:002008-10-23T06:35:00.000-05:00what about pay raises for industry and the mainten...what about pay raises for industry and the maintenance who work with inmates making and saving the state millions of dollars what about raises for us we were look over last time and if we are look over again im pretty sure most industry and maintenance would tranfer back to a co. and there will be no more industry or maintenance workers to run these departments!!!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-21221924375391834542008-09-17T01:32:00.000-05:002008-09-17T01:32:00.000-05:00proselaw.net is a website that shows families of T...proselaw.net is a website that shows families of TDCJ inmates how to sue the parole board and do it for cheap!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-16610957547920208502008-09-17T01:24:00.000-05:002008-09-17T01:24:00.000-05:00Responding to blogger 9/04/2008 09:58:00 PMThe esc...Responding to blogger 9/04/2008 09:58:00 PM<BR/><BR/>The escapes that occured during the Ike evacuations bear in mind that all five... <B>FIVE</B> mind you!!... escapes and attempted escapes have been trustees.<BR/><BR/>Most trustee camps have no fence, no perimeter oversight, some lack even perimeter patrols that pass by, and they are as understaffed as any other area of the farm.<BR/>Heck, I've even seen a Lieutenant's uniform hanging in an office that 'trustee' inmates have access to. The office was empty, and the door unsecured, when I entered.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-45718212276303973942008-09-17T01:17:00.000-05:002008-09-17T01:17:00.000-05:00Not only are units not air-conditioned, where ther...Not only are units not air-conditioned, where there <B>IS</B>. AC it's always set far, far too cold (sub-65 degrees typically) so that correctional staff and inmates that are exposed to hot-cold cycles when working those areas have their immune system shocked each time they cross the threshold.<BR/><BR/>Additionally, medical is terrifyingly understaffed in East Texas. UTMB provides 3 medical aides and a RN to keep up with 3500+ inmates, and then does everything it can to keep them from getting Overtime. UTMB medical staff are <I><B>barred</B></I> from assisting TDCJ employees in non life-threatening emergencies (they can be fired for so much as giving an officer an aspirin!). A single use-of-force can put the medical department hours behind schedule and pill-window operations are an excersize in frustration because medium custody inmates are allowed to stand in hallways for hours (an socialize/network/extort, they are <B>NOT</B> there for meds) during times of mass movment, allowing them to all-to-easily fall out of place among lower custody level offenders.<BR/><BR/>Kitchen staff are so understaffed it's a daily miracle that chow is fed at all, and it is always sub-standard compared to even your average swine slop. They cannot maintain oversight over the one or two hundred inmates they are tasked to direct, meaning that massive quantities of consumables go over the line (sugar, peanut butter, cheeze especially) unchecked. Kitchens need at least a quadrupling of their staffing (currently there may be three or four officers working a kitchen that has 100+ offenders all looking to make off with supplies. There should be a minimum, on a short-staffed day, of eight or more).<BR/><BR/>TDCJ needs federal oversight again, it is failing to fulfill even the most basic of its contracted obligations to both offenders and staff. Safety and security are barely maintained and are so only because the majority of inmates 'tow the line'. On a daily basis there are so many activities, and so few officers, that <B>no</B> security practices such as shake-downs can be accomplished.<BR/><BR/>It's a travesty, and unfortunately the legislature, and TDCJ as a whole, won't make a move even if (or when) an officer dies to offender aggression (as occured at the Micheal unit some short time ago - an officer was stabbed 18 times).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-18609657597027612142008-09-08T04:22:00.001-05:002008-09-08T04:22:00.001-05:00The last pay study done on TDCJ by the employee's ...The last pay study done on TDCJ by the employee's organization AFSCME, found that TDCJ was ranked No. 48 in the US on state correctional officer pay. In order for TDCJ to reach the middle of the road in pay they need to increase their max pay to between $40,000 to $45,000. <br />Texas might be facing costly Federal oversight if they do not fix their problem with professional staffing. A 20% raise is cheap compared to costly Federal oversight.<br /><br />sent from: fav.or.itfav.or.ithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03335937309857915745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-70226793124731612652008-09-04T21:58:00.000-05:002008-09-04T21:58:00.000-05:00i work on these same units as these co's . i walk ...i work on these same units as these co's . i walk down these same hallways and cell blocks as these co's and more times than not i don't have any security walk with me hell sometimes i don't even see any security on these cell blocks there asigned to them but most of the time they are standing in the hall not on the wings . i go down the cell blocks in seg with no security or trust vest a lot of time. i travel with a work crew all hours of the day and night and all over the state with no security with me not even as much as pepper spray. oh but wait these offenders are so called trustees. as a good friend of mine said once a trusty is a riskee. did i mention he is a warden hmmmmm<BR/>he thinks my job is just as dangerous as co's... what if tdcj had no support services such as maint. clerks. mailroom .. ag. hr. pest control....hummm i just wonder how would this organization run.... no i am not hating on the co's i did work in security for 7 and a half years... if co's get that raise so should the rest of us.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-14564108645545334602008-08-31T18:20:00.000-05:002008-08-31T18:20:00.000-05:00THE TEXAS PRISIONS ARE THE LOWEST PAY FOR PRISION ...THE TEXAS PRISIONS ARE THE LOWEST PAY FOR PRISION GUARDS.ALL THE OTHER STATES PAYS THERE GUARDS MORE MONEY.AND THEY NEED TO.THAT KINDA WORK CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS.I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THERE PAY WAS TOO LITTLE.I THINK THIS PAY HIKE NEEDS TO PASS.LIKE NOW.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-40800352592215349922008-08-24T21:36:00.000-05:002008-08-24T21:36:00.000-05:00The increase for correctional officers and parole ...The increase for correctional officers and parole officers is a welcome blessing. But an increase for all correctional staff should be considered. Clerks, mailroom, maintenance, we all have a role in this agency. <BR/>I have been a correctional officer for 12 years and I witnessed the excellent job these other departments do. But, being a CO, I am somwhat predudice. Give us our raise and consider the other departments at the session. " Good things come to those who wait."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-56456094247898668262008-08-19T00:09:00.000-05:002008-08-19T00:09:00.000-05:00William Harrison #864645 informs me that his cell ...William Harrison #864645 informs me that his cell reaches 108 degrees and he has to sleep with a wet cloth under his head to keep from passing out. He is at the Boyd Unit in Teague and he describes his top bunk as a "sauna". His tiny window faces west and his cell is behind several feet of concrete. TDCJ is careful not to let outside agencies bring thermemeters in and this is not surprising. Concerned groups need to start contacting the US Justice Deaprtment's Prison Standards section and not wait for anyone in Texas to reform TDCJ. Thank you, James Harrison, brother of William Harrison.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-47134657788690786292008-08-16T23:07:00.000-05:002008-08-16T23:07:00.000-05:00I would like to see the retirees get something out...I would like to see the retirees get something out of this. We did our time on "them ol' blocks but haven't gotten an extra cent in at least 7 years. We like to eat, too.<BR/> About all I can afford to do is stay home. I try to keep my gasoline usage down to 1 tank per month, so I can afford to pay my electric bill. Everything is going up but wages. The spending power of my retirement check has diminished a LOT,in the last few years. HELP!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-5970810205398337212008-08-16T17:26:00.000-05:002008-08-16T17:26:00.000-05:00anonymous 8/15/2008 12:08:00 AMNo there is no air ...anonymous 8/15/2008 12:08:00 AM<BR/><BR/>No there is no air conditioning in TX prisons ! There is also no individual cable TV . Just because you see these things on TV does not make it so .<BR/>The guards suffer as much from no A/C as do the prisoners. My organization, TX CURE, has donated 8000 fans to indigent prisoners to keep them alive and reasonably healthy since they did not all receive the death penalty.<BR/><BR/>Helga Dill, Chair, TX CUREAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-28247074065171915612008-08-16T08:55:00.000-05:002008-08-16T08:55:00.000-05:00Has increasing the guard salary ever resulted in b...Has increasing the guard salary ever resulted in better employee retention or decreased the number of incidents of guard on inmate assault?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-72996954479406626662008-08-15T10:04:00.000-05:002008-08-15T10:04:00.000-05:00Hey, Mr. Governor!!! How about worrying about the ...Hey, Mr. Governor!!! How about worrying about the workers of this state as much as you do your precious hair.<BR/>Get off your A** and demand parity for prison guards, parole officers and probation officers!!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-19931268974436000682008-08-15T08:50:00.000-05:002008-08-15T08:50:00.000-05:003:23 AM really said a mouthful. Our group receives...3:23 AM really said a mouthful. Our group receives quite a few emails from people permanently damaged by lack of medical treatment during a stay in county lockups (especially the East Texas jails), and I hear that health care by TDCJ's contractor is similar. I hope that county commissioners and state officials will eventually get caught out in this false economy—even if nobody cares about the suffering of inmates disabled by lack of care. (Would appreciate an email from 3:23; write to diana@texasjailproject.org)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-73677091112841075642008-08-15T03:23:00.000-05:002008-08-15T03:23:00.000-05:00When inmates leave TDCJ they are usually so unskil...When inmates leave TDCJ they are usually so unskilled and/or old, and in poor health, that they immediately become social security, disability, SSI, Medicare/Medicaid welfare cases of one degree or another. Too bad that the Texas public is so unsophisticated that they do not see the total costs their taxes must cover. I have heard of several inmates that got out of TDCJ and racked up several million dollars in heath care under Medicare and Medicaid before they died. Hopefully thousands will do likewise. Do you see anybody in the Texas legislature talking about this? The media? The "daily" inmate cost TDCJ foists off on the public is a lie, it merely constitutes the equivalent of the down payment on a car. The other 60 months of payments are not talked about. As for guards, TDCJ needs to hire illegals like the billionaires that support both political parties. The Boyd Unit in Teague is not air conditioned and on my visit there the guards smelled at least as bad as the inmates. Egalitarianism in TDCJ paradise---you have to love it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-90566048129973390792008-08-15T00:52:00.000-05:002008-08-15T00:52:00.000-05:00to anon @ 12.08 ~ there is some in the visitation ...to anon @ 12.08 ~ there is some in the visitation rooms, but none that I know of in the main parts of the units. The inmates can have fans (unless they are in transfer facilities) but that just moves the hot air around. <BR/><BR/>I really sympathise with the COs in their heavy uniforms during the summer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-14754913497776715892008-08-15T00:08:00.000-05:002008-08-15T00:08:00.000-05:00Is there no ac in the prisons?Is there no ac in the prisons?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-53010578096604621482008-08-15T00:06:00.000-05:002008-08-15T00:06:00.000-05:00Love that 5:28. I agree, get back to work short ...Love that 5:28. <BR/><BR/>I agree, get back to work short ones. You 3 are on the chief's hit list.<BR/><BR/>If you are not in the union / or TPA do your work and stay out of the politics. The infighting looses funds for all. So keep your head down and work .....let the real officers who want change work things out. Good job for parole and CO's much needed!!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-38354189513409920322008-08-14T23:57:00.000-05:002008-08-14T23:57:00.000-05:004pm blogger.....I think miles is talking about co'...4pm blogger.....I think miles is talking about co's or parole....not probation. Stop being a hater and worry about what you can do to help the probation officers of the state. I am a probation officer in a north county and Bexar is trying hard and all of us around the state would like to thank Bexar County Probation Officers for trying to change the rent a probation officer game that is being played.<BR/>I'm sure they are working on a probation raise since most officers could be a jailer and make more money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8597101.post-53496870389497022392008-08-14T18:55:00.000-05:002008-08-14T18:55:00.000-05:00Scott, if you really believe Brad Livingston origi...Scott, if you really believe Brad Livingston originated this request you are infected with whatever willie has been over-exposed with (one second thought that is a litle harsh). <BR/><BR/>I would love to see that kind of a raise for the employees but we have been down this yellow brick road before. The only change is the amount; 20% is really shooting for the sky. <BR/><BR/>I can hear Sly and the rest now, "Yes these employees do deserve a raise, but what about DPS, etc.,etc., etc.,". I do wish them luck. I would say it is the thought that counts but that doesn't pay for insurance and other expenses.<BR/><BR/>Retired 2004Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com