What is your opinion regarding C.O.'s.......would you consider them LEO's or not? If not, why?

I used to be a CO, and now I am a police officer. Corrections officers job is to enforce the law, by supervising inmates who broke it.

So by enforcing the law, they are by definition "law enforcement"

That was the same way I thought of it, however here in Florida, the Florida Highway Patrol and various other agencies don't view us in the same way.

Stay in Corrections long enough and you'll supervise some of those same LE types.

Stay safe

Tn corrections officers learned a few things this year.



Per federal law corrections officers are law enforcement.



Per patriot act, law enforcement and some other folks like fire and ems can be made to work 170 hours before time and a half kicks in.



That 170 is over a 28 day pay period, so 4 weeks.



Used to be tn corrections officers worked 5 on and 2 off and at 8 hours a block unless drafted to next shift to cover posts.



Now it is 6 on and 3 off and 8.5 hours with the half hour being a shift briefing.



Previously the 28 day period would have had time and a half kicking in after 160 hours.



So there is a 10 block of time that is still paid at straight time.



In general there will be the same number of off days between 5 and 2 or 6 and 3.  It does depend on how some things fall but it works out over several months.



Now here in tn corrections officers are not post certified.



Police officers are post certified.



Lots of stuff has been in the tn news with some of the changes corrections has seen this year.



So I guess the answer to your question is that per federal law, corrections officers are law enforcement.



In tn a police officer that is post certified has training that is beyond what a corrections officer in tn has.



I don't know for your state but as usual it kind of depends on exactly what question is being asked.



The way I explain it is that police officers enforce laws in the free world.  Corrections officers enforce laws behind the wall.



In tn, the state employs corrections officers and any prison run by cca is unknown to me, there are some in tn and I don't have a clue how they do their stuff.

here the LEO are in normally alot better shape overall than the average CO

I see them come in the store down the road and some of the tacticool full body outfits are like

All women prison guards are on average 100 pounds over weight and most of the male officers are also , then they attach all these "empty" holders/pockets/devices to their belts and suspenders

I would take that crap off when I leave the prison and store it with the crap that should be in the holders


I am not bashing just making mention of the characters in a prison in the country

All the LEO's I have spoke with are nice, friendly and down to earth, the Guards all seem to have holy-e-than attitudes stemming from them not being LEO

Ya'll stay safe

In Delaware we are LEO's. Overall we are looked down on by a fair percentage of "real cops" but I understand why. Too many CO's want the respect of being a LEO but don't want to carry themselves like one. Too many of them are fat slobs in uniforms that look like they've slept in them for a week. Those of us that try have to pick up the slack and try to change the image of the CO. It's exhausting.

Most other C.O.s in the state/country? Yes.
Ours? No fucking way.
Why? Because the hiring standards were even lower than the embarrissingly low standards for NYPD which led to many problems.

In NJ corrections officers have full law enforcement/peace officer status. That is the case in several other states as well. CA, NY and I believe FL. NJ corrections officers are trained the same way, in many cases better then local PDs excluding NJ MV code. Background,academic and physical standards are very high. A new recruit graduating our academy will run a min of 5 miles in 50 min, have the ability to PT for 1 hour and and pass NJ PTC approved curriculum consisting on NJ law, use of force, firearms, self defense, constitutional rights and much more. There are no exceptions. The NJDOC SOG cross trains with SP and other LE agencies. Our officers have participated with and or assisted other agencies with the Super Bowl, Super Storm Sandy and the aftermath of Sept 11.

Back in my AO yes.

For most posts the equipment stays with the post, mace and cuffs and radio and keys and shackles and whatever else.



No place to leave your duty belt or method of carry.



Some items have a case, we have a wrong size mace case for the mace we carry and most are worn out so most folks buy their own.



This is for corrections in tn.



Interesting thing I learned about cuff keys with lifetime warranty.  Warranty is not offered to corrections officers.  



 

Law Enforcement yes, police officers no.

I am a certified CO. Female, 125 lbs.  I get teased by some of the other women, I am by far the smallest person they've hired here in a while but it's a smaller facility, housing about 50 max but on average 17 adults male/female.  I do consider myself LEO, but I also have respect for the PD and SO.  They need us and we need them.  Otherwise where would they put their captives?  Where would I find work if they didn't capture them for me?  I couldn't imagine going into these perps houses, and the police couldn't imagine sitting back here with them day in and day out.  Last year I spent 97 days worth of shifts in here.  I live with these creeps.  We are unarmed, no mace, no batons, no Tasers.  I've never felt threatened violently, guys tend to say something out of line I have a "mom" voice that makes them shut the hell up and act right.  My favorite line is; was there a mint on your pillow when you got here? No. I am not your maid or your mother.  You're going to either stop talking like that, now.  

LEO? yes. Police? no. The pen where I work employs many ex-police from various agencies, and they are amazed at what we deal with daily - as I'm sure I would be if roles were reversed. It's not a competition. Not quite apples and oranges, but apples and... some other kind of apple haha .

<<<----- patrol guy who never worked a day in the jail.  They may be viewed as over paid baby sitters, but it's a job I could never do, nor want to, and have the utmost respect for any Deputy who runs a pod of 30-50 shit bags by themselves, unarmed!   I at least get to interact with normal good people in my day, with some contact with criminals and any I arrest I see less than an hour.  C.O.s deal with them constantly, day in and day out.  I'm sure if I worked there my outlook on humanity would be even more jaded than it already is!

In NJ correction officers have full peace officer/law enforcement power. One thing I like to point out is that we are not police officers, we are correction officers. With that said, police officers are not corrections officers.

No.

In MI, Corrections Officers have all the same legal protections and standing as any other Law Enforcement.



Local Corrections Officers that work for a Sheriff also hold all the same powers as the office. (i.e a CO can perform civil process duties.)



 

Does MCOLES certify "Corrections" officers or just Law Enforcement Officers.

FYI...see below.

THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE (EXCERPT)
Act 175 of 1927


764.16 Arrest by private person; situations.
Sec. 16.

A private person may make an arrest—in the following situations:

(a) For a felony committed in the private person's presence.

(b) If the person to be arrested has committed a felony although not in the private person's presence.

(c) If the private person is summoned by a peace officer to assist the officer in making an arrest.

(d) If the private person is a merchant, an agent of a merchant, an employee of a merchant, or an independent contractor providing security for a merchant of a store and has reasonable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has violated section 356c or 356d of the Michigan penal code, Act No. 328 of the Public Acts of 1931, being sections 750.356c and 750.356d of the Michigan Compiled Laws, in that store, regardless of whether the violation was committed in the presence of the private person.


History: 1927, Act 175, Eff. Sept. 5, 1927 ;-- CL 1929, 17150 ;-- CL 1948, 764.16 ;-- Am. 1988, Act 19, Eff. June 1, 1988

Separate certifications with different powers.



DOC handles state level.



The Michigan Sheriff's Coordination and Training Council handles local level.



 

I did corrections for a short stint and I learned quickly that it's not my game and jumped ship to the PO side. Many looked at it as easy money to sit around and babysit all day.

I find it funny that criminals seem to respect and listen to CO's more than PO's from my experience.

Baby sitting? That's what corrections officers do? Amusing...

The reason criminals listen to correction officers is that we deal with them long term and most are smart enough to understand that. The police officer only deals with them during the ride to the police station.

  30-50???  LMMFAO, Our housing units have more than that sitting around during a weekday when most the thugs are at jobs, school, programs, rec.....   Try 150-165.

Yeah that's a lot to manage alone!

Most FL LE agencies don't really view FHP as real LE so don't feel too bad.