Quoted: Have you ever thought of trying to minister to the jailers as well? They have spiritual needs just the same as the prisoners. As you say, they go to jail everyday. The jailers see people at their worst every day, day after day, year after year. They have to distance themselves from the prisoners. They have to dehumanize the prisoners to a certain degree because they know these peoples lives are dead end and that they really are suffering. Otherwise they couldn't do the job. Seeing the worst in people, seeing people suffering so often eats at your humanity. It tears at your soul. After time, you begin to keep everyone at a distance. Especially on the job. You wear a game face. Sometimes that game face is hard to take off. Incarceration sucks for everyone on the inside. So Preacher, how about a little compassion, a little understanding and some of that christian love for the jailers?

Good post

I completely disagree with what many people here are saying.  There is absolutely no reason to be rude or unprofessional to any visiters at the jail.  I worked in a jail facility for almost 5 years and dealt with Doctors, Dentists, Nurses, Psych Techs, Attorneys, Clergy, Refrigeration repairmen, Telephone repairwomen, and Family of the incarcerated.  I can think of no reason not to be professional and courteous to them all.

I did arrest a couple of family members of inmates who had come to visit and were under the influence or had warrants, but I can arrest people and be polite.

I did cuss in front of a psych tech one time, (which was not professional I admit) but she had brought in sodas and given them to some psych patients in violation of the facility rules and a few other things happened that kind of pissed me off.

In the five years I worked the jail, escorting the Chaplains into the Facility and standing by with them while they conducted the services was probably one of the most enjoyable activities I ever had to do.
I did not enjoy the 3rd, 4th and 5th year of working the jail and remember walking in almost every day and saying to myself, "Fuck this fucking place"  I wanted out and could not get out because of a hiring freeze and budget cuts in the early 90's  I wanted out bad, but still did a good job and remained polite to the staff and visiters.

You can turn it on and off you just need to understand who the good guys are and who the bad guys are.  I have been on patrol now over 8 years. (5 in the jail, 2 at Court and 8 on the street)  I deal with victims, City Council members, Doctors, City employees, Drunk drivers, Child Molesters, Burglars, School Teachers, K-Mart employees, Parolees and just about every other type of person you can imagine.  I start by being polite and professional.  If I need to I can pepperspray them or baton them or just handcuff them.  Most people I deal with are the good guys, some are not.

The two years I worked the Court was the same.  I worked with Judges, Deputy District Attorneys, Defense Attorneys, Civil Attorneys, the public, inmates, and other Court Staff.  No reason not to be polite to each and everyone of them until they gave me a reason.

"Be polite and couteous to everyone you meet, but have a plan to kill them all"  

Quoted: They probably act like that b/c of who they spend every day around.

Yep if you are around trash all of the time some if it will get on you and make you stink too.

They deal with the dregs of society day in and day out . That shit is ure to wear ya down after a bit ya think?

Quoted: One of my least fun jobs as a pastor is visiting people in jail(sigh). No, my problem is NOT with the people locked up in the jail. It's the JAILERS! Why do I as a law abiding citizen and taxpayer get treated like and spoken to like I DID SOMETHING WRONG and am worthy of utter contempt? Honestly, the convicts are at least glad to see me! Why do these people(jailers) continue to work somewhere if they're  so stinking miserable working there? And WHY ON EARTH WOULD ANYBODY ChOOSE TO GO TO JAIL EVERYDAY? Rant over.

First, thank you for your service. I'm sure your presnce there has made a difference to many of the people.

Secondly I can't speak for every jail or jail experience, but there certainly are poorly run jails out there. Or individuals that get a little of of hand anytime they hav control over anything.

OTOH, as a person that has worked in jails and prisons, I can tell you about Pastors exchanging sexual favors with inmates, or bring in contraband.

I can tell you about lawyers passing contraband, weapons and escape tools in confidenatial legal materials.

I can tell you about med or mental health staff "falling in love" with inmates.

I can also tell you about how skilled many inmates are in manipulating other people, even ones that should "know better".

Lastly, I can tell you that the average person is about a security aware as a box of rocks. What seems like innocent items to most people are anything but innocent in the hands of inmates.

Let me close with this, the CO's are working there for years, they know the in's and out's. They know that many short term volunteers have no idea what they are getting into. Nor do they know much about a jail. The CO's are concerned about what, and who comes in and out because their lives, or the security of the facility could be compromised by those things or people. If you are a new visitor, of course they are going to wonder about your attitude and awareness to your surroundings. Your attitude in the admittance proceedure WILL have a bearing on that. The longer you keep coming back, the more trustworthy you will become in thier eyes.
 

Quoted: All others extreme fines it's more effective.

How do you get blood from a rock? Its not like most of these people have any assets they have accumulated of their own legitimate and legal efforts. And utilizing the death penalty so liberally demeans its purpose.

Quoted: No man should be caged. Anything to do with a crime over 100,000 dollars you get a bullet in the head. You kill someone you get a bullet in the head. All others extreme fines it's more effective.

In one thread you volunteered to "vote from the rooftops"  In another you stated that a man's divorce problems could be solved solved by murder of his Ex.   You even offered to do it. Now this.  

Kid, WTF is wrong with you?

Quoted: One of my least fun jobs as a pastor is visiting people in jail(sigh). No, my problem is NOT with the people locked up in the jail. It's the JAILERS! Why do I as a law abiding citizen and taxpayer get treated like and spoken to like I DID SOMETHING WRONG and am worthy of utter contempt? Honestly, the convicts are at least glad to see me! Why do these people(jailers) continue to work somewhere if they're  so stinking miserable working there? And WHY ON EARTH WOULD ANYBODY ChOOSE TO GO TO JAIL EVERYDAY? Rant over.

One of my least fun jobs as a person is visiting church (exasperated noise).  No, my problem is NOT with the other people in the church.  It's the PASTORS!  Why do I as a law abiding jailer, peace officer, and family man get treated like and spoken to like I DID SOMETHING WRONG and am worthy of utter damnation?  Honestly, the old ladies at the church are at least glad to see me because when I get done I put on my traffic vest and stop traffic so they won't get turned into hood ornaments!  Why to these people (pastors) continue to work somewhere that they do nothing but bitch about the way people act, don't act,  don't give enough money to the church, politics, etc., and then crawl into their $70,000 Mercedes?  And WHY ON EARTH WOULD ANYONE CHOOSE TO GO TO CHURCH OFTEN?  They don't.  Check out your parking lot on Easter Sunday, "pastor".  They're there because no one wants to be around you the other 51 Sundays.    I won't make it to your service that day.  I'll be "in jail".  Have a nice day.

Seriously, think about one thing for a moment.  I'm neither a jailer or a pastor, but if you repeatedly receive this treatment from different jailers on different shifts on different occasions,  you are the only constant in the equation.

Perhaps how you present yourself might be a problem?

Quoted: Bottomline: They view you as a " Do-Gooder "

+1.  I have thought about teaching (part-time) in prison but I think to myself "why should I risk my hide at low pay to help prisoners when there are more deserving people in the world who need education?"