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Woody, I do realise this, I truly do. But it is a job and full of responsibility when I do it. It is not just a walk on the beach or in the park. It is work.
I also realise how lucky I am to be given the freedom to drive 60 k to my full time work each day and then back again. That, I don't take for granted.
But all of this balances out against being stuck in a small confined unit with 60 criminals from between 8 to 16 hours, depending of how many shifts we have to cover for that day.
It helps balance out the fact that it is a very thin line between having these prisoners comply or riot and go to any degree between those two extremes.
It helps balance out that I have to pat down and search prisoners up to 100 times a day....I mean getting in real close and personal, and a lot of these people don't have good hygiene standards.....yeah, just what we want when we are trying to keep clear of the virus.
It balances out having to roll around the ground with these people as they loose the plot and try and punch your lights out, bite, spit of do anything else that they can to you.
It balances out constantly living in the fear that there are 3 officers in each unit, some of them only 22 year old women fresh out of college, to control 60 burly prisoners who spend hours at the gym each day just pumping up. If they collectively decide that they want to take control, you are fucked. Help is a good few minutes away at best.
It helps balance out the fact that anything that you may catch....disease or virus wise...you take back home to your family.
It balances out that if the virus is detected there in the prison while you are on shift, you may not go home that night.....you could be stuck there with these prisoners for weeks.
Yes, I do appreciate all that I have where I live, but if I didn't have it to keep me sane I couldn't turn up to work each day. That's why Sharon and I chose this position out here in the country; it allows me and Sharon to stay sane...yes, it impacts just a equally on the partner as well.
Hope that helps you to go someway to understand why we are living where we are and doing what we do out here.
Cheers
Phil
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