Yet another passed...

Took a test on Drug Identification and Basic Signs, passed with a 100.

Looooooong couple of days.

Two exams yesterday, passed them both. We had one exam today on “Offender Classification,” and passed that one as well.
We played dodge ball today at 6AM of which I was the champion three times in a row (Last Man Standing!) and the hamstring felt pretty good. I talked to one of my classmates who is an EMT and he suggested wrapping the calf, and to thoroughly stretch out in the mornings before PT and next week during Use Of Force Week. I CANNOT afford to let it slow me down next week. Big push coming up and I must be ready.
Yesterday was unpleasant, but gave me an idea of things to focus on for the future. I think I need my hearing check…I know I am loud, and maybe it has something to do with my years as a DJ.
I worked on the class speech last night for about an hour or so with Mr. C, and I think it is shaping up nicely. It will be a bit more serious than I had envisioned, but I like the tone of it that is emerging. No readers of this blog get to read it until Graduation Day. The Graduation by the way is at 11AM on Friday, February 15th at the College of St. Joseph in Rutland, Vermont. Here is the URL of the campus address if you are interested in attending:

http://www.csj.edu/

Talk with you soon…

Another one leaves

Another resignation today---down to twenty Trainees.

::Sigh::

Ahhhhh….another difficult day. A long session on PREA (Prisoner Rape Elimination Act) and another exam on Staff Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Harassment. Score: 94. Too tired and P.O.ed to write more.
I feel like I am hitting a wall. It's probably that I am just feeling sorry for myself. It's all good. No worries.

The exams continue unabated...

Today we had two exams: Offender Discipline and Offender Grievances. I believe I did well on both. The units required role-playing scenarios and the writing of Incident Reports and the issuance of various DRs (Disciplinary Reports). It wasn’t too bad.
Picked up my new uniforms on Friday, and they look pretty sharp, although the pants have not come in yet. We practiced marching again, with the emphasis being on making turns, which for the few of us without police or military experience has proven difficult. I am beginning to work on my speech, but have barely scratched the surface. More later.

Back At School

Well, back at the Academy today and a big week ahead with study subjects including Offender Grievance Process, Due Process, Discipline, Restrictive Housing Status, Staff Sexual Misconduct, Prisoner Rape Elimination Act, Sexual Harassment, Working With Female Offenders, Offender Classification, Basic Drug ID, and First Aid/CPR.
Hopefully things will get a little easier now, but another classroom week with Use Of Force coming on Week 4 instead of 3. I promised my sister-in-law I’d baby-sit my niece and nephew on Saturday so Friday I have to drive to Burlington, get my paycheck and drive back to Rutland on Saturday ::sigh::. You do what ya gotta do.
Brain-drain is almost complete…ACT info has started to clear out a little bit…I’m just glad it is over.

Success!!!

I passed the exam! I passed the exam! I PASSED THE EXAM!!!!! Scored almost perfectly on the verbal exam (-1), and flunked the written test with a 77. I didn’t believe it and reviewed the test and it had been graded incorrectly and I ended up passing it with an 81.

Elected Class Speaker

I have been elected class speaker. One would (as I said before) consider this a compliment but I know better. My new nickname is “Loudspeaker”. We have already come up with a list of words not to be used:

Acquiesce
No-aquiescence
Institutional Toxicity

Nicknames of various Trainees include:

Toxic Bob
Firestarter
Twitch
Hightower
McLovin’
Hootenanny
Only Barnes Can Kill Barnes
Pucker

Stay tuned…

Here comes Hell Week!

ARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!! (Virtual Scream)—Things are just nuts here…32 hours of class time this week studying the dreaded and much-reviled ACT test. Fifty oral questions, fifty multiple choice questions and eight role playing scenarios based on the eight different ACT Skill Sets: Intuition, Feedback, Cooperation, Direction, On Track, Listening, Clarity and Cognitive-Reflective Communications. Additional memorization of the eight aspects of the Behavioral Continuum: Community, Productivity, Recreation, Agitated, Disruptive, Destructive, Dangerous and Threat Of Lethal. Add to this Assessments of each behavior, Translation of each behavior, Descriptive of each behavior, and affect and I am in hell.
This is the make-or-break week.

Today I responded as Delta Squad Leader to a code 10-33 which is “emergency, officer needs assistance.” In this case it was a simulated suicide attempt. I was the last arriving CO and was charged with securing the area. The inmate was “dead” by the time I arrived. It gets the adrenaline flowing though.

Don’t look for too many more blogs tomorrow…I will be studying late night. I’ll try to post good news (if I get it) on Friday.

Poem For My Father

Why couldn’t you wait?
It wasn’t time yet.
We needed a sit-down

a parlay, as it were.
It was all about negotiation but
you

jumped the gun.
I wait for you to get back
to return,

to come back from some
unnamed vacation, some voyage of meaning
but it’s not happening

is it?

P.S. The leg

Much better today. Fat, lazy and walking on ice is bad combo for rugby-weakened knees.

What a day! Behavior Continuums is not a heavy metal band

Heavy duty ACT training today…huge overload of inmate-CO interaction modeling. Sounds fun, right? Well here’s the breakdown:

We studied the Behavior Continuum, which analyzes different levels of inmate behaviors and their eventual escalations from Agitated, Disruptive, Destructive, Dangerous and Threat Of Lethal. These are labeled as Antisocial. The Pro-social behaviors are identified as Community, Productivity and Recreation. Once these behavior are identified we move into a reactive system known as Cooperation Modes which includes various methods of inducing cooperative behavior which includes Approach, Greeting, Announce, Direct and some other stuff...(ran out of steam right there). All of this stuff is contained in endless role-playing scenarios where the CO attempts to compel an inmate still in Agitated or Disruptive mode to follow commands without the CO using words like “need” or personalizing his/her commands as the inmate doing the CO a favor by following his commands. It allows the inmate to “choose” the right thing to do. This is all very complex and quite exhausting.
This is by far the meat of this training program, and the absolute must-pass course. Fifty questions and twenty scenarios or something like that.
By the way, I argued the class’s position on the test question I mentioned yesterday and the instructor reversed his position and gave everyone the five points. That gave me a hundred, but was much more important for those in the class who would have failed the test otherwise.
A rumor is afoot that the class wants me to be the class speaker. Flattered at first, until it was revealed that the reason was because I am the loudest and talk the most. Ouch.

New Average: 97.24%

INJURY!

I knew everything was going too well. I was walking back from class today and felt something like I was kicked in the back of my left calf. I am limping badly. I am hoping it is just a really bad charley horse that will loosen up as the week goes on. This week and next week are not important but the fourth week I need mobility to do Use of Force. I am stretching, soaking it in hot water and applying Icy Hot as well as ibuprofen. It hurts though. Bad.

Grades Update

96.0% Average

Another victory---with reservations.

Scored another 95 today on “Self-Harm”, however the one question I got wrong was ambiguous enough to warrant a debate with the instructor who was unyielding. Seeing as several classmates flunked the test merely because of that question, we are taking it to the mats tomorrow morning. Popped my calf walking back from class this morning…feels like a really bad charley horse. Maybe it will clear up later, I stretched it out and put ICY HOT on it. We’ll see. We started ACT Training today which is the really big one besides Use Of Force and encompasses CO-to-Inmate communications. Stay posted…

Promotion...or pain in the butt?

Today is my first day as Squad Leader...doing room/uniform inspections. We'll see how this goes.

Giants 23, Packers 20

It was evident early on that Al Harris could not handle Plaxico Burress by himself, yet the Packers never brought any help over to his side. I thought Brett played fairly well, as did the receivers. The running game sucked, but it sucked on both sides tonight. As far as our defense went, Corey Williams encroaching over and over and over again---especially when the Giants were third and short at our goal line and we committed four penalties. Pathetic. It’s one thing to play aggressively on D, but to pick up as many penalties as we did is unforgivable. And of course, Brett's reversion to recklessness resulting in the OT interception. I saw it coming.

Current Green Bay Conditions

Current Conditions

Hour-by-Hour Forecasts »

0°F Sunny

Real Feel: -18°F (-28°C) Relative Humidity: 49% Barometer: 30.50"Hg (F)

Wind: W at 11 mph (18 kph) Visibility: 10 miles (16 km) Sunrise: 7:22am Sunset: 4:45pm

Happy Birthday, Dad

I love you and we all miss you.

National Weather Service Forecast for Green Bay: 2° to -3°

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI
344 AM CST SAT JAN 19 2008

.SHORT TERM...TODAY/TONIGHT/SUNDAY.  NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WITH
ONGOING FCST THIS MORNING. BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES AND WIND
CHILLS THE MAIN EVENT THIS WEEKEND. EXPANDED WIND CHILL ADVISORIES
FOR THE ENTIRE FCST AREA TODAY THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY. EXPECT SOME
PORTIONS OF EC WI TO CLIMB OUT OF THE ADVISORY AREA THIS SAT AFTN
BUT WILL DROP BACK IN TONIGHT. SOME LOCATIONS OVER THE WESTERN
PORTION OF THE FCST AREA MAY JUST CLIMB INTO THE WARNING CRITERIA
AT TIMES THIS MORNING AND LATE TNT...BUT WINDS ALSO DROPPING BELOW
THE 10 MPH THRESHOLD.

THE AIR MASS IS SO DRY THAT EVEN LAKE SUPERIOR CLOUDS STRUGGLING
TO FILTER INTO NRN WI.  IN ADDITION WINDS TOO WESTERLY AND EVEN
LAKE EFFECT SNOWS EXPECTED TO BE MINIMAL OVER VILAS. THIS DRY AIR
COULD ALLOW TEMPS TO PLUMMET BELOW -20 OVER LOCATIONS WHERE WINDS
DECOUPLE FOR AT LEAST A FEW HOURS.

H8 TEMPS MODIFY A TAD ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON OVER SRN AREAS BUT WHAT
"WARMING" OCCURS MAY BE OFFSET FROM INCREASING HIGH CLOUDS FROM
THE SOUTH AS A SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTHWEST. SURFACE RIDGE
AXIS DRIFTS NORTH INTO THE AREA SUNDAY TO HELP DIMINISH WINDS AND
END WIND CHILL HEADLINES.

.LONG TERM...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY
A VERY COLD EVENING IS EXPECTED ON SUNDAY WITH LIGHT WINDS.
TEMPERATURES SHOULD FALL TO ZERO TO 5 BELOW BY MID EVENING. MODELS
YESTERDAY INDICATED A SYSTEM PASSING TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA
ON MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT HAS SHIFTED FURTHER NORTH TONIGHT. THE
00Z WRF WAS FURTHER SOUTH WITH THE PRECIPITATION...BUT HAS TRENDED
NORTHWARD ON THE 06Z RUN TONIGHT. BASED ON THE SURFACE PATTERN OF
THE 06Z WRF...IT APPEARS THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE EVEN FURTHER
NORTH THAN WHAT THE MODEL IS SHOWING. THE SAME IS TRUE WITH THE
00Z GFS. HAVE GONE WITH SNOW LIKELY OVER THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF
THE FORECAST AREA...AND TAPERED SNOW CHANCES AS YOU HEAD NORTHWEST
OF GREEN BAY. BASED ON 850MB MOISTURE...SHOULD BE A FAIRLY SHARP
CUT OFF TO THE SNOW. DID NOT DRAW A SHARP CONTRAST IN SNOW CHANCES
AS THE MODEL WOULD DEPICT. OVER THE LAST 5 SIGNIFICANT SNOW
EVENTS...THE MODELS HAVE BEEN TOO FAR SOUTH AT 48 HOURS OF THE
EVENT COMPARED TO THE ACTUAL TRACK OF THE STORM. EXPECTED A FURTHER
SHIFT TO THE NORTH WITH THE STORM TRACK WHICH WOULD MEAN THE SNOW
WOULD SPREAD FURTHER NORTH THAN THE MODELS INDICATE TONIGHT.

CONTINUED SNOW CHANCES MONDAY NIGHT AS SYSTEM DEPARTS THE AREA.
BASED ON TEMPERATURE PROFILE OF THE SOUNDINGS...COULD BE A BAND
OF 2-4 INCHES ACROSS NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. LATER SHIFTS CAN DEFINE
WHERE THE HEAVIER BAND OF SNOW WILL SET UP.

A TRANQUIL PATTERN IS EXPECTED FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK WITH
BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES.
&&

.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY.
&&

.MARINE...A FEW LAKESHORE LOCATIONS IN THE SCA RANGE DUE TO WINDS
THIS AM SO WILL LET CURRENT SCA HEADLINE RUN ITS COURSE TODAY.

&&

.GRB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 12 PM CST SUNDAY FOR WIZ005-010>013-
018>022-030-031-035>040-045-048>050-073-074.

Hell (for the Giants) has finally frozen over. It's name? Lambeau Field

I’m all ready for gameday! And apparently the city of Green Bay is as well! The story in the news this morning is that a local affiliate in Green Bay has discovered that Eli Manning’s favorite TV show is “Seinfeld.” Knowing this, the affiliate has cancelled all their airings of the show for this week. Kinda funny. Michael Strahan of the Giants has responded by buying Eli the entire set of “Seinfeld” episodes and a DVD player for his hotel room. I love stuff like this.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) - A local television station in Green Bay is doing its part in the gamesmanship war between the Packers and the New York Giants by scrubbing its usual showing of Seinfeld -- a favorite show of Giants quarterback Eli Manning -- on the eve of Sunday's NFC championship clash.

In a video on its Web site (myfoxnewisconsin.com), WLUK station general manager Jay Zollar points at the camera and says, "Eli, no Seinfeld for you!"

The station was asking viewers to vote on what should replace the popular comedy in the 5:30 p.m. slot on Saturday.

The early leader was a special on legendary Packers coach Vince Lombardi.

"We do not want to give any comfort to the enemy when they are in town," Zollar says in the video message.

Giants veteran defensive end Michael Strahan was stunned when told of the Green Bay TV station's strategy.

"Do they realize they have Seinfeld DVDs? We can always watch Seinfeld," Strahan told reporters after practice on Thursday at Giants Stadium.

"If they think that's going to mess him up I've got to move to Green Bay. I could be very successful there with some of my ideas."

Although New Yorkers are legendarily fanatical about their sports teams, even the Daily News has conceded it will likely be the Packers who win on Sunday.

WHEN THE GIANTS HAVE THE BALL

Quarterback vs. Defensive scheme:

The transformation of Eli Manning into a mistake-free quarterback is the biggest story of the Giants' season. After tying for the league lead with 20 INTs, Manning has yet to throw a pick in the postseason and has thrown eight TDs vs. one INT the last three games. Growing in confidence and aided by a less-complex game plan, Manning has engineered drives with more poise and vision than he has ever shown in his entire career. Now he must do it in adverse weather and against a balanced, physical defense. Manning has averaged just 22.5 passes in the first two playoff games, and the Packers defense, which is pretty stout against the run, will try to put the game in his hands by forcing him into third and long - Packer opponents were successful only 33% of the time converting on third down. Many feel the injury to Jeremy Shockey has Manning looking to more receivers and distributing the ball better. As a result, it hasn't been as easy to read his eyes and jump patterns. He still has to be careful, though. The Packers have experience at the corners and aggressiveness inside. Manning must know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.

EDGE: Giants

Running Backs vs. Linebackers

There is no mystery to what wins cold-weather games and, with Brandon Jacobs, the Giants feel they can run with anyone. What Jacobs will face, however, is an instinctive linebacking corps and a pretty good schemer in defensive coordinator Bob Sanders, who is probably going to stack the line to take away the run. It will be interesting to see how often the Giants run Jacobs behind FB Madison Hedgecock since MLB Nick Barnett fills holes and sheds blocks effectively, although some feel he can be worn down. OLB A.J. Hawk has been inconsistent, but has the speed to stay with TEs and RBs on passing plays and will be key in countering Ahmad Bradshaw when he's in the game. Green Bay's LBs practically had another bye week against Seattle, which ran the ball just 16 times. They'll be a lot busier on Sunday.

EDGE: EVEN

Wide Receivers and Tight End vs. Secondary

This is an in-your-face secondary, led by the best set of CBs - Charles Woodson and Al Harris - the Giants have faced. Woodson and Harris can each take on WRs by themselves, so the challenge will be to get at Green Bay's young and sometimes mistake-prone safeties. If they are looking for the pigeon they found in Dallas' Jacques Reeves last week, they may have one in nickel back Tramon Williams, who has recently inherited the position and doesn't always react well to the ball. Rookie WR Steve Smith has been playing a bigger role out of the slot each week and will be key in attacking Williams. The Giants have to be concerned that a season of playing on a bad ankle may have finally caught up to Plaxico Burress. While Burress had eight catches for 144 yards and three TDs against the Packers in Week 2, he was unable to shake free last week, leaving Amani Toomer as the go-to guy downfield. SS Atari Bigby is a big hitter who seems to be maturing. FS Nick Collins is more inconsistent and not a good tackler. Earlier in the season, they had problems with TEs - and big Kevin Boss is making timely contributions each week. EDGE: Packers

Offensive Line vs. Defensive Line

Except for sack specialist Aaron Kampman, the Packers D-line is made up of unsung guys who, like the Giants' O-line, are greater than the sum of its parts. The Packers use a seven-man rotation so they can't be worn down and they get contributions from all of them. These are not penetrators against the run but obstacles. DT Ryan Pickett is a typical no-name who absorbs double teams in the Pack's two-gapping system and efficiently funnels the run to the linebackers. The Giants' cohesive line seems to get better as the game goes on. It is efficient, athletic and communicates well, especially with C Shaun O'Hara flanked by agile guards Chris Snee and Rich Seubert. Their task will be to get bodies on the Packer LBs and pick up those run blitzes Green Bay sends. The Packers can put three outstanding pass rushers up front on third down by moving Cullen Jenkins inside and bringing Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila into the game. Kampman's matchup against Kareem McKenzie, the worse pass protector of the Giants' two tackles, is worrisome. EDGE: EVEN

WHEN THE PACKERS HAVE THE BALL

Quarterback vs. Defensive scheme:

The Giants have what it takes to throw Brett Favre off his game, even if he did riddle them for 286 yards and three TDs in Week 2. The Cowboys made Favre look slow in their December showdown by collapsing the pocket. But beware: when he's dialed in, Favre is a blitz-killer and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo must make a critical choice in getting maximum pressure on Favre or protecting a thin secondary that the savvy future Hall of Famer can easily exploit. Spagnuolo has been generally aggressive all year, supplanting his four-man rush with an unpredictable multitude of zone blitzes, but against a less-mobile Favre he might decide to drop seven into coverage much of the time. Against Tony Romo, Spagnuolo sent everyone - CBs from the outside, LBs and safeties up the middle, knowing the Giants were going to live or die with their pressure. Favre's revival this year has been built on the best decision-making of his career. In the first game against the Giants he started the second half with 14 straight completions, almost all of them short passes. Against Seattle in the divisional round, he continued to play within himself and read every blitz. Favre's record in cold weather is unparalleled and if either Bayou-bred quarterback is going to conquer the elements, it's him. EDGE: Packers

Running Backs vs. Linebackers

The Giants could rue the day they traded Ryan Grant. Beginning in Week 8 against Denver, Grant single-handedly transformed the Packers offense into a balanced attack that can both wear you down and light you up. Only LaDainian Tomlinson had more yards than Grant in the second half of the season. The Giants were getting battered by the Cowboys' Marion Barber last week before they began swarming to the ball and started cutting him down at the knees. By the second half, Barber, unaccustomed to playing full games, appeared to get tired and the game swung. They'll need a similar commitment against Grant, who picked up 75 of his 201 yards after the Seahawks made contact. The old Packers' sweep is alive and well with Grant. He has shown surprising breakaway speed, as well, and was the fastest player in the snow last week. Maybe it all sounds like he's the second coming of Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor combined, but his impact on this offense and Favre's ability to play-fake can't be overstated. MLB Antonio Pierce must stay disciplined and continue to make the stops that have made him the leader of this defense. EDGE: Packers

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends vs. Secondary

Even if the Giants can get all their battered DBs onto the tundra, the Packers will be a matchup headache. Like last week, the Giants must prevent the big play against a deeper, healthier WR corps coached by former Giants player/coach Jimmy Robinson. Green Bay can spread the field with wideouts, including what they call their "Big Five" set when Favre works out of an empty backfield in the shotgun. That will require R.W. McQuarters to have another game of his life, Sam Madison to gut one out, if he plays, and novice Geoffrey Pope to somehow avoid being attacked like he did vs. the Cowboys. The Packers' top three WRs, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and rookie James Jones, are versatile. Jennings, who has taken over the No. 1 receiver role from Driver, is Favre's first big-play option and probably Corey Webster's difficult assignment after back-to-back weeks of Joey Galloway and Terrell Owens. Jennings, who can out-run Webster, abused Seattle's top corner, Marcus Trufant, when the Seahawks brought a safety up in the box to stop Grant. TE Donald Lee likes to get underneath zones in the middle, where he draws LB coverage, and is Favre's go-to guy while scrambling. The Giants have to be physical at the line as they disrupt all those West Coast slant patterns. EDGE: Packers

Offensive Line vs. Defensive Line

The Giants will win or lose the game here, as usual, although their edge over the Packers isn't as big as it was in Week 2 when offensive coordinator Joe Philbin called Green Bay's blocking "shoddy." While DEs Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan are scary matchups on the outside, the best place to exploit the Packers is inside. C Scott Wells is solid, but the play of LG Daryn Colledge (benched in the Dallas game) and RG Jason Spitz had been spotty, although the entire unit had its best performance while manhandling the Seahawks. That puts the spotlight on Justin Tuck, who comes up the middle in the Giants' three-DE formations. The Packers' tackles are good and helped limit sacks to one every 36 passing plays. They will try to pound the undersized Umenyiora and Strahan on running plays. LT Chad Clifton holds his own against speed rushers such as Umenyiora. RT Mark Tauscher, unorthodox but effective, held Strahan without a pressure in Week 2, but he'll face a more aggressive, less-rusty Strahan this time.

EDGE: Giants

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicking Games

Look back at some cold-weather games and how many of them are affected by special teams: the Sean Landeta "whiff" at Soldier Field, Willie Wood muffing a punt in the Ice Bowl. Packer punter Jon Ryan had one of those at Soldier Field this year when two punts were blocked, another went for nine yards and another snap was fumbled. Normally, Ryan provides his coverage teams with plenty of hang time. Mason Crosby, the Packers' rookie kicker, was 31 of 39 on the year with 14 touchbacks on kickoffs. For the Giants, Jeff Feagles remains a premier directional punter. Placekicker Lawrence Tynes has been steady, but hasn't had to make any clutch field goals.

EDGE: EVEN

Return Games and Coverage

The Giants have been getting good field position from their return men lately - see McQuarters' 25-yard return to set up the decisive 37-yard TD drive on Sunday - but these are by far the best coverage teams they will have faced in the playoffs. The Giants will probably prefer to kick to Tramon Williams than Koren Robinson (23.8-yard average). Giants gunner David Tyree leads a good tackling coverage team.

EDGE: Packers

COACHING

Give the Giants' coaching staff credit for having their team better prepared and more disciplined than Dallas. Spagnuolo was impressive again as he overcame injuries in the secondary to stifle a high-powered offense in the second half, going with his gut to make all the right calls. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has to get props for putting Manning into a mistake-free mode the last three weeks, establishing a great pass/run mix. The Packers' meticulous Mike McCarthy might have been Coach of the Year if Bill Belichick wasn't 16-0. He calls the plays and seems to roll out a new game plan every week designed to exploit a team's weaknesses. Whatever Tom Coughlin is selling at the moment, his team is buying. He also has the vast edge in playoff experience over the 1-0 McCarthy. Oh-for-two with the Jaguars, this is Major Tom's third crack in a conference championship game. A charm or a trend? EDGE: Giants

OVERVIEW AND PREDICTION

Having beaten America's Team, the Giants move on to America's Quarterback, one of the feel-good stories of the year. This isn't Favre's first rodeo and one thing has been consistent about his career: the Packers live and die with that brawny right arm. Maybe this is too simple, but when you boil it down, the Giants must get to Favre before he gets to their secondary. Or, to put it another way, destinies seem to be colliding - the Giants on their improbable run, Favre on his magical season. It's a coin flip. This one comes up . . . PACKERS: 26-20

Boy, this columnist will need a bodyguard in New York!!!

As for myself, all wagers have been laid; my roommate at the Academy has bet me barracks chores for the rest of the Academy session; my next door neighbor bet me a pack of Marlboros and my stepfather has bet me dinner for two and a bottle of wine at this fantastic Brazilian restaurant back home.

It’s on. Ohhhhh, it’s on.

Another test passed...

You know, back in college, if I had scored consistently in the nineties and above, I would have absolutely ecstatic. I mean, you only need an eighty on tests here to pass and so far I’ve scored:

Legal Apects of Correction 100%
Blood-borne Pathogens 94%
Suicide Prevention 95%

That gives me a 96.3% average.

And I feel disappointed! Crazy, I know. But on a higher note, apparently somewhere along the way I learned how to study for exams. I certainly didn’t learn it during college…

TB, MRSA, HBV, HCV, HIV and other Acronyms

Most of the tests we take are written, although the test I took today was multiple choice. We got to see all sorts of footage of inmates flinging blood, feces and urine at CO’s, and then simulations of dealing with blood and other substances coming in contact with mucous membranes. I was actually surprised to learn how little infection arises from dirty needles poking skin…and that most bodily fluids or effluvia is considered mostly safe if blood is not present in the material. They still advise in investment in a pair of Teflon gloves---these are gloves you use during searches of Use of Force situations.
They have very few inmates in Vermont with the HIV virus and no HBV carriers, quite a few HCV carriers, few with AIDS and no TB carriers. They do have some concerns with a recent outbreak of MRSA which is this very nasty staph infection which is very antibiotic-resistant. These huge boil-like cysts appear on your skin. This one made the papers.
Fortunately, the State of Vermont offers free Hepatitis B inoculations…apparently it is a three-shot series and it’s free. I am definitely getting it.

Another day, another high score...

Another good score today…We haven’t gotten the grades yet, but I believe I got another 100 on the “Blood-Borne Pathogens” test…the tests only get harder now. Up next is “Suicide Prevention” tomorrow, and then on Monday I take a test on “Self-Harm” before plunging headfirst into Advanced Communication Techniques (ACT) which is 40 hours of training in CO-Inmate interaction. A real b***buster. It involves simulations and role playing. A lot of stuff. Looking forward to the weekend---off to the Elks Club in Rutland on Sunday to watch the Packers kick the Giants’ asses.

The Christopher Williams case

BURLINGTON — A murder suspect who had agreed to plead guilty in a 2006 school shooting refused to enter the plea Wednesday, telling a judge that he didn't understand its terms.

Prosecutors have responded by elevating the charges against Christopher A. Williams to one count of first-degree and two counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of aggravated murder, which carries with it a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole.

Williams, who is accused in the Aug. 24, 2006 shootings in Essex that killed two and wounded two others, first told Vermont District Court Judge Geoffrey Crawford that he hadn't seen the affidavit accusing him. Later he said he didn't understand how prosecutors had arrived at the 48-years-to-life sentence.

The plea called for Williams to plead guilty to two counts of second-degree and one count of second-degree attempted murder.

Prosecutors said they would not enter into further plea deals. A trial will be scheduled for July.

After the hearing, Williams was escorted out of the courtroom and back to prison in St. Albans. Spectators huddled silently with prosecutors who explained to them what would happen next.

The hearing dragged on this morning as Williams insisted that he didn’t understand the plea agreement and consulted with attorneys as the whole courtroom watched and waited.

"I want to understand what I'm going forward with," Williams told the court. "I want to take this plea, but I want to understand it. I'm not going to take nothing that I don't know what's going on."

A crowd of more than 100 spectators packed the courtroom gallery. Many of them were Essex teachers who had previously met Williams and said they believed his actions this morning were a ruse.

Experienced state and defense lawyers attending today's hearing said they've never seen anything like it. Defense attorneys and prosecutors, in addition to the visibly anxious crowd, were frustrated with the pace of proceedings.

"We're concerned he doesn't understand it. We're concerned he is not accepting responsibility," said Prosecutor Mary Morrissey.

Part of the State's reason for negotiating the plea deal is to show Williams acknowledges the severity of the incident in Essex.

Aced the first test!!!

Got the test results back today...scored a 100 on the Legal Issues exam. I have another exam today on Blood-Borne Pathogens and then a test on Self-Harm on Monday. On break now, then back to class to study Mental Health Issues...laws in Vermont state that if a SMI (Seriously Mentally Ill) inmate is incarcerated, he can spend no more than 15 days in Disciplinary Segregation no matter what. We also saw a rather shocking film on a man with bi-polar who was locked down in Seg in Michigan and eventually died of dehydration because the guards believed he was attempting to manipulate them rather than actually being ill.

More tests

Today:

Exams on blood-borne pathogens and mental health issues. Speaking of which, I see on the news this morning that Chris Williams rejected his plea agreement. And so the beat goes on...

I never thought I'd be looking forward to something called "Use Of Force Week."

Sumthin' is amiss...

Study until midnight and then up at 5:30AM so I can SHAVE? This is just not right...

It's a good thing I like to read...

For those of us who thought corrections officers were baton-swinging thugs, here is tonight’s reading list for tomorrow:

Organizational Overview
Healthcare Policy
Blood-borne Pathogens
ADA Act
Legal Issues In Corrections
Self-Harm
Mental Health Directives 361.01, 361.01.01, 361.01.02, 361.01.03, 361.01.04, 361.01.05, 370
Key Control, Radio Procedures
Medical/Mental health
Communicable Diseases
Suicide Prevention

I miss marching.

Issues of Self-harm

A brutal afternoon…we studied the issues involved with inmate self-harm---issues such as cutting, burning, picking/scratching at skin or reopening wounds, hair-pulling, head-banging, bone-breaking or swallowing objects.
Interestingly enough, it was pointed out to us that an inmate who successfully commits suicide could not necessarily have been identified as suicidal but rather they could have been someone who was intent on mere self-harm and ended up going too far. Basically, the concept driven home was don’t label the behavior, respond to it.

First exam finished!

We had our first exam today…man, it’s been 17 years since college. It went as I expected…studied my ass off last night, got to the exam and then blanked. I recovered in time and think I did well. The exam covered search and seizure, probable cause for searches of inmate’s persons and cells and covered constitutional law covering prisoner’s rights in regard to cruel and unusual punishment, privacy, and practice of religion. Also what factors must be considered before you can initiate use of force against an inmate.

We also learned about a wonderful food item called Nutraloaf which is fed to inmates who assault a staff member with food trays. It contains 996 calories per loaf and is given to them three times a day until their behavior is considered modified.

Here’s the recipe if you’d like to try it:

• Six (6) slices Whole Wheat Bread, finely chopped
•
Four (4) ounces Non-dairy Cheese, finely grated
•
Four (4) ounces Raw Carrots, finely grated
•
Twelve (12) ounces Spinach, canned, drained
•
Four (4) ounces Seedless Raisins
•
Two (2) cups Great Northern Beans, cooked and drained
•
Four (4) tablespoons Vegetable Oil
•
Six (6) ounces Tomato Paste
•
Eight (8) ounces Milk, powdered, instant nonfat/skim
•
Six (6) ounces Potato Flakes, dehydrated

Blend it together and bake at 350 F


MMMMMMMM…good!

Another resignation

I forgot to mention that we lost another candidate yesterday....I guess she turned in her gear first thing this morning. I don't think that she really gave it a shot. Down to 21.

Supportive Authority and the Universal Steps of Engagement

A full day today, indeed. Not much marching today, but we covered the three types of logbooks: facility, post and supervisory. The logbooks themselves are exhaustively filled out, and are considered legal documents that can be subpoenaed. We then moved on to an organizational overview of the Vermont prison system…apparently, it originated under the “Pennsylvania” model (thus the term ‘penitentiary’) which had inmates isolated in their own cells where they were expected to pray and make penance and made iron nails to pay for their keep. The next model which the system evolved to was called the “Auburn” model, which called for the inmates to be all together in a prison setting such as a workhouse.
We then examined the role of the Agency of Human Services which administers the DoC rather than the Department of Public Safety. This has resulted in a model of “direct-supervision” which has officers supervising housing units on-site rather than just monitoring them. We looked at the dual role of Corrections in implementing Risk Reduction versus Risk Control and discussed the ethics of Use of Force.
A lot to digest. The first test is tomorrow…

Left, right, left...huh?

Up at 0530---a generally good crew here at the academy---Bob is the oldest at 43 which pisses him off to no end…I suggested the nickname “Old man”, which he immediately turned down. A bunch of younger kids---thankfully I am not the oldest one here. Bob at 43, another Bob at 42 and myself at 40 are the oldest.
There are a couple of youngsters here, but not too bad. We’ll see how they shake out. The dorm is an absolute dump---we’ll see how they feel about their threatened room inspections. There are definitely no white glove inspections. I feel that I can definitely be competitive at this academy.
The toughest part so far has been learning how to march, stand at attention and parade rest. Not my forte.
We've already had one cadet resign. He went out to his car and never came back again.

Last day of shadowing

I worked the 3:30PM to 11:30PM shift at the jail last night, following around an officer who is known as a "floater." The floater is responsible for assisting other officers wherever and whenever they are needed in the facility. We were all over the place tonight---assisting on an intake of a female inmate, covering the desk at the Alpha Segregation Unit and escorting the cleaning crew throughout the facility. It made for a long night---I am very tired and have not even finished packing for Rutland yet.

Getting ready

Another haircut today...my last barber cannot talk and cut hair at the same time. Also bought shoepolish, t-shirts and dress socks. I have one more day of training---since I took Thursday off for illness, I have to make up the eight hours tomorrow.

Sick as a dog

I have had a vicious cold all week, it all came to a head today. I was unable to work today, despite having taken Dayquil, Nightquil, Sudophed, and aspirin. I went and bought Musinex today---$22.00 a bottle! I'm hiding that one from the roommate who is sick as well. Tomorrow is the last day of shadowing, Saturday I am packing and Sunday I leave for the academy.

The Beginning

Well, Monday is coming and I am off to the Academy to begin my five weeks of training as a CO. I'm looking forward to it, although I must confess, I'm not looking forward to being sprayed in the face with pepper spray. It does serve a purpose however; having been sprayed, I'll probably be less likely to use it indiscriminately. It's been an interesting first week. I've been doing my preshadow which is a week of following around a COII and watching what he does. So far, I've worked in Alpha which is a seg unit with 23-hour lock downs, Bravo/Charlie which is a work furlough unit and Delta which is a 22 bed housing unit.