Okay so I've spent two days pouring over all these threads as I ramp up to enter into the corrections or P&P community. I have both a military as well as a social work background, so both sides sound attractive to me. Furthermore I have read plenty of BOP vs DOC, and also the benefits of local county/city jobs, and then lastly plenty of people have mentioned other types of jobs related to LE.

Anyway, I honestly would love to be at the ground level in a prison. I considered going for a teacher or drug counselor position, but honestly think I can have the most impact at the ground level. I have heard plenty about people being "out of touch," and I don't want that to be me so I think it is important to have that ground experience.

That being said, I have some serious serious reservations about DOC, after one interview, and after reading all these comments, and also watching a documentary. I have decided I want it enough to put up with some mandatory overtime, and to put up with some staff having mental health disorders, (though I would never say that to them of course) but what really disturbs me is the fact that prisoners are kept in general population with mental heal disorders, which seems to make the entire idea of 'justice' and dare i say rehabilitation faulty. A person with a mental health disorder, cannot be rehabilitated in jail, nor can jail serve as justice for someone with a mental health disorder. They will simply do the same thing when they get out, because the disorder has not been solved.

So that is the issue I'm currently struggling with before I continue with applications. I saw a documentary where an inmate would cut themselves and bleed all over the entire cell floor. The mental health counselor for the facility as well as the leadership said they expected them to do that after being caught in trouble, because that is their way of coping and acting out. The inmate explained it as retaliating against himself, instead of others. The thing is that is 100% a mental health disorder. Cutting is not a normal or acceptable coping mechanism.

So I guess my point, and I apologize for so many words, is that there is a discrepancy in mental health practitioner law and corrections policy. Mental health practitioners are required to report when someone poses a serious threat to themselves. Ending up with a flood of blood in your cell, is a serious threat, and they freely spoke about that they expected it might happen. So I guess my question is, why aren't prisoners being given health care including mental health care? That is a major WTF for me.

Now of course I realize there is a massive shortage of officers, which drastically reduces the ability of the officer to do their job, which means there is, I'm guessing, extremely high pressure to turn a blind eye to many things, not to mention, a lack of energy to follow up as necessary on issues when overworked with mandatory overtime (16 hour shifts are still not protected by Fair Labor Standards Act in this country?). So I understand that correctional officers are not to blame here. Wages starting below the poverty line to work in prison all day while prisoners routinely can make weapons and are not treated for mental health disorders? HA! That's the craziest thing I've ever heard!

But then you get people like me who actually give a shit. And I would just like some clarity on what people's viewpoint is on allowing people with obvious mental health disorders into general population without advanced care? Is it really just because of a shortage of funding, or, do people not understand what a mental health disorder is, or do people not care about inmates? I really do not know that is why I am asking. I've seen a ton of scrap talk on here and finger pointing so I sort of understand who I think people will "blame," but I am more so looking for an explanation of the general viewpoint on mental health disorders and how they should be treated. If you'd like to comment on the "cutting" example I saw in the documentary please do.

Some people, you know, actually want to make a difference. And it is a huge mess I'd like to understand a lot more if I decide to push forward, which I definitely would like to. I know it would take a year or two to really get to know everyone and have a good working relationship and make progress with the inmates for their mental health, through small interactions, and I know working somewhere 1-2 years with the conditions listed as so prevalent in this community will not be easy.

Anyway those are my .02, feel free to contribute and thank you for your service!!!