How Institutionalized Are You?

[Stacy]

My friend and I were talking about thanksgiving dinner, and he said halfway through his meal he realized he was cutting his turkey with a spoon!!

I *always* glance around and then bend at the knees when I pick something up.

There are a lot more that I am not thinking of right now because I often catch myself doing things and just shake my head and realize how insitutionalized I am!

[Ant1]

I don't feel comfortable unless all my outside doors are locked, regardless of the time of day. Drives my wife crazy.

[armoredman]

Got the "spork" logic for eating, eh? Me too. I always choose a seat with a back to a wall, or if I am in a dining hall, I have to be near the exit.
I do the lock thing, too. Perimeter lights too, I mean, porchlights...

[P.A. Cracker]

-I alway have to sit with my back to the wall when I'm out.

-I sometimes speak with prison lingo to outsiders.

-I'm always eyeballing "thugs" when I go to the mall, movies, etc.

-I wash my hands no less than 50 times a day when I'm home. I also use rubber gloves whenever I touch something questionable.

[kicket]

Me too sit with my back to the wall near an exit always eyeballing people who look at me,doors locked in the middle of the day,check and recheck my food,always watching peoples hands and reading their lips.

[Ant1]

I forgot about lights. Every outside light on my house 100 watt, flood, or both is on at night, shining toward windows, doors, and the driveway.

[Stacy]

Oh!! The general public does not react to "ChiMo" jokes the same way prison people do!!

Whoops!

What did the ChiMo say after being released from prison?
"I feel like a little kid again...."

[NJChris]

So looking at every thug you see on the street and saying to yourself " I'll see you soon " is normal ??? LOLOL

[TrainingDay_KY]

HAHA ... It makes me happy to know that I'm not the only weirdo. I guess it takes an odd type of person to want to do our line of work.

[Mystikal]

anyone else throw their raman noodle on the floor... or counter... before cooking it?

also... i wont let my kids get behind me, i check the doors repetitously to ensure their locked, i forget sometimes my kids are not tier clerks... that drives the lady up the wall, i have to sit in the corner of the restuarant with my back to the wall as well, and i'm always looking around for "problems"

[PRIME EVIL]

I also face the door and against the wall when eating out. I eyeball all of the dumbasses when Im off because the gang problem out here is out of control. Standing in the grocery line behind someone with tattoos is like reading his %&#$&@ autobiography. Or when you have someone (deliveries, workers etc.) come in the house and you see their gang tats, makes me just want to pick up all of my ***** and move.

[drn151]

I also do alot of the same things including while eating at a restaurant trying to sit where I have a good view of my car.

[EDCF_COI]

Yeah the phrase Your Beat really doesn't have that much meaning on the streets. I watch people that I walk by and think to myself that I will see them at work soon, the REAL bad part about that is that I work in a Seg Unit. heh I don't get the newbies to prison hardly at all.

EDCF_COI

[BigBen4181]

My worst thing is whenever I stand up I always check for my keys, cuffs, radio, and MDA. Drives me nuts, always doing it. My key control is awesome now however, theyre NEVER MISPLACED.

[Matt-NC]

Yeah the phrase Your Beat really doesn't have that much meaning on the streets. I watch people that I walk by and think to myself that I will see them at work soon, the REAL bad part about that is that I work in a Seg Unit. heh I don't get the newbies to prison hardly at all.

EDCF_COI

Yeah when I watch the news and see people convicted of (high-profile) crimes, I wonder which facility they will end up at.

I don't have any paranoid stuff at home, as most of my community is military and local and county police.

Matt

[94cvlx]

Wow.....This is much more wide spread then I thought.
I do the back to wall thing in resturants, watching peoples hands and reading lips, eyeballing everyone that looks the slightest bit like Fmr. I/M, slip with jail lingo when talking to people, constantly look for items on my belt even when im not wearing my duty belt, always stand in a ready stance, HATE having people behind me, watch for gang signs and tagging even when outside, constiantly looking for problems when in a crowd.

Well at least im not the only crazy one.

[Bowles]

I do most of the things above but about a year ago I did something that made me realize just how "institutionalized" I'm becoming.

Here in the Eastern Div of the NC DOC inmates are not allowed to wear wave caps outside thier dorm. I must tell 20 inmates a day to take their wave caps off when they are outside the dorm. Yeah, I could write them up but as long as they take it off I usually let it slide (petty stuff). Anyway, about a year ago I'm walking thru the local grocerie store when a thug walks by with a wave cap on. I told him he needed to take it off. He actually started too then stopped and said "huh". lol

[Matt-NC]

I do most of the things above but about a year ago I did something that made me realize just how "institutionalized" I'm becoming.

Here in the Eastern Div of the NC DOC inmates are not allowed to wear wave caps outside thier dorm. I must tell 20 inmates a day to take their wave caps off when they are outside the dorm. Yeah, I could write them up but as long as they take it off I usually let it slide (petty stuff). Anyway, about a year ago I'm walking thru the local grocerie store when a thug walks by with a wave cap on. I told him he needed to take it off. He actually started too then stopped and said "huh". lol

Bowles,

Now that's funny! Ingrained habits on both parts, eh?

Matt

[EDCF_COI]

Yeah the high profiles here usually end up at our facility. Usually in my cell house. Oh well I'm currently getting ready to go in.

EDCF_COI

[P.A. Cracker]

Anyway, about a year ago I'm walking thru the local grocerie store when a thug walks by with a wave cap on. I told him he needed to take it off. He actually started too then stopped and said "huh". lol

I was with a couple of guys and we stopped for some fast food while coming back from a transport. When we walked in there was one thug that got freaked out when he saw us. One of the guys asked him real quick and with authority "Name and DC number?" He spun around and yelled it out like he wasn't out for more than 20 minutes. We all started to chuckle and he felt the need to leave. That was a funny moment in my career

[BillP]

I do what appears to be the usual. Sit with my back to a wall, face doors when ever possible, always square off corners, constantly check for my keys, etc.

Drives my wife nuts. She is sure I am simply paranoid, which is probably not that far off for fact.

After all, I did front on a blind man who was staring at me once.

[MrSkip]

Haha Bowles and PA Cracker I bet that was a priceless look on those fools faces :D

[DaytonaBeachCO]

Wow!
D. All of the above
Good to know that I'm not the only psycho C.O.

[94cvlx]

A favorite quote of mine from one of the guys I went to the Acadamy with
"I may be paranoid but that doesn’t mean that they are not after me"

[BookUmDano]

I always look into the kitchen of any restaurant ,to see if the cook is a former inmate from the jail,before I order.

[DaytonaBeachCO]

Last night the wife and I went to the liquor store on our way home. I stayed in the car w/ the kids while she went in the store. I had to park facing away from the store and I was watching her walk in my rear-view mirror. As she kept walking I realized that I couldn't see the store at the angle I was parked at. I started my car and "adjusted" w/in my parking spot so that I could see inside the store and her entire route back to the car. After I could see inside the store I suddenly felt at-ease with the situation and realizing that this was a perfect example of be "institutionalized" I could do nothing but laugh out loud at myself.

[CODE-30]

All windows and doors must be locked at home at all times, even storm doors. Constantly checking to make sure my wallet is still there even though I don't carry it at work. And my biggest pet peeve is no one can be behind me. If I'm walking in a store and someone is within 5 feet behind me, I will step to the side and let them walk by. Or if I'm standing in line at a store I constantly look behind me to see what the person is doing, and if they are standing right on my a**, I will ask them to step back a little. Been in a few arguments with strangers in public over that one. I also tell my wife before she leaves the house to be careful and when she's walking through a parking lot to keep glancing behind her to see if anyone is there.

[thesack]

I was cleaning my garage and had a bright idea to shadow board my tools becase my wife always takes them and i cant find them.

[LEO_brat]

It kills me when I am walking around the mall and see young thug wanna be's with their pants down around their butts. I didnt even notice that before I started working at the prison. Now I calm myself by reassuring myself that they are "job security".

We ALWAYS sit with our back to the wall and facing the exit door. We work first shift so lights are always on at home when its dark.

[EDCF_COI]

I was cleaning my garage and had a bright idea to shadow board my tools becase my wife always takes them and i cant find them.

You know you have problems if you start using a Tool Issuance Log.

EDCF_COI

[BillP]

[QUOTE=LEO_brat]It kills me when I am walking around the mall and see young thug wanna be's with their pants down around their butts.[\QUOTE]

Was in one of the local malls here when a couple of knuckle-heads that were dressed like that decided to swipe something. I should have joined the chase, but I was too busy laughing :D at them attempting to run through the mall, with their pants down around their ankles, while the store employees and mall security chased them down.

End result is that they were unsuccessful and are probably now ensuring that some CO is gainfully employed, for an extended period of time. ;)

My son wore his like that one time..........

[Himso]

My wife is amazed that I can do just about anything with a tube of toothpaste. Clean gym shoes, remove permanent marker, adhere things to the wall.

[P.A. Cracker]

My wife is amazed that I can do just about anything with a tube of toothpaste. Clean gym shoes, remove permanent marker, adhere things to the wall.

That's too funny...When you find yourself cleaning the toilet with toothpaste, step away from the bowl...

[Arkansas Red]

[QUOTE=LEO_brat]It kills me when I am walking around the mall and see young thug wanna be's with their pants down around their butts.[\QUOTE]


My son wore his like that one time..........


LoL, I am all for kids having individuality and expressing themselves, but my kids will not parade around like "thugs"... and first time I hear "kill the po-po" music we're going to have "take your kids to work day" at the local Jail. :D

[DaytonaBeachCO]

How many of you guys make your wife carry OC "at the ready" when she is out in public without you?

[EDCF_COI]

I can't convince mine to carry it :(

[DaytonaBeachCO]

We've run into a couple of I/M's out in public who thankfully came up to me and shook my hand, but it still freaks her out.

[toby101]

Thanks guys for something I should be looking forward to. I was just offered a job in a medium prison, so it will be interesting how soon I pick this habits up. Hell I already have some of them down.

[BillP]

How many of you guys make your wife carry OC "at the ready" when she is out in public without you?

My wife refuses to do so, but then without any defensive weapons she scares the crap outta me......... :eek:

Seriously, she has long said she would just end up spraying herself and helping the thug out. Of course she did once discharge a fire extingusher all over herself as opposed to the fire burning on the stove (another story there) so odds are she is correct.

[DOP]

I eat Maruchan soups and tend to be a lock freak...

[Stacy]

How many of you guys make your wife carry OC "at the ready" when she is out in public without you?

I don't carry any, I never have.

I just don't think that getting it sprayed in time would be a possibility if someone attacked me. I also don't want to have it "at the ready" and feel like I am scared all of the time.

Of course, we do not use OC in our institutions. Only the CERT and SORT team have anything to do with chemical agents.

[DaytonaBeachCO]

There's a difference in being "prepared" and being "scared." About having it sprayed in time all you do is point and squeeze. Unless you are totally blindsided then you should have time to deploy it. And if your blindsided or sucker-punched then it wouldn't do you any good anyway. Just a couple things to think about, it's your safety on the line.

[Onetime]

I've caught myself telling my little brother and his friends to get their hands out of their pockets, putting my signature down prefaced with C/O and concluded with my badge number, changing seats at restaurants so as to have a better view of the place, and running through the "what ifs" wherever I'm at.

[aroc]

i constantly say "this is some bull*****....... dep", "good lookin out dep" and writing my badge number after my signature when using my credit or bank card.

[AZCO]

The other night, instead of telling my 4 year old to go to bed, I told him "its time to take it in and lock down"

[Hack4NYS]

Ehhhhh whatever....

[dla4079]

I catch myself telling my kids to "rack up" when it is bed time, or when I call them for dinner "chow time", lol. I have even stood at my front door waiting on it to pop so I could enter. Here is the bad part, I even went as far as reaching for my radio to call the door, lol.

[LEO_brat]

HA!HA! My kids hate it when I tell them to "tighten up!"

[Island5-0]

I seen and inmate at the supermarket. He say' Are you still working there?? or I have them staring at me?? Then I know there and inmate. If they see me they leave ,Quick cause they have warrant on them. When I get back to the prison I check them -up sometime they have warrants for there arrest.

[CODE-30]

Not really being institutionalized, but anytime someone knocks on my door, I grab my off duty Sig .380 off the t.v. and put it in my pocket with my hand on it. Just so used to having a gun on me when I'm not in the jail. A cable salesman knocked on my door yesterday, and he kept looking at my hand in my pocket, I think he knew I had a gun, but he didn't say anything. I don't even live in that bad of a neighborhood, but gotta be ready for anything.

[Fellwarre]

I find that I use the word 'Chow' for food, and my dog responds to 'Lock it up,' and goes inside his crate ;)

Other than that, yeah, the usual security stuff. I find I'm a lot more alert to the things around me now.

[Wood]

I always sit in the back of a room with my back to the wall. Everyone has to walk in front of me, even my wife. I eyeball every sleaved out or doo-rag wearing person i see, and i can make a full meal out of ramen soup, chips, squeez cheese and ham. To top it all off i use jail slang as much as i use proper english... which is bad, i'm a PO now and some people look at me like i'm crazy...

[BillP]

I find that I use the word 'Chow' for food, and my dog responds to 'Lock it up,' and goes inside his crate ;)

Other than that, yeah, the usual security stuff. I find I'm a lot more alert to the things around me now.

I tell mine the same thing and they, not unlike some convicts, do so all while whining about it.

[NJPrisonCop]

This thread is amusing. OK... lets see. I use prison lingo with people on the street. I get the best looks from friends when I say things like "I ain't beat", or "Don't be a skid". I eat Jack and Jill ice cream cups with the lid as a makeshift spoon. My keys are always clipped to my belt loop. My wife laughs but she always know where I am when we are shopping, etc. I pull down on my shirt as if i have a vest on when i am in my civilians on the street. I scan rooms like a hawk and take an "inventory" of everyone around me. I notice things on the street (malls, walmart, etc) that most people would never catch. I look at every piece of graffiti I can for gang tags. I do not do the back towards the wall thing in public places. But then again most of the offenders I deal with are from Camden, Newark, Jersey City, etc. I am in the woods, so seeing an ex offender is not really an issue. Plus almost all the inmates know me to be pretty fair when it comes to hammering down on them. I have yet to have a grievance put on me simply because when I come down on inmates, they know there is a good reason for it.

Also, I find it much easier to be vocal on the street with someone acting like an idiot since I have worked in a correctional facility. Good thing they give us off duty weapons. :) Just kidding. I am always carrying when I go out of my house, because with all the crap going on in the world today, I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Scott

[TX_CO]

I do catch myself checking everything out around me all the time.

In order to carry a gun off duty here we have to get a CHL, the state does not issue firearms. Only a few positions are armed on duty (towers, field force, and free world escort/transport).

They execute all here and also release a lot of inmates here so I carry.

I can make an infinite number of things with Ramen, chili, fritos, and jalapenos.