Hello, and welcome to the Prison Officer Podcast. This podcast is a place to talk about the forgotten cops in this country’s jails, prisons, and correctional centers. A place for me to try to make sense of a career spent working inside the fence with some of the greatest people that nobody sees or recognizes for the important job they do.
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It's early Christmas morning here at our house and I just wanted to take a minute and say Merry Christmas. Whether you are lucky enough to have the day off and get to spend it with your family, or if you are working a shift (or two) in one of the prisons, jails, or correctional centers around the world. I just wanted to remind you that what you do is appreciated.
I spent many Christmas’s and other holidays working inside, and despite everything, I do have some good memories of those times. Maybe the inmates would try a little harder, or maybe the staff was in a better mood, or maybe everybody was just a little distracted by the decorations, or change in schedules for the holidays. Whatever the reason, holidays tended to be a pretty good day to work in a prison…as good days go anyway.
There was always a holiday meal, and I have to say that over the years, Food Service would usually knock it out of the park. Sometimes portions of turkey, a couple of times there was even a individual Cornish game hen. Of course there was always the staples of a holiday meal – mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans or another vegetable, a fresh baked roll. I don’t know if everyone has had the same experience, but I have worked at two prisons that bake their own bread. Not only were the rolls on the holidays magnificent, but sometimes a quick trip through Food Service in the morning would net me a fresh piece of bread with a slab of butter.
One holiday dessert that I really learned to enjoy was “Bean pie!” Bean pie is a sweet custard pie whose filling consists of mashed beans, usually navy bean, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, and spices. Bean pies are commonly associated with cuisine of Muslims or Nation of Islam, but it became something I looked forward to each year. Something I even learned to make at home.
None of this ever replaced good home cooking, but these holiday meals usually put most inmates in a good mood and made the shift go easier.
A holiday tradition with the Federal prison system is the giving of “holiday bags.” I don’t know if other institutions and systems do this, but it was a special treat for the inmates. The bags were filled with small bags of cookies, hard candy, pretzels or chips and some candy bars. Nothing really expensive or noteworthy, but for those inmates that did not have family sending them money from the outside, it was a treat. The passing of holiday bags is usually the last thing staff do the day before the official holiday. Some staff would even wear a Santa Hat and the inmates seemed to be a little more gracious as they said “Thank you.”
One of the most sad things for me about prison holidays was the Visiting Room. I always hated seeing the kids who were dragged there on Christmas…or any other holiday. I always thought that should have been their day. Their day to stay home, open a present, have a meal with their family…not bored watching their parents trying to feel each other up and not get caught.
One of my own unique Christmas memories was while I was working the lock down Mental Health Unit at the Medical Center in Springfield, MO. I always tried to engage the inmates on that unit when I passed trays. It was a good way for me to gauge their mood, their health, and their attitude. Sometimes I would even make it into a sort of game with questions like, “Who is you favorite Disney character?”, “What is your favorite book?”…just some sort of little question. Sometimes they were really excited to tell me their answer, other times they just said F-you or nothing at all. Either way I got a pretty good idea of what their mood was.
One Christmas I decided to ask “What is your favorite Christmas song?” Their excitement to tell really surprised me, but the fact that most of them wanted to sing their favorite song, was the real surprise. Serving trays that day took me two hours. Almost every inmate on that mental health unit had a favorite Christmas song, and most knew the words. The things you get to see in prison on the holidays.
Even with those memories, holidays can be a tough time. My family put up with a lot to work around my schedules. Sometimes the kids were excited because they got to open all their presents early on Christmas Eve because I had to work a double on Christmas Day. Or sometimes we all got up early so they were opening their gifts at 5:00 am on Christmas Day.
Sometimes the whole family would hold up Christmas dinner until I could get home from an early shift.
Our kids are grown now and a recent conversation with my wife really brought to life how much I missed. She mentioned how fun it was when we all went to Branson for Christmas and saw the Rockettes for Christmas. I said I never saw them. Then we both remembered I was working that day. Then she mentioned that time we went to Silver Dollar City for Christmas with the kids. Then we remembered that I worked, I didn’t go that time either.
I know that somebody has to work on these holidays. I am proud of what the officers in our prisons and jails do to protect society. It’s not a regular job. It has to be twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. It’s what we do. But I will say…don’t work them all. Find a way to make time for those around you that you love. The memories you make with them, will be more important the memories you make while you draw holiday pay.
Once again I would like to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And a quick reminder to reach out to the staff you work with. This has been a rough year for many people on both sides of the fence. Take time to make sure your fellow officers are doing Okay.
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