[humanser] Do You Work in a Jail or Prison?

[JD Townsend]

Hi,

No, I haven't worked in a jail or prison, but I have supervised social 
workers working there and I've visited them to work with my patients who 
have stayed there for a time.

The prison work is more of a challenge, people with life sentences have 
little to lose, so acting out is more common there.

But, when I have visited patients in the local Florida jails the most 
challenging part was just learning my way around.  There are, always, guards 
close by if problems should occur.  Most commonly you will be expected to 
check on inmates who have been identified as suicide risks, assess inmate 
mental statuses & provide quick check-ins as your state requires.  The work 
is difficult mainly in the number of inmates you may be expected to have on 
your caseload at any one time.  The jail population is ever changing, so 
identifying inmates by voice is not an easy option, but once again, there 
are guards around for that purpose.

You may be expected to make entries into the jail database of your 
activities, if so your PC skills may come into play.  Don’t make a big deal 
of this, just say that you have experience with a variety of programs and, 
though there may be a learning period, that must be true for everyone.

Should they bring up safety issues related to your blindness, report that 
you would take safety precautions as any other member of the staff and that 
blind people have a higher safety record than the light dependent.  If they 
persist, just say that the very best safety tool is using verbal 
de-escalation, a good calm mind, and  their best practice safety 
precautions.

Best of luck.



JD Townsend LCSW
Helping the light dependent to see.
Daytona Beach, Earth, Sol System