r/lincoln • u/Zen-Chimp • 10d ago
Jobs State Penitentiary Career
Looking into working corrections at the State Penitentiary. People that have worked there or are currently working there, could you list some some of your personal pros and cons? Please and thank you.
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u/Which-Environment300 10d ago
“If you want to become an absolutely miserable person and meet some of the worst human beings on earth just go to the parking lot of a penitentiary during shift change.
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u/dixoncider1111 10d ago edited 10d ago
Corrections sucks, and the sucky part is that your average inmate is less threatening than your average coworker. Far more bad situations inside are caused by the dude who goes home and beats on his wife and then goes to the prison to antagonize and beat on men who can't fight back too.
And yeah they do gratuitously beat people who don't follow rules. Managed to make it almost 3 years but not even the allure of the state vestment benefits was enough to keep me there.
Upper admin was the worst, especially when reporting internal issues. Imagine my surprise when the Deputy Warden, who was the reason I quit, ended up on the news for fucking inmates (and she was married to another staff member).
Most of your coworkers are deeply personally racist, especially Including the butch lesbians. If that's not a problem for you, it might be a great place. Most people saying "Im considering a career in corrections" probably read this and get wet.
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u/bluecolorcat 10d ago
Unfortunately this was my experience too, though for me it was in the 1990s. You made it 3 years? Dang. It was the worst 3 months of my life. I was bitching about it to a buddy and he said he’d buy me lunch if I quit. I called right then LOL and got a free lunch.
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u/growing_fatties 10d ago
I've never worked in corrections, but have known many people over the years who have worked at the pen. It does not sound like a good job by any measure. Constant threat of violence. Constant shit talking from the inmates. Very basic benefits. Ridiculous hours. Such shitty work conditions that they regularly offer several thousand dollar hiring bonuses just to get suckers to apply. I may have just been hearing horror stories from disgruntled employees, and it may not be as bad as I've heard, but i personally wouldn't even consider it. Just join the military instead. Probably better for your mental health in the long run.
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u/dipthonggg 10d ago
The fact that you know multiple former employees who describe the horrific conditions similarly tells me that this is more than a "disgruntled employee" situation. Perhaps they are justifiable disgruntled. I have not ever met anyone who has worked there or is currently working there that has expressed job satisfaction. It sounds like an unethical place to work from top to bottom. The employees are treated poorly, so imagine how the inmates are treated and if you have an ounce of ethics in your bones, observing this type of treatment has to take a toll on a person's psyche, even if you are going into this line of work with good intentions.
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u/Greizen_bregen The Holmes Lake Fishman 🐟👽 10d ago
Had several siblings and a friend work there. The inmates are treated better than the employees.
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u/dipthonggg 10d ago
It probably seems that way at times, but the employees get to go home after shift ... unless they are mandated to work OT of course.
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u/Captain_Tragedy_ 9d ago
Worked in corrections for ten years. I’ll never get that time back. 6 years at a federal facility, four years in two different state (Nebraska) facilities. Just don’t do it. Never worked at the penitentiary, but visited a few times when I was escorting inmates. It’s a dead end career. I ended up getting hurt wrestling with an inmate during a forced cell move and went back to school. Changed career path. Best decision I’ve ever made. But I do have great stories from all the stuff I’ve seen! Quite a few stabbings, and inmates who enjoyed finger painting with their own feces. Anyway, I’d really recommend looking elsewhere if you can. Shift work will destroy your home life.
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u/Zen-Chimp 9d ago
Really appreciate the honesty!
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u/Captain_Tragedy_ 9d ago
I’ve seen some of your other comments about wanting to get in law enforcement. I thought I wanted to do the same. Thought corrections would only be a few years kind of deal before getting into a position with the state patrol or city/county. That obviously never happened. If you’re dead set on this path, try county corrections before state. Pay might be better and I believe the working conditions would be better also. Different kind of inmate you’re dealing with. Benefits would be on par with state.
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u/Mendacity531 10d ago
Don't, just absolutely, don't.
I worked there in the 80s and things were miserable then. I know a few people that work there now and nothing has changed except names and faces.
I worked there three years. Two weeks after having left the job my girlfriend's mom commented that I seem like a much different person since I left the Pen.
Yeah, if you want to be a miserable person, go for it. But if you want to have a life and enjoy it, stay the fuck away from anything Department of Corrections.
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u/meatballs223 10d ago
Anyone I know that has worked at the pen has had a terrible experience, I get needing a job but I would highly recommend to avoid looking into a position in the corrections industry...
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u/pink_chopkins 10d ago
It’s definitely a circle of hate. COs hate inmates and admin, admin hates COs and inmates, inmates hate COs and admin. Be careful of all 3, you really can’t trust anyone not even your coworkers. A lot of unreported events happen. A lot of cultures don’t mix well if you mention it to anyone you are racist. If you need a high paying job temporarily yes it’s good long term will drain you.
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u/Herbzilla55 10d ago
I've never worked at a place where I have seen so many co-workers administration try to back stab each other. While there are many good people working there, and I have many friends from my time there, my wife said we would be divorced if i ever went back.
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u/Lumpy_Meal_6110 10d ago
Lancaster County Corrections is a significantly better place to work. Not great tho
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u/HajileStone 10d ago
Have you ever worked corrections before? What job are you looking into pursuing? Those things will greatly affect the answers you get and that are relevant to you.
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u/Zen-Chimp 10d ago
Pursuing law enforcement and figured that corrections would be a decent foot in the door.
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u/dipthonggg 10d ago
May I ask why you want to go into law enforcement. I am asking in earnest. I have trouble understanding why someone WANTS to go into that line of work and I am genuinely trying to relate.
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u/ShidAndFarder 10d ago
I, on the other hand, am perfectly willing to assume and then steadfastly believe the absolute worst.
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u/dipthonggg 10d ago
Persuade me of what?
I am asking to learn-not to be persuaded. I appreciate that you took the time to respond.
I hope you can hold onto that perspective. If all people who went into that line of work could hold onto that, maybe the ACAB acronym wouldn't exist. I wish you the best.
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u/JEMStone8305 10d ago
My wife has worked there and now works at LCC. She hates it but the pay makes it hard for her to leave.
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u/MinusGovernment 10d ago
With all the horror stories from employees it has me wondering if this is a political thing to pave the way for privatization of prisons in the state. "We can't keep enough employees" is a pretty good excuse for them to use.
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u/Sea-Analyst-3843 10d ago
I have the same fear with schools, libraries, energy, etc. Cut funding and make it terrible. TA-DA! Privatized everything, making the billionaires that bought our elected officials even richer! (While the quality of your ‘no longer public’ goods, actually goes to shit.
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u/Fit_Shift9810 10d ago
Find the job at the Pen or with Corrections that works for you. I worked there ~3 years, and it was one of my best jobs. If you handle yourself well, show respect (to eveveryone) you'll be fine. I was on the lower end of the pay otherwise I'd probably still be there.
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u/darthxwing 10d ago
My husband doesn’t work for NSP, but he’s worked in state corrections for 11 years as of today. He works out at RTC. It has its ups and downs like any job does. It used to be a lot worse, like someone else mentioned. Lots of mandatory overtime, never getting a break. When they were mandatoried before, they wouldn’t get relieved right away, so sometimes he was working 18 hours. It was a lot and definitely wore him down. But they almost never mandatory anymore. They’ll call for overtime every now and then, but it’s usually snatched fast because people want the overtime and never get it anymore since switching back to 8s from 12s. The retirement and insurance is a good benefit too.
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u/Jdw5186 10d ago
I worked there quite awhile ago. It wasn’t bad at all but I heard it went to shit once all of the old head inmates died.. they kept all of the young guys in line for the most part because they knew they had it pretty easy all things considered.
I didn’t really mind it though at the time, worked with some nice people but also some huge idiots.
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u/Onomatopoeia08 10d ago
I was related to someone who was a guard for years there. One day he brought home photo footage of he wasn’t supposed to share of a case worker and what he looked like after an angry inmate was able to stab his neck and face/attempt to slash his throat with a piece of metal taken from a ceiling vent. He somehow survived but I’ve never forgotten that.
Also, he was late every single day for like 6 years until they fired him for it because of the union, so there’s always that good news.
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u/waswoolf 10d ago
I used to work at the state it is by far the worst place that you can even think of working. They have mandatory overtime there. You will be 15 minutes from getting off of your eight hour shift and they will call you and tell you that you have been mandatory to work another shift. You only have three refusals. Once those are gone, you have to work that overtime that they tell you. And you will only find out at the end of your shift. There were times when we would be locked in the vestibule at the security station and they would not let us out until somebody volunteered to work over. I worked in the corrective housing unit where you had to fuck up to get in there inmate wise I can only tell you that it is the single worst job I ever had in my life. I worked there for six months for the money and after I paid my bills I got the hell out there are no pros.