Pimamom made a good point about individuals going out of their way to keep the lines of communication open. “Friction” is not always what it appears to be. I don’t know your specific situation and it’s true that, sometimes, there really is friction and poor working relationships all across the board. But I’ve also watched supervisors of each department feud amongst themselves while the rank and file don’t.

Have anyone seen, for example, the Medical Director at odds with the shift commander and yet the nurses and CO’s get along? I’ve seen Sheriff’s deputies meet with city cops in alleys late at night to discuss cases and share information because the Sheriff and Police Chief were at odds with each other and had ordered their people to have no contact with anyone associated with the other department. That didn’t change until a new Police Chief came in, but the feud wasn’t totally forgotten until a new Sheriff was elected.

If there really is friction with ALL of the staff it’s mostly out of our hands. I just continue to do my job. As time goes on I might (at least) develop a personal working relationship with a couple of the non-security staff I have contact with. Most of us can pick out individuals who are going out of their way to stir the pot, and I do all I can to avoid those individuals, but most of us are also willing to get along on a professional level regardless of what our supervisors are doing.

And I agree with ol’ Shakey about the sleepers. If I could take in one of those compressed air cans that sound like a fog horn I could at least make sure the sleeper stayed awake during the shift to keep an eye on me.

I work in the medical department at a medium security prison in Nevada. We have a great working relationship with all areas of the institution. We keep the communication open with custody at all times (We have the best lazy, arrogant, non educated Ogers that carry a badge). There is monthly Recognition for our staff from the warden’s and we have non custody staff recommending officers for employee of the month and vise versa. I guess that we as individuals go out of our way to keep the lines of communication open; we have enough to worry about just working where we work without having the extra stress of not getting along with the other staff.

The friction between Security and non Security, is that we as Secutiry are looked upon as lazy, arrogant, non educated Ogers that carry a badge. We are at the botton of the food chain, sort of like the janitors at most places. We are replacable (unless you have a good union). They love us when we catch the bad guys doing bad things or anything else that makes them look good, then turn on us when we do a little boo boo. My brother stumped them one day at a discipline hearing, where he asked them to look at his good file? they had that blank look and said they didn’t have a good file. he said " Oh, but you have a file on all the bad things that we have done, but nothing for all the good things that we have done".

As for the sleepers, tell them wake the @#$% up, if it’s habitual don’t 6/5 or wake him when the supervisors do their rounds.

As for the lack communication. It’s because we are lazy, arrogant, non educated Ogers that carry a badge.

Hope this helps…:)

Hey officers. Why is there so much fiction between Security and all other Non security personnel?
And what do you do about people you catch sleeping time and time again?
Also does it seem like there is a lack off communication In your Prison and why????