At the Frackville state prison in East Central Pennsylvania, there's a guard known as "Little Jack." He's plenty tall. He's little in other ways, pathetically little. Little Jack is a bully. In nursery school you learned about "Little Tommy Tucker." In the Frackville nursery it's Little Jack. A bully is a blustering, browbeating person or a hired ruffian. Little Jack fits the definition to a tee. He's pompous, self-important and unprofessional. At the Frackville prison, such attributes are hardly unusual. The administration encourages unprofessional and bullying conduct by the staff. The administration brings out the worst qualities in employees who might otherwise prefer to behave civilly. Prison staff should be schooled to act respectfully. They should be managed to insure that they are professional. They should be controlled and constrained in order to serve the public interest. Effective administrators should want their staff to display admirable qualities. It's not that way at the Frackville prison. There's a "Frackville mentality." It's based on threats. Most Frackville guards add threats to anything they say. Persons who must threaten are neurotic or, at best, insecure. The Frackville mentality produces an atmosphere of confrontation and conflict. That's the element for Little Jack. He substitutes being loud for being right. Apparently, he's scared. Being scared is endemic to Pennsylvania prison guards. That's especially true with the majority at the Frackville prison. Little Jack and his fellows pump themselves up by using threats, intimidation and lies. The aim of the Frackville prison, and indeed of most of Pennsylvania prisons, is not to correct criminal conduct or to make better citizens. The aim is to inflate the flacid egos of the little people on the staff. Bullying is Viagra for their personalities. Little Jack holds a slight authority over lower ranking guards. He fails to manage them. He fails to instill dignity. He fails to set an example. Little Jack makes excuses for their misdeeds. He condones abuses and violations. It's the Frackville mentality. It's Little Jack's plum. Rebecca's Bargain Antiques Collectible Vintage Photos Fine Prints - Old Maps Sheet Music - Old Books Elegant Antiques and Collectibles "We don't make good citizens, we make good prisoners," Patrick McGoohan in Escape From Alcatraz 1979 You are welcome to use or republish any of our material. Please give www.prisoners.com credit as the source. Return to the Public Enemies Menu Return to the Frackville Prison Menu Return to the Main Menu. Go to our site's Search Engine Send us Your Comments or Input.