It seems that a lot of guards need women to speak for them. Perhaps the guards are not paragons of literacy. In one recent day we received two emails, one from a guard's mother and a second from a guard's wife. They make such an interesting contrast, that we have elected to publish them here together. They are very slightly edited (both women seem to have a fluent command of the language) and our brief comments are appended as footnotes. We have traced the emails and protect the writers' identities. We respect the dedication and loyalty that both these women reveal for their men. The guys must be okay to evoke such vocal devotion, but then, don't they say that love is blind? By "Penny," A Guard's Mother I have a son who is an honest corrections officer. I was surprised to find this website. This is a good thing that you are doing. I know all about what you are talking about when it comes to injustices. My son has worked [as a corrections officer] for just over a year now. He has been unmercifully harassed by other officers. He doesn't "fit in" with them. He's been physically assaulted twice now by other officers. The last time, his injuries put him out of work. The prison is denying him workers comp. They are now trying to find a way of firing him since he filed a complaint about how things have been going. We can't even find a lawyer that is willing to take his case. No one wants to go up against the state. The prison has been conducting an internal "investigation." Need I say more? If we don't find help soon, my son may lose his job for no reason at all. It's very frustrating. And, yes, I do mean [assaulted by] guards, the poorest excuses for human beings I've even seen. Anyway, what you say is true. It seems like inmates in his prison have no problem with him because he's decent with them unless they give him a reason not to be. I knew that something was wrong even before he got hurt because he told me he got along better with the inmates than the guards. So, it just goes to show, things would be different if inmates were treated with respect. Well, I'll close and keep looking for help. I just want you to know I'm sure there are alot of people who appreciate what you are doing. By "A Guard's Wife," (SCI-Smithfield) I'm writing to respond to Ms Feigley's1 editorial2 in the Altoona Mirror [newspaper]. I first must clarify that I'm not a Corrections Officer,3 however, I must tell you that I'm married to one and have become acquainted with several more over the years. First, Ms Feigley, I must tell you that these men and women are anything less than overpaid4 and underworked.5 Have you ever walked a day in their shoes?6 Have you ever walked a day in the shoes of their families who wonder if they will be home that evening to their spouses and children?7 These men and women are surrounded each and every day by inmates who have committed various crimes,8 some of which are too awful to even think about, however, they are brave enough to go in there each day to do their job. Ask yourself, would you be able to do the same? [sic] Second, these men and women don't have problems getting jobs.9 These people are highly intelligent. Many have a college education and military background. How they choose to use their educations, whether it be college, the military or both, is up to them. These people are well qualified to do the jobs they are doing10 and, for that, they deserve a lot of respect. Many of these people11 have held other jobs in various fields before entering the Department of Corrections, so saying that they have trouble finding jobs is completely false. Ask yourself this question, would you, Ms Feigley, want to be left alone with upwards of 100 inmates12 on any given day. Now, remember, some of these inmates are mortal enemies, so they are likely to break into a good fight. Would you want to jump in the middle of a fight among a few of them? Just you and maybe 3 or 4 of them? I would say probably not. However, these officers are faced with that challenge on a bigger scale each day. And you must also realize that these same inmates will sometimes make their own weapons,13 which could include anything from a club to a shank (a fake knife). So, you realize that you could be beaten or stabbed at any given time in one of these fights.14 Now, would you want to face that possibility everyday?15 I would highly doubt it. I have to wonder where the prisoners get their money.16 It is not their own money. Yes, they have to earn it by doing various jobs17 throughout the prison. Most of these jobs don't pay more than pennies per hour, so, yes, their money is hard-earned, however where do you think the money comes from to pay these inmates' salaries? Yep, you guessed it, right from the taxpayers' pockets.18 So, Ms Feigley, that money actually does come from we [sic] taxpayers., no matter how you look at it. And, in conclusion, I definitely don't agree with your idea of closing half the prisons19 and reassigning the guards as parole officers. These inmates are in there because of crimes against society, murder, rape, theft and the list can go on. These people are there for a reason.20 In no way should they go on parole. Would you want to live next door to one, or raise a family next to one?21 Any type of respectable person would have to answer "no" to that question, however, from what I'm getting from your editorial, apparently that wouldn't bother you.22 So, Ms Feigley, to you I would have to say you're not much better that the inmates you so obviously support.23 Sincerely A guard's wife (SCI Smithfield) PS Ms Feigley, how does it feel to have your husband taking the full blame for a crime which you shared a great deal in?24 You obviously aren't much of a respectable human being. We apologize for the long-windedness of the last writer, but you can compare what the relatives of two prison guards have to say. We thank both women. FOOTNOTES 1 The writer thought she was addressing our publisher, Sandra Feigley. 2 Actually, Mrs. Feigley wrote a letter which was published in the Altoona paper. 3 Guards and their ilk frequently like to capitalize "corrections officer" as if it were important. We've reproduced the writer's error. 4 The "average" corrections employee is paid just over $40,000.00 of our tax money per year. 5 The "average" Pennsylvania prison guard is on the job (but hardly working) for about 215 days per year, that's a total of about 1727 hours, a lot less than most of the rest of us are at work and we have to actually do something. 6 While we take the question to be rhetorical, most decent folks wouldn't take a job as a prison guard. 7 Nothing like a little melodramatic hyperbole to substitute for facts. The facts are that a guard has less chance of being killed or injured on the job than a florist. See Our article about pregnant guards. 8 Or, at least been convicted of them. Actual guilt is another matter. 9 The unemployment rate in Huntingdon County where the prison is located is the second highest in the state. Prisons are intentionally planed for rural Republican areas where the yokels can't find real work. 10 One is forced to wonder what qualifications are required for a healthy person to sit around doing nothing. 11 While the writer uses "people," she obviously means "persons," a common error. 12 Many of us at www.prisoners.com have been with large numbers of prisoners. (See, for example, Mrs. Feigley's report on Camp Hill prison. The real ratio of prisoners to staff is 2.5 to 1 (39,200, prisoners, 15,000+ staff). There's no place at the Smithfield prison where a guard is "alone," let alone, alone with 100 prisoners. 13 Some foolish prisoners, in a feeble effort to even the odds with the guards rarely fashion crude weapons. See a story about the guards' torture weapons. 14 In reality, while not rare, fights between younger prisoners occur only about once a week per 1400 prisoners. They are almost all trivial fist fights which erupt as the stress of prison wears tempers thin. By comparison, fights between guards, especially barroom brawls, are not uncommon. Guards are almost never involved in the squabbles between prisoners and almost never injured unless they pick the fight. 15 This poor dear must not live in the real world or in the inner city. In Mayberry things may be different, but city neighborhoods are far more dangerous that prison. 16 By far, the greatest part of a prisoner's income comes as gifts from families and loved ones. That's why the vindictive charges made on prisoners are really taxes on their poor families. In addition, most men have a little money to carryover from before they were imprisoned. 17 About two thirds of prisoners are allowed to work. They earn about 19 cents an hour or $15 a month doing jobs that the prison staff can't or won't do. 18 That's exactly where the guards' pay comes from. Isn't it their money once it's earned? 19 There are really people like the writer who still want to create an under-class of slaves. Most persons deplore the use of cages even for beasts. With some clever management more than half the prisons should be closed. See our letter to Governor Rendell and our article about the dishonest whining guards. 20 The premier reason for the existence of so many prisons is to give easy, high-paying jobs to folks who would otherwise be laborers. Prison is all about money; money for the staff! 21 As we said, this poor dear must have her head in the sand. Prisoners and parolees are everywhere. You, your neighbors and the people you know are "criminals." 22 As the writer's tirade drones on, she loses her veneer of civility and her true personality comes through, she gets cattier and cattier. 23 It's petty to stoop to cattiness, but nobody here takes the remark as an insult. 24 No one here understands this allegation. Apparently the writer felt that she couldn't make her point without becoming nasty. It demeans her arguments.