Coming soon ! .. hundreds of hours in forced overtime, dangerous issues involving the lack of Correctional staff, and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel for TDCJ. Stay tuned as we examine the issues presented to us by current employees in Region IV and see what TDCJ and state Legislators have to say about it.
Do you work in Region IV and have information? Email us!
Well the short staffing is getting to be a huge problem. Where I am working we have the staff but are made to stay home and let our hub work short handed because they do not want people to get any overtime. When the what about security question was brought up we are told security is not the issue overtime is. We say "what if something bad happens" we were told TDCJ is reactive not pro active and we will deal with whatever happens when it actually happens.
ReplyDeleteI currently work at McConnell & we have to do 2 mandatory overtime days per set & we are still extremely short, we don't get breaks & you have to be there an hour early to get in because of the shake down process on the officers and we are there an hour late waiting on 2nd shift & we are not paid ot for none of that... There is plenty of security risks & the offenders know it...I could really go on & on... I don't understand how the state gets away this...
ReplyDeleteIf you don't get paid for that then it's your fault. You claim for the time you are on the clock - period.
DeleteYou are not on the clock when you are standing in line to get in or out of the unit.... as far as breaks, we do get paid, But we are only aloud 15 to 30 mins. & I much rather eat a lil something or take a break from the convicts....
DeleteI think this problem can be resolved if we have more rifts like last year.
ReplyDeleteI work in the western region transportation hub. Huntsville transportation came down and hired a new LT. Straight from the buildings he said they hired him strictly for the reason of cutting out all overtime, well he is doing it he makes the drivers run on a bus with 2 people instead of the preferred 3 if you have remotely close to 40 hrs you don't leave the office you will sit there wasting the states money until you have 40 you are then sent home all the while your co workers are going out on a 12 hour 400 mile run with just 2 people to do it with 46 inmates our new Lt which was a safe prisons sgt. Before he was hired into transportation doesn't have any clue where any of the units we go to nor does he have the required CDL that we are required to have you would think after the comeaux incident they would realize that something CAN happen on the road all the transportation supervisors in Huntsville need to be fired or put back on the road instead of calling all the shots from behind closed doors trying to make themselves look good by eliminating overtime but risking hundreds of lives in the process. The new super LT we have now said that safety is not his concern but eliminating the overtime is! It's easy to be an armchair quarter back but he refuses to get out and work and maybe see how dangerous it is. Our overtime primarily comes from the excessive shakedown procedures on the almighty French Robertson unit it's not at all transportations fault but we get punished for it by getting to work short
ReplyDeleteWell "they" are reading your comments now. Just like several state Legislators are. Will it help? Who knows, but i don't hurt to put it out there... keep um coming. And on McConnell do you guys work 12's or 8:45's ?
ReplyDeleteWe work 12's... Well more like 14's... lol
DeleteIf you have to wait in line to get into work or wait in line to get off the property then you are on the clock. Just because some fat administrator says you aren't that doesn't mean it's so. That just means that's what they are told to say.
ReplyDeleteOk.. Thanks for the info.... That is what I thought, but somebody at the unit corrected me... I'm sure going to look into it deeper....
DeleteAt the Connally unit we are 220 officers short. The oil field companies are hiring and there is no end in sight at least for the next seven years or so. Potential employees from Corpus Christi and San Antonio are not willing to travel 70 plus miles to work at a prison for 2,300 a month starting salary. Raise the salary to about 2,800 and make it worthwhile. Listen up State Legislators you put the safety of the public when you don't want to pay a competetive salary.
ReplyDeleteI worked at Connelly from June to September but was forced to quite when I was unable to find a place to live. The oilfield has rented everything. I have reapplied and am currently waiting on a position in Gatesville. I would have stayed if I could have rented a bow room. The lady that runs the boq threw us out and told the class after us that it was because we were not looking for housing yet no one ever ask for proof.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you have to do some work, sitting on a bus must be terribly taxing to you. Try being out numbered 216 to 2 like the staff actually working inside the prison are. Comeaux had nothing to do with a CDL read the SIR. Your peers made that possible. If your so concerned with what's happening why didn't you make Lt, change the world and fix all the beaucratic non-sense in one herioc endeavor?? Why don't you call Warden Wheeler and complain to him about the shakedown process, I'm sure he would love to hear from you. As I was told, "you asked for it" now deal with it. It's our job and it's what we must do to provide the service we signed up for. If you can't then I suggest that you go be successful somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteOh i have worked on the buildings 11 years worth and i am not doubting the danger of the buildings at all. I know they run short but they run short due to being short handed. Our department is not short handed but we are constantly made to take off or stay off our runs to save overtime. I also could care less about getting shook down dont mind it a bit. But if i have to work the time i should get paid for it just like the P.O.T on the buildings.Im sorry that you think my job is not at all hard but im assuming you never once have done it. I dont know what the CDL you are refering to has to do with the comeaux escape incompitence, yes there was but, it goes all the way back to the builings and medical staff not just the transport officers.I guess you have had a gun put to the back of your head before as well and acted calmly about it like the comeaux incident.Dont knock what those officers did, what they did at the end of the day was went home to their kids. I sat on the side of the road 12 hrs when the RB unit let one out the front gate so why dont you say something about that. I am happy working in the position im in now and do not care for being a LT. but whats right is right and whats wrong is wrong and short handing any transportation vehicle being it a unit transport or regional transport cutting corners is not the way to go. As far as talking to Warden Wheeler about anything probably wouldnt be a problem i have known him for 20 years so i dont mind complaining to him a bit just stating where the majority of our overtime comes from
DeleteWe are working on this story now. If you have details email us, you will remain anonymous. Looking for insider info on overtime issues, are normal unit operations continuing even though the units are dangerously short? Any category one positions going unfilled or cheated ?
ReplyDeleteWe want to know... admin@thebackgate.org