Monroe, WA prison guard complained of unarmed solo shifts

[shesulsa]

Corrections officer Jayme Biendl had repeatedly complained to her supervisors about working alone in the chapel at the Monroe prison. The 5-foot-3, 130-pound officer also complained that security cameras in the area didn't work. Late Saturday, her worst fears were realized when she was strangled in the chapel.

FULL STORY

I truly can't comprehend how it came to be decided that anyone working a solo shift in prison should be unarmed or how a woman working in a men's prison should work alone.

 

[Archangel M]

Death Penalty.

http://www.mynorthwest.com/category...ficer-says-colleague's-murder-is-no-surprise/

Byron Scherf first attempted rape at age 19. He succeeded a few years later, dousing his victim that time with gasoline and lighting her on fire. Strike 3, another rape, was in 1995, two years after his release from prison. Three strikes is all you get in this state. Until Saturday night.

Some people just need killing...as bad as that may sound.

 

[shesulsa]

Death Penalty.

http://www.mynorthwest.com/category/local_news_articles/20110131/Corrections-officer-says-colleague's-murder-is-no-surprise/


Some people just need killing...as bad as that may sound.

He is already slated for death. I say we expedite.

 

[Steve]

This is a tough one, and very sad. Some things to consider are that the State is, like many others, facing tough budget times. Programs are getting cut and funding for additional guard, or cameras in a place where no assault has taken place in over 100 years, is a tough thing to justify.

I'm not saying that this is alright. Please don't anyone take it that way. I am simply saying that if we consider the situation without the benefit of hindsight, it's less cut and dry.

I think that the guards need to be in shape and better trained, overall. Particularly if they're unarmed, as she was.

 

[Touch Of Death]

This is a tough one, and very sad. Some things to consider are that the State is, like many others, facing tough budget times. Programs are getting cut and funding for additional guard, or cameras in a place where no assault has taken place in over 100 years, is a tough thing to justify.

I'm not saying that this is alright. Please don't anyone take it that way. I am simply saying that if we consider the situation without the benefit of hindsight, it's less cut and dry.

I think that the guards need to be in shape and better trained, overall. Particularly if they're unarmed, as she was.

Budget cuts cost a life. Someone decided her complaint was not justified. Who made this decision?
Sean

 

[Steve]

It wasn't budget cuts that cost her life. There have never been cameras in this chapel, and there hasn't been any kind of assault in over 100 years in this chapel. While this is tragic, and every effort should be made to keep employees safe, if I had a fixed amount of dollars to spend, I'd try to put them where they'll do the most good.

In other words, in spite of 20/20 hindsight, if the choice between spending money on cameras and/or additional personnel in a part of the prison where there is historically zero record of violent incidents, or spending those same dollars in other areas of the prison where there are historically high rates of violent incidents, the choice is pretty clear.

This is sad, but I can see how it happened, and knowing that they are operating on a very fixed budget, I can't bring myself to blame anyone for negligence. At least, not based on what I've seen so far. I don't claim to know all of the details.

 

[Indie12]

This is a tough one, and very sad. Some things to consider are that the State is, like many others, facing tough budget times. Programs are getting cut and funding for additional guard, or cameras in a place where no assault has taken place in over 100 years, is a tough thing to justify.

I'm not saying that this is alright. Please don't anyone take it that way. I am simply saying that if we consider the situation without the benefit of hindsight, it's less cut and dry.

I think that the guards need to be in shape and better trained, overall. Particularly if they're unarmed, as she was.

Well, even if there in shape, are provided quality training, and armed, there are no guarantees that it would've been a different outcome!

Unfortunately, this is going on all over the state, not just in Corrections!!
When I worked in the County Juvenile Corrections Center as a Corrections Guard, we were unarmed, with a ratio of 20:1 (2 officers on at any given time) (1 officer for 20 youth, (give or take a few) and given very little Defensive Tactics training.... And yes we had incidents where youth became violent using weapons and where 1 officer was alone with a youth and was attacked. It's not just state facilities that have this problem, even local, city, and county facilities are facing this short-fall.

 

[Bruno@MT]

I don't see how women are allowed (nevermind want) to work in a male prison population. The potential for disaster is too big.
Every second you don't get raped or killed you know it is only because they decided not to do it ... just yet.

 

[jks9199]

I don't see how women are allowed (nevermind want) to work in a male prison population. The potential for disaster is too big.
Every second you don't get raped or killed you know it is only because they decided not to do it ... just yet.

That's rather a demeaning attitude towards women. I know many deputies and correctional officers who happen to be female, and have absolute control over the population they work with. Their control comes from their own confidence, and from the institutional policies that every deputy or CO contributes to maintaining.