Wasted Honor -

Carl R. ToersBijns is the author of the Wasted Honor Trilogy [Wasted Honor I,II and Gorilla Justice] and his newest book From the Womb to the Tomb, the Tony Lester Story, which is a reflection of his life and his experiences as a correctional officer and a correctional administrator retiring with the rank of deputy warden in the New Mexico and Arizona correctional systems.

Carl also wrote a book on his combat experience in the Kindle book titled - Combat Medic - Men with destiny - A red cross of Valor -

Carl is considered by many a rogue expert in the field of prison security systems since leaving the profession. Carl has been involved in the design of many pilot programs related to mental health treatment, security threat groups, suicide prevention, and maximum custody operational plans including double bunking max inmates and enhancing security for staff. He invites you to read his books so you can understand and grasp the cultural and political implications and influences of these prisons. He deals with the emotions, the stress and anxiety as well as the realities faced working inside a prison. He deals with the occupational risks while elaborating on the psychological impact of both prison worker and prisoner.

His most recent book, Gorilla Justice, is an un-edited raw fictional version of realistic prison experiences and events through the eyes of an anecdotal translation of the inmate’s plight and suffering while enduring the harsh and toxic prison environment including solitary confinement.

Carl has been interviewed by numerous news stations and newspapers in Phoenix regarding the escape from the Kingman prison and other high profile media cases related to wrongful deaths and suicides inside prisons. His insights have been solicited by the ACLU, Amnesty International, and various other legal firms representing solitary confinement cases in California and Arizona. He is currently working on the STG Step Down program at Pelican Bay and has offered his own experience insights with the Center of Constitutional Rights lawyers and interns to establish a core program at the SHU units. He has personally corresponded and written with SHU prisoners to assess the living conditions and how it impacts their long term placement inside these type of units that are similar to those in Arizona Florence Eyman special management unit where Carl was a unit deputy warden for almost two years before his promotion to Deputy Warden of Operations in Safford and Eyman.

He is a strong advocate for the mentally ill and is a board member of David's Hope Inc. a non-profit advocacy group in Phoenix and also serves as a senior advisor for Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council in Chino, California As a subject matter expert and corrections consultant, Carl has provided interviews and spoken on national and international radio talk shows e.g. BBC CBC Lou Show & TV shows as well as the Associated Press.

I use sarcasm, satire, parodies and other means to make you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
































































































































Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Video on the debate of whether respect is given or earned by cops

Respect ~ earned or assigned?


For the longest time, there have been debates about respect for lawmen being earned and respect being given. The entire issue is about the man who wears the badge and how this star or other symbol of authority gives them instantaneous unconditional respect without any other conditions. The fact is that many still believe that respect must be earned and not assigned.  Getting to the root of this debate are the baseline morality values of our society. Growing up we were told by our parents to respect the police and fire and if you need help, run to one of them and they will help you. This was based on their own values and their own trust in these positions as well as the men and women who fill those positions.

Today, it appears that the general public, whether individually or as a whole, have lost respect for police, firemen, correctional officers and other law enforcement officials who wear the star. You might describe this lost of respect as an apathy towards authority and perhaps even more severe than just not caring or recognizing their assigned responsibilities within society and community.  Therefore, one can surmise that one element of earning respect depends on your moral upbringing, your parental influences and your own values on this matter. Children are the most valuable resource available and should envision our lawmen and law enforcement officers (LEOS) as good versus the criminal or crooks being the bad. Thus I believe it starts with parents, the vision of law the schools project and the generational values attached to responsibility. The bottom line at this point is our investment in our children’s wellness and future.

The second element of this earned versus assigned ideology is the way the media represents the law and how they report their local, state or national behaviors. It could in fact bolster the idea that cops are either the good guys or the bad guys on the angle they report the story. Focusing on this profession, the media can either reassure the public of all the positive things the police do or re-enforce the negative and create mistrust and doubt on their presence in the community.

Stories by the media focusing on “the code of silence”, misplaced loyalties, or other acts of wrongdoing or major misconduct about LEOs makes giving respect very difficult. Hence, stories that demonstrate greedy and corrupt conduct make trusting harder whether an individual misbehavior is at stake or acts of criminality. The influence is undoubtedly felt by the community and its leaders. Thus we have to agree or disagree whether the media can bolter the confidence or act as an instrument of disintegration or destruction of personal values or unethical conduct.  The truth remains that once it is all said and done people will decide for themselves whether a cop can be trusted or not and whether they earned their respect or whether it is assigned to them without conditions. The fact is that neither applies exclusively to the police or any other LEO.

The attributes of respect apply to the entire gauntlet of public officials, the military, teachers, doctors, public servants and even the individual human being to whom this entitlement is assigned merely by being a human being and enabled to receive respect for one’s own character or existence. Characteristically, every position and every human being carries with it a position of authority or some individual domain that must [or at least] be recognized. Therefore, it is likely that unless the position or individual abuses their role or presence within the societal realms assigned, it will be respected.  Therefore, it is likely that when the police officer knocks on the door or stops the vehicle for a traffic stop, he or she will likely be respectful and expect the same in return. This is based simply on the fact that two humans are interacting without the presence of abuse but once abuse is known or displayed, the officer must remain respectful and follow pre-established rules of engagement while the civilian does not. Here the standard has been elevated for the police officer.

The same rules apply for civilians. If someone invades my house and threatens my family or while walking on the street and they wish them harm, I must do something to defend them and respect the fact that as I take responsibility for protecting my family, they must take the responsibility for threatening my family and suffer the consequences for such an act. Disrespect may summon a reaction that is legal or illegal but generally considered to be morally respected to be the appropriate response.

Without abuse, I will respect everyone without asking for respect in return. As a former deputy warden I got respect for many reasons. The first was by assignment or title and the second was the mannerism I performed my duties. It is also my belief that I was given respect as a human being willing to stop and talk to all walks of life withholding my personal judgment and biases for others making it possible for me to do my job better. I think that when there is harmony between assignment and behavior, respect is given and at the same time earned; that is, until it is abused.







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