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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
































































































































Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Retirement - the Final Trauma - A correctional officer's life




RETIREMENT - THE FINAL TRAUMA –


We have heard it so often before – a retired correctional officer died in his home of a self-inflicted wound. There is no age limit to this final trauma in life. There are no statistics who will be next. He or she may be in their 40’s, 50’s or 60’s or in some cases, their late 20’s or early 30’s. they either served in the military or worked hard to become successful in whatever endeavor in life they chose.
Some live alone while others are at home with the family, not giving anyone a clue what is bothering them inside. They never found the words to tell someone how the pain inside was tearing them apart. No one even had a clue that they were hurting so bad, they wanted to die. It was always after the fact that they learned of their troubles, their pain and miseries.
Rarely revealed before the moment of truth, they remained silent and never said a word about wanting to die.
Some had a recent injury or personal loss. Many suffered a personal crisis or divorce. Others suffered from financial disasters or other events that took their life savings and retirement hops away. Some had to pay the medical bills that were overwhelming as the job caused so many injuries not including those that are invisible and mentally exhausting.
Some had been physically or sexually attacked or assaulted, leaving them with emotional scars nobody would see or ask about. They experienced loneliness, depression and anger but nobody heard them cry when they were all alone in a dark empty room somewhere where the solace gave them a little bit of comfort in their darkened world.
An officer who went to work enduring the everlasting pain and retiring thinking the hardest part of the journey was over when in fact, it had just begun. Regardless whether active duty and coming and going to do their tour of duty, they were afraid to ask for help. They were afraid it would hurt their job, career and most of all, they were afraid to show weakness. Mainly, he or she was just afraid to ask.
Some say that correctional officers, like police or other law enforcement officers are control freaks. They like to think they have control over everything in their lives. It is when they fear to lose this control that they are most vulnerable. Having a job where they spend so much time protecting themselves or others is a high priority, they spend an inordinate amount of time together, bonding a brotherhood or sisterhood and then go out and spend time with each other after work.
When they stop to realize that their lives are deeply troubled, they withdraw and stay away from their family and friends and slowly contemplate the concluding chapter in their life. In a deep sense, they fear they are losing control. Suddenly, they stop socializing and reaching out to others. They withdraw and silently fade away until they are almost forgotten. In the end, they die alone with only God as their witness to their sadness.
You see when you retire, you become a person out of sight and out of mind. After giving twenty or thirty years of camaraderie and service, you just fade away. The rate of correctional officer suicides is no doubt higher than many other occupations. It is with little doubt that departments do little to prevent this phenomenon. They stop caring about these retirees once they leave, as they are indeed, out of sight out of mind. Perhaps, through default of the situation, the retiree is no longer the agency’s problem or worry. After all, they are gone. They are no longer someone to take care of or worry about.
After decades of structure and guidance, these officers become lost. Some fail to adjust to the loneliness or chaos the crept into their lives. Some find life unsatisfying after all those years of service, pain and turmoil they find that their lives are empty without all the trauma endured. While some adjust well, others fail and go unfilled in their own expectations. Those who find useful hobbies, other employment, go hunting or fishing find the rigors of the day possible and fruitful. Others suffer endlessly.
Working a security management job for such a long time can bring a sudden depression when the whole scenery or environment is changed. Life can become unsatisfying and filled with broken promises of what life was meant to be for them. With perhaps an occasional luncheon or dinner with old friends, the talk of the workplace is dying and fading quickly. Life begins to lose its luster as it was once before. The badge gets rusted sitting there on the beautifully designed plaque with the badge and kind words endearingly engraved and the memories are slowly giving way to the reality that you are now alone and that the “family” you had at work is no longer a part of your life.
Stress and Anxiety hit them unexpectedly, often due to the change of pace and the decades of unresolved trauma. A retiree may have or begin to experience spousal problems, drink, fall into depression–and commit suicide. there must be a link to keep these men and women in our hearts and minds. We need to continue to support them when they leave and go onto retirement. Abandonment is not an option. Unions and agency heads of management must step up and contribute to this link and have pre-retirement programs. They must continue to serve them in another capacity but serve them none the less.
The benefits outweigh the burdens. What is more important than helping retirees find joy after corrections. What can we do to facilitate a good standing of maintaining good mental and physical health, and following the steps to prepare for a wise and healthy retirement.
Few departments recognize the tremendous impact retirement in general has on an officer. From practically the first day in the academy, a cadet can tell you roughly when they will retire. At varying times during their careers, they will maintain a focus on that approximate date, which will become more and more concrete as they grow closer to it.
It has been suggested, however, that one of the most vulnerable time for a correctional officer is that period nearing retirement and the first year or two after. Before actual retirement comes uncertainty—the uniform will be hung up for the last time. More pressing on the officer may be financial fears, depending on pension or retirement arrangements and individual debts.
The possibilities of employment because of age and disability (in a real world) may be lessened. Far too many departments still stubbornly refuse to recognize–at all–the role of emotional trauma on police and correctional officers and make the disability and eventual departure a living nightmare for some. paying attention to details can be exhausting but the help available is limited, just not like before.
Officers cling to the belief, in part based on truth, that they are part of a big “family” during their careers. When they retire, they suddenly lose that “family.” In time, they may actually become a nuisance when they show up at their workplace or gathering places to join in coffee breaks. They are relegated to “retiree groups” that render some camaraderie but can never equal the strong feeling of “family” they once felt wearing the badge.
Far too many take with them, into retirement, the years and decades of unresolved trauma and, suddenly alone, begin to suffer the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or similar anxiety symptoms.
Lost and confused, they attempt to stifle such feelings, not understanding these feelings are appearing “now.” Some drink. or begin to drink. Others lose relationships or engage in reckless behaviors. Some isolate and slide into depression. Average life expectancies are low, for retired officers and traumatized officers. A number, as the figures would reveal if you to look, choose to simply end it early. What is that telling us? That we have successfully put a band aid on their wounds–until we could sweep them away, forgotten.