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Broke and needed money, and no regard for my sanity. Stuck it out for three years. You really find out who you are when you walk into a pod of 150 inmates by yourself, and you tell them what to do.
I wanted to be in law enforcement, but I didn’t have the college credits for the police department and I needed a guaranteed way to support my family. It was a 20 year job and a 50% pension after retirement which was very attractive. I’m happy I stuck it out.
I dropped out of college and it was a good-paying job without a college degree as well as room for advancement.
I needed a reliable job, had high level legal education but no "natives" to support me. No long term friends, family, people I grew up with. As an immigrant, needed a job that was stable and always there despite politics, and inflation. I have been doing it for 10 years. In retrospect, it would have been a lot easier if I pretended to be dumber, less good at my job, and more distrustful with my colleagues. Ironically, the inmates had been most predictable and easiest to handle as opposed to Administration of this particular facility which disliked my go-getter work style.
I am not in the correctional. But I chose this career because I needed a reliable job. I also thought this career would be exciting.
Ambition, I guess? I am also here for the money. I'd be lying if I say otherwise.
I started right out of high school. It was really good money, the benefits unmatched. Working for the state of Texas has been great but, the burnout and stress is unmatched. We’re less than 30% staffed at my unit. Most people don’t even makdi