The Green Wall
OTM: DJ can you explain the oath you take upon becoming a Correctional Peace Officer?
Enforcing silence on the toughest beat in California / Correctional officers don’t like snitches. The rank and file of the correctional officers union is sworn law enforcement officers. As sworn law enforcement officers, correctional officers take a public oath to uphold the law and to report all wrongdoings.
Here is what is the Correctional Officer oath in a nutshell: As a Correctional Officer, I regard myself as a member of an important and honorable profession. I will keep myself in the best possible physical condition at all times. I will perform my duty with efficiency at all times. I will be exemplary in my conduct, edifying in my conversation, honest in my dealings and obedient to the laws of the city, state and county. I will regard my oath as I regard my sacred honor. I will not, in the performance of my duty, work for personal advantage or profit. I will, at all times, recognize that I am a public servant. I will give the most efficient and impartial service of which I am capable at all times. I will be courteous in my contacts at all times. I will regard my fellow officers with the same standards as I hold myself. I will guard my fellow officers’ honor and life as I guard my own. I will be loyal to my fellow officers, my superiors and my institution. I will accept responsibility for my actions. I will do only those things that will reflect honor on my fellow officers, my institution and myself.
Recent history reveals that a growing number of these officers have also taken a private oath of secrecy frequently referred to as the code of silence. This is a corrupting code. In taking this covert pledge, correctional officers concurrently betray the public trust bestowed on them as sworn law enforcement officers. The code of silence is seductively simple: “Don’t snitch and severely punish those who do snitch.”
OTM: Can you also explain the levels/hierarchy of the CDCr? (Example Co, Sergeant, LT, Captain, and so forth) They are organized as follow: Divisions and Boards, Adult Operations, Adult Parole, Adult Programs, Board of Parole Hearings, Council on Mentally Ill Offenders (COMIO),Corrections Standards Authority, Facility Planning, Construction and Management (FPCM),Juvenile Justice;
The officer graduates from the academy in Galt, California. He attends a sixteen week course and then becomes a Peace Officer. He then reports to the Prison where he was selected for assignment. After about three years a Sergeant’s exam will open for those who wish to take the exam. It is all done on a ranking system on the test you take. After Sergeant you can promote to Lieutenant in two years and this will be another written test and same rankings as the sergeant. From there on a will provide below the rank structure below:
