Prisonmedic90

I rarely know what an inmate is in for. I only know if they tell me, I have seen them on the news, if I have a specific reason to know (sometimes it is in the medical records if their charges have medical relevence or are a safety risk like assulting staff). I honestly don't care as long as you are respectful and let me do my job. I see everyone as a patient, not an inmate, I purposely don't use the word inmate at work, becuase it is dehumanizing.

The "butt naked room" is the slang term used by staff and the inmates to describe the Inpatient Mental Health Unit (IMHU), where inmates who are suicidal, homicidal or otherwise mentally unstable are sent. Inmates are stripped naked (hence the butt naked room), given a suicide smock and placed into a special cell with nothing but a special blanket (similar to the smock) and a toilet. There is no bed, or anything in the room, to prevent someone from doing self harm. They are checked on every 15min, and the lights are always on. They are not allowed to leave the cell except to shower (3x a week), to see their lawyer (visitor booth on the unit), or to see medical, which there is an exam room on the unit, as well as a visit room for the lawyers to use. They are almost never allowed to leave the unit. They are not allowed to have any items except for a wad of toilet paper. They are given showers every monday, weds, and friday and if they are there for an extended period of time (more then a week) we supervise them with a toothbrush and allow them to call their family. They are seen daily by a psychiatrist and are fed normally, but with no utensils. Inmates can be held there indefinately until determined not to be a threat to themselves or others, and the usual stay is 3 to 4 days. The unit is staffed 24/7 by 3 officers, 1 LCSW, and 1 LPN or CNA. 2 times a week they up for status reviews to see who can be sent back to general population and who is going to stay.

Hmm, this one made me really think, I don't really know what a lot of my patients have done, so, I cannot really compare my own actions to theirs, however, I can say that at the end of the day I do feel positive most of the time, because I help people who no one else wants to help or thinks theyndeserve help. So my job is rewarding in that regard. Working there also makes me never want to get in trouble. I will say that. Hope that answers it.

When we "in" the jail outside of the clinic we carry radios with panic buttons, there are usually guards everywhere, and I make a point in staying visible, amlot of it is preventing attacks, but if we do get attacked we are supposed to press the panic button and scream for help. I personally have never been attacked. In the clinic we have wall mounted panic buttons for when we are in exam rooms with the patients, and there is always two officers in the clinic at the desk.

Most of them just power through. It is extremely miserable though. I cannot imagine being in their shoes. But I would be even more sad if one of them killed themselves, most people will be released from jail/prison so they have the ability to do great things, even if they made mistakes.