Cell Extractions

On Friday, we learned how to do cell extractions. It consists of a 5 person team. The front person is on pinshield, the next two each get an arm and the final two each get a leg. We are outfitted with a helmet with a faceshield, elbow pads and knee/shin guards. I found a video on youtube....this is pretty much exactly what we learned what to do on Friday, pretty violent stuff. It is pretty lenghty....but wanted to give you an idea of what I am learning.....there is on part in the video (a cartoon) that is a little vulgar...sorry about that. Next week we learn pressure points so I can take someone down. Where I work, we are strictly hands off....but at least I know this stuff should I ever need it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnSXGWGV3TU

The kids do everything in this video that they were portraying....holding stuff up in front of their windows...making weapons...you name it, they do it.

Using OC-10

Today the first half of the class started out with report writing....we watched an actual footage from Pine Hills...whenever a disruption starts, they have an officer grab a video camera and start rolling so everything is documented as much as possible. It showed a youth in his cell with make-shift weapons....a shank and books wrapped in a blanket. He was given the opportunity to comply and did not was hit once with OC (oleoresin capsicum) and it did not have any effect! He was given the chance to comply again and refused....and was sprayed (both times he not directly sprayed, just sprayed through the food hatch) for the second time with no effect....so needless to say the team had to go in make him comply. So just remember......pepper spray might not always work!!! If the receiving person is hyped up on drugs or alcohol or just so agitated and has so much adrenaline running through their system, it might not have any effect. So then after lunch it was our turn. They filled a cell with spray, we then had to enter the cell countdown (outloud) from 10 and then we were allowed to exit and decontaminate. We had to wait at the end of the long hallway....after a while the spray started to make its way down to those of us waiting...and we started coughing and some people's eyes started watering. I took my turn...it did not seem to have much effect on my eyes but I was coughing A LOT, and about halfway through I ran out of breath and had to inhale inside the cell.....it was like everything just closed up and you couldn't breathe. I is very powerful stuff! Very remarkable for that kid to be unaffected! They then escorted you out, and handed you a cold water-soaked towel to cover your face. My lips and the inside of my nose were burning......that lasted for about 10 minutes. I still have a little tickle in the back of my throat....3 hours later. They said that they don't spray directly in the face anymore bc someone got a detached retina and something else happened with their breathing....tomorrow:cell extractions.....we get to suit up and try to control an unruly "youth"....if you volunteer to be that youth, they make you sign a waiver saying they are not responsible for any injuries that you may sustain.

Greetings From Miles City, MT!

Sorry I have not posted for awhile...but I have not really done anything exciting. I am 550 miles from home on the other side of the state (the not so pretty part). I am one week into training and we are just getting into the "fun" stuff. The first week was just legal stuff...youth court act, prea (prison rape act). There are 12 people in the class...6 people from Pine Hills....2 from the Youth transition center in Great Falls and 2 people from Billings. Out of the 12 there are 3 girls...more on that later. Small world...one of the guys from Great Falls grew up in Pittsburgh! Well today we did patdowns and restraints.....so naturally the girls are in a group by themselves. So we need to practice......not too sure what has happened over the last week but this is the first time everyone has met....but the other two girls HATE each other!?! So needless to say....they CAN'T touch the other girl...so who get to get seached and handcuffed/shackeled (practice and tested). Not too happy about that situation, but was still fun/interesting. Then after that we got to do cell searches....they hid things in the cell and you had to find them. Me and my partner (Tanner from Pine Hills) found everything. Later this week is cell extractions and OC spray (like pepper spray)...still not sure if we take a hit or are just in a room where it was sprayed. Where I work....cell extractions are not used....at Pine Hills..they use them on a regular basis.....some not so nice kids here! Cell extractions are where a team of 5 get in their combat gear...the first one in has the shield.....the next two...each get an arm(one has handcuffs) and the next two...each get a leg (one has shackles). Very dangerous....scary just listening to some of their stories. Since I am stuck here over the weekend with no car and nothing to do, I asked to shadow a shift.....the minimum security unit....not sure that I am going to be allowed though, I think I would be too much of a liability if something were to happen. Well....that's all for now.

Fair Ribbons.....

Well, it's a cold, rainy day here in MT! We woke to fresh snow on the bench.....the bench of the Sapphire Mountains that is. The Sapphires are the eastern mountain which have a range of 5000-6000 ft (I think) so of course there was fresh snow in the western mountains as well. The Bitterroots have a range of 8000-9000 ft. We got to a high in the 50s today and supposed to get down to 37 tonight.....fall is on its way for sure! We scheduled for our first load of wood to arrive this week......have to schedule for another soon! Well, I picked up my ribbons yesterday...and much to my surprise....my $ as well. I got a whole $7. I could get rich doing this!! :) Some the comments on the card for my rye bread were...perfect amount of caraway seeds.....this is the way rye bread is supposed to taste.