DannyBoyinExile

A few weeks ago, I was in my cell, minding my own business (like I always do), when the unit’s Safe Prisons Officer showed up at my door. Of course, I already knew that she was on my wing, because a multitude of guys had already yelled out a warning that she was here.
After stopping at a few other cells, she made her way to MY door and asked me, “Are you Matthews?” Clearly I should have said, “No – he just got moved!” but it’s my policy to be honest, as often as I can.
With a flash of insight, I knew exactly what she wanted, as soon as she asked the next question. “Do you know anything about anybody over here being threatened by the Aryan Brotherhood?”
Ha! It was easy to be honest to THAT question. Of course I don’t know anything about it. I mean, I honestly haven’t heard of any disputes on my wing, because everybody pretty much gets along here. And if they WERE threatening someone, I was probably at work when it happened, and wouldn’t have even been aware of it. (Not to mention that with me being the guy who works in the hallway, and an ex gang member – I’m the last person they’d confide in!)
But that’s today’s TDCJ. Any time someone feels as if their life is in danger, all they have to do is go to any rank (ranking officer, I mean, not rank in the Aryan Brotherhood!) and tell them about it. They will then file an OPI (Offender Protection Investigation) packet, wherein the inmate makes an official statement about exactly what is going on, who he is having problems with, and why.
He will immediately be taken to lockup – not as punishment, of course, but for his own protection, while the Administration does its investigation. This is where the Safe Prisons Officer comes in. He or she will generally go to the area where the inmate was threatened or assaulted, and question various random inmates about it. Then they’ll determine whether the inmate’s claims are “substantiated” (meaning he’ll most likely be shipped to a different unit), or “unsubstantiated” (meaning he’s going right back to population!).
Admittedly, this is often a tactical move by the inmate. There ARE inmates who find themselves in real jeopardy, and BETTER be moved, or else. But far more often an inmate has maybe lost a lot of money gambling (which he doesn’t have), or ran up a big debt on drugs – which he can’t (or at least, would rather not) pay. So he’ll do his best to be transferred to another unit, where he can leave the whole debt behind, and start over again.
Some inmates may simply decide that they don’t like the wing they live on, and will file an OPI just to get moved somewhere else. And many guys have ended up with a cellmate they couldn’t live with, and would rather file an OPI than risk getting a case for fighting them. In that case, they feel that the OPI is the lesser of two evils.
There used to be a real stigma about this, and anyone who did it (file on OPI, that is) would be labeled as a “catchout”. But times are changing. So many people file OPIs merely to “pull a stunt”, (not to mention the fact that the administration AUTOMATICALLY does an OPI investigation any time you get into a fight), so you can’t just call someone a catchout just because they’ve done one. Ironically, they might just kick your ass for making that accusation – then when they do the automatic OPI on you, you’re a catchout too!
So I try not to judge people, as long as their shenanigans don’t involve me. They have a right to do whatever they feel is in their best interests – but I have a right to what I think about it as well. I just try not to prejudge people until I know exactly what the OPI was about. Even then, it’s generally none of my business.
I can honestly say that TDCJ IS much safer than it used to be, and inmates do have the means to ask for protection when they need it. And I can also honestly say that with a little self-discipline, you can train yourself to THINK before you make stupid decisions – and that will do much more than any guard can, to keep you safe. So says DannyBoy.