Agreed The T-Shirt is kinda throwin me though… ‘Satans Henchman’ ? Im guessing its gotta be a Death Core band, an aptly named branch of the NIH w/ Fauci, or the most honestly named Democrat Super PAC to ever exist! “Trump is bad, impeach, scary! MORE scary! Donate and we’ll burn send white college dropouts to burn black people and their neighborhoods” Donate to THE SATANS HENCHMAN (they/them) 501 (C3) Hillary, Nancy & Oprah are here to help! No 🚫PURE🩸
This guy reminds me of my dad in how he carried himself as a CO. He retired after 27 years and never got into a single fight with an inmate. He has seen other COs get into fights and he had to respond, but he said that he was more worried about his coworkers getting him into some shit.
I did 27 years in NY. I’m a pretty good judge of character. I believe Steve Purcell is genuinely a good man despite taking on a job that turns good men bad.
Hey man I appreciate your content it inspires me. I grew up in the foster care system in Texas and didn't really have a support system when I aged out. Long story short I ended up catching a gun charge and doing 2 years in the feds. I've changed my life in the year since I've been out I got my associates degree and started university. I found my passion in boxing and I've got a 2-1 amateur record. I've built an amazing support system and I have great friends. Anyway if you read through this I just wanted to let you know your message is inspiring keep it up
The purpose of calling inmates by their last name is done to maintain a professional distance between the officers and inmates. Being on a first name basis with someone creates comfort and familiarity. Being too close to an inmate on a personal level could result in the officer being taken advantage of or put in a compromising position by the inmate. If an officer becomes too close to an inmate, it makes it more difficult for the officers to enforce the rules and give directives to that inmate, and could cause a breakdown in discipline.
Somewhat Same concept in the military, if you’re cool with a leader you can be on a first name basis out side of work, and some you don’t really have to address their rank at work unless you f up, but no first name at work to someone above you lol
I work as a CO currently, it’s dodgey work. It’s sorta like coming to work with a bunch of toddlers who have a chance to nearly die, kill you, or get mad at you for doing your job. There are pretentious CO’s for sure, and those ones are generally the ones who end up becoming “targets” but as long as you remain respectful, serious and understand policy. It’s not hard, it can be hard if you use the mindset of not caring though.
@@zackneskov2006 Exactly, everyone fucks up and most of them learned due to where they grew up. Just because we’re in a uniform doesn’t make us better than them either.
I eagerly wait for new episodes to drop every week I get so excited everytime I see one and learn more and more. Most importantly not to judge people before we hear their stories and this is an amazing eye opening show. Keep it up Ian
I have learned so much thanks to Ian and his podcast and the same idea - it's so easy to sit and condemn everyone in jail as deserving it. I take the view now that I have no problem with amenities in jail - the punishment is deprivation of freedom, not being brutalized in an unfit environment. Freedom is precious.
I’m always surprised anybody would desire to be a CO. Just seems like a crummy job honestly. But of course to each their own but for me it would never be an appealing profession to have. Gotta have some respect for people who willingly choose to do it and don’t abuse the power entrusted to them.
This man has some very interesting information. I find your channel very interesting. You need to discuss the gold mine for inmates that they don’t know is there and that is the topic of healthcare. I am a 21 yr vet if my Dept started as an officer and now let’s say I work for our central office. There are tons of things/tools that inmates could use in the correctional healthcare system to get better care and what they need.
This was an absolutely amazing interview. Its great to see things from a very different perspective. This seems like a pretty solid dude who was actually trying to help those who were in. Would love to see more like this!
I would be proud to work next to him! He has a great head on his shoulders. Nothing I hate more than working with a lazy officer. Feel free to apply where I work and shape up our guys 😂 For real, thanks for sharing what’s real in what we do. Much love!
I was an inmate in NYDOCCS for a handful of years or a little more , and this guys story is pretty on point with how it goes on both sides of the fence. But what he didn’t touch on is the corruption. It’s way more than what he describes. The amount of officer on inmate assaults is astronomical, and I’m not talking about an inmate just stabbed someone and they got caught up and then fought with the co’s. Just blatant assaults, where the co will nitpick you with the classic put your hands on the wall ajd search you and tell you to your face while you’re on that wall, “if you come off that wall or even flinch in any way you’re outta here” and they will proceed to pound your ribs to jello and if you happen to come off that wall out of pain or slip or anything they can twist to you lunging at them or attempting to them they’re really smashing you and breaking you up. Also they will take you out of the dorm after a fight say or any altercation where you may have to go To the infirmary, or even to the sergeants office , and put you in the Rover vans that they drive up and down the compound to deliver officers or respond to red dots, and what they do is while you’re handcuffed in the back of the van there’s multiple co’s in that van with you and they’re kicking the life out of you while doing a few laps around the compound and then finally will take you to the infirmary and say all the injuries are from the altercation. Also when they run yard , they have certain specific co’s that are known for being the ones to jump out on you and put you on the wall or also the same CO’s will be in the line of about 10-20 officers that you have to walk by to get into the yard and they’re just picking people at random and putting you on the wall and sale scenario as I said before if you come off that wall or flinch you’re outta there. And these officers will grab your balls and dock and run the fingers up through your ass cheeks and talk wicked to you then when you react they finish you and when they take out of there you’re either going in that van or in the gym where no one is or in sergeants office or any multitude of places where there’s no cameras or eyes. It’s a sick existence. Seen many CO’s get smashed out, cut, stabbed, etc for being the type to fuck with people like I’m talking about, but that far overshadowed by the times that they get sets with it. It happens every single day many times a day for days, weeks, months, and years. And yeah you can write your grievances and call home and write Albany and all of that but nothing will come from it. Ever. I was sexually harassed and assaulted(attempted) by my boss who is a co while incarcerated, three weeks before going home after three years and he knew that and used it against me. When I applied for a change of job and got moved I didn’t report it but I told my other co boss whom I had worked for prior and now went back to work for again and he knew that co and told me that I wasn’t the first victim. Before I could tell anybody what happened the co who harassed and assaulted me made a report of it confidentially as it were me with a kite dropped anonymously. So then all the sudden I’m getting interviewed by OSI who oversee co conduct about it and they knew specifically what he said to me and everything so I knew it had to be only him. So then by him doing that it made it seem and look like I was the one accusing him, ajd that’s when he and his buddies attempted to get my parole revoked by getting me called for random urinalysis for about a week straight. If I came up dirty then my parole would be revoked, and I was informed one of my tests came back positive. Which I knew I wasn’t but this is the power they have, and after that I was confronted by a co who was sent by the co who harassed and assaulted me and told me if I don’t press the issue and drop it then the urine will go away , if not who knows what may happen. Well I’m the end I did drop it bc I didn’t even report it to begin with and by that time I had just over a week until my release and I just wanted out of the alternate reality that is nysdoccs. What that co did to me was basically groom me. So I was medium security but I got classified to work outside clearance jobs which means I could work the visiting room, the admin building where the brass offices were and a recycling plant and automotive shop as well. I left the recycling plant which was highest paying job in whole jail, to go to work in admin building with a friend, so I was doing that for a couple Kim tha and the main officer who was our boss was the one who assaulted me. Basically we which is myself , my friend, and another inmate worked there three times a day and with the officer. Some days on the weekends I would be just by myself. So we would all talk shit to one another and bullshit and say stupid gay jokes and just being guys in general, the co included because it was a real relaxed laid back type of thing. And the officer was real cool too. Well too cool I later found out. When I would go work by myself on the weekends he would make little jokes or comments that I never ever ever took or thought of as awkward or gay or grooming or anything nefarious. But that whole time he’s saying these jokes and comments he’s feeling me out, and I guess I gave the wrong impression bc one day on a Sunday he finally came at me. It was a Sunday there’s no admin in the building, with it being the weekend and especially Sunday all the brass are just about gone and all the civilians office clerks etc aren’t at work, just him and I with noone around. Well I get to work and we got patted down coming into work and when leaving. When I got there he made a comment about how good of a day it was going to be bc it was nice outside, and we had to put to the visiting room reception trailer where visitors sat and waited to be called in and so there’s all kinds of snacks and drinks left over that he would let us and me eat and drink and take back and he would eat some shit even and it allowed us to be outside white abit outside of the whole facility as well , being outside clearance and all. Well we get into the visit reception and I’m getting garbages and cleaning and so we are done and go out to put garbage in the big main trash cans and when I’m throwing bags in he says boy you’re strong aren’t you boy, and for the first time right there it all just dawned on me. All the months of comments and jokes and everything just flashed through my mind and my stomach turned. Because now I’m realizing what it really is and where this is going, and the fact that I’m days away from being released and that if I have to defend myself I am going to have to ajd then I’m not going home and I’m getting more time and my son who’s 3 isn’t going to be in my arms in a couple weeks, I’m. It going to get to start my life over. I’ll be half killed, maybe even killed by cos in the process for assaulting him, regardless of what he had did. Anyway I just laugh it off , but it was just his tone this time that made it known. He was coming on to me. So the jobs done and I go to get patted out, aka pat down to leave. While in the process of that he proceeds to take both hands and run them from my ankle all the way up to my balls and says boy your built like a bull, and in more ways than one. Right there it’s just me and him and where I had thought before this and told myself not to react I couldn’t not react now, because I was built like a fucking bill at the time. I was 240 pound solid worked out twice a day, and I could’ve crumpled this old man up like a piece of paper or soda can and threw him away without effort. Anyway I come off the wall and spin around and get nose to nose with the pos and told him if he ever so much as looked at me again I’d do what I have to do. Which could be many things. And I said I quit right there. And he said well I’ll have to write you up and you’ll lose your parole. Well I didn’t quite but Monday morning I had seen my old boss at the recycling plant and told him point blank what happened, and he got me outta there that day because he knew me and my story and that I had really worked at changing and needed to go home. After that I never seen him again but one time and he never looked at me but he did try and get me fucked up and kept in prison like I said prior to all this. This is just a micro fraction of the atrocities that take place in NYSDOCCS. At the facility I was in which was MARCY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, there were two confirmed homocides by co’s on inmates. One of them they had went as far as biting the inmate in the prisons graveyard without notifying the family or anything . And the way that this all was discovered as being a murderer was that the family of the inmate hadn’t heard from their loved one in a while and so they used the nysdoccs inmate lookup website where you view inmates stays and location in real time, and it said DECEASED under their child’s name. The family knew nothing about his death! So the outside police were involved and they exhumed the inmates body and it was determined he was a suicide but all of us inmates know without a doubt that a certain co strangled him with the sheet. There was officers arrested but nothing happened, and the family had just recently won a 1.5 million dollar lawsuit. I could go on for days or weeks with stories of horrible things.
God your awkward in every way possible but getting really good with interviews and guests minus the dude who was facing murder charges at 16, horrible guest..wouldn’t answer the damn questions.
super insightful. great interview learned alot. co is a good dude. encouraging to hear standup co’s in the system co was correct about mental health facilities closures. that happened across the nation. they said its about fairness and keeping people integrated in society. but there is no services. think it was about money. my father is a social worker and said the same thing as co. its impossible to find people help/solutions.
Best advice at the end. Reach out for help if you need it. Realistically as someone who has done a number of years and done around 12 13 different HMPs in my 20s and early 30s as a 40 year old man although working now and sober I’m still very much institutionalised.
Eventhougth this guy left the Job and no obtaining his pention with honor, i honestly hava respect for him. Didn't do any criminal stuff while he was on the Job, and left with his head up and strong. All respect for you Steve.
He says where can you go and pay 20$ to see a doctor. i loaded trucks part time at UPS and received free insurance. when i say free i mean everything free. no co pay . nothing taken out of your check. The state should pay for C 'O s insurance no matter what.
Literally everyone whos ever been in any military basic training has experienced that Gas shit, lol it really isnt shit lol your nose runs your eyes water big deal
I read in the comments how your pod cast is teaching people to not be so quick to judge before hearing someone's story if they are willing to tell it.. Some people once you have found out what they faced growing up and throughout their life you can't help but wonder if they ever had a chance to end up any where else. It's a sad but true realization. Yes some of these people have done some not so good things but once you hear what lead up to it or actually why the events took place you can see how easily it might be to find yourself in a situation like that at any given time. Some people are just bad people that mean to hurt others and enjoy the fact that their doing it, others are not and I'm glad that we are learning more on these issues since we have access to the internet
The difference between me and them was They got caught and I didn't but yes I was a good counselor I was a good officer. You literally told on yourself
Love your content brotha. You do great work. Your really good at interviewing and letting people talk, and not cutting them off every 5 secs like some podcast interviewers do lol
His description of training was similar to the military, but I guess we do it enough for this whole thing to sound goofy. lol, Dude described a gas chamber and CS like it was Sarin gas. lol. It anit that bad, Go hike in it 😁 That at one point was my Friday morning. lol
Been following you for a while on other platforms. This is the 1st time I've watched a whole interview. Definitely going to enjoy these while doing prep at the restaurant. I've been out 4 years myself. Since then I've turned my life around for the better.
I’m going on 18 years in the New York State Department of corrections started in 2007. This job changes you as a human being changes your brain chemistry. I’ve found that nobody can really understand this unless they’ve done it, but this is a very interesting episode.
Psych RN here. I was curious to see what Prison Nursing was like so tried it for a summer as a side job. I was at Eastern in Napanoch aka “Happy Napy”. Green haven is rough. Officer Purcell the real deal. Prison work is not for me!
Getting drunk in jail is dangerous to the officers?? So you don’t know what your talking about!! Try braking up a fight with a dozen drunk inmates??? With shanks!
He’s right about the public perception. I don’t even bring it up, at best you couldn’t be a cop so you are a CO. At worst, you are a corrupt/abusive maniac.
This was a great interview. Very awesome to hear from a former corrections officer. We always wonder how it actually is inside and this was awesome to hear the other side we don't get to see.
This guy seemed exceptionally honest, you should've jumped in with more direction and questions I think, at some moments when you do interject, it seems edited though, so perhaps you had a way longer conversation
I was in the Army, and CS gas isn't anything fun, but I've been in the gas chamber a couple times, and I never felt like I was going to die. I've even stood over the can that releases the gas, and never felt like he felt. I've seen other people act like poossies about it, but the people in my unit that weren't weak, would see who could stay in the chamber the longest, and I stayed until the gas started to dissipate, and took deep breaths over the can.
It isn't completely people being pussies though, some im sure, but also just simply different bodies on a biological level having adverse and different reactions. No two bodies are the same
He got pepper spray while in the cs house. That's another level. I'm sure there are dudes who could eat it but not your first time with either getting blasted with both at the same time.
Don't know where you can go and see a doctor for only $20? Every job I've had has a co-pay of $25. That $5 is easily worth not being in a prison for 1/3rd of my life.
calling someone by their Lastname is dehumanizing? LOL its part of being in a FORMAL relationship with respect and its actually stems from the olden days, this way of refering to people is actually being polite . With the number i would agree but with the last name LOL"?
Who cares what animated thinks they are stripped of thier privileges n rights to a certain degree want to be addressed humanely n with respect don't go to jail or prison
Some Deps are cool! Others…. SMH you already know! Listen they are doing a job I get it! But like on the outside you always have an asshole who was picked on as a kid and now he has a badge and a gun now he’s a tough guy! 😅 psssh let’s talk in the street then we can dance😉🤣
Yea pans out . Looks just like the eyes of the evil assholes I was in with. Guys who don't understand their JOB IS to keep the men inside safe, not to punish them further. Prison is the justice! Being there away from everything comfortable and safe, they know. That's the punishment . Correction offers all over pa, even small towns are worse than any prisoners I meet. It wasn't prisoners giving guards orders it was guards saying I want this prisoner dealt with violently he made fun of my mother or hey inmates you don't eat in meal today because so and so wants to run his mouth. Tomorrow, that prisoner was nowhere to be found. These boys are the bullies in every school. The guys who wanna be cops but can't. Then , they are overworked, pushed to their limits, and become near Cereal killers. I was nearly killed my first time in and was attacked and deformed for life. 5 guards lost their jobs and got charges.
