Let’s discuss the importance of the graveyard shift in corrections. 

I have worked graveyard for six months now at a work re-entry center. You are so correct . Mid shift has three to four people we only have two. We do have work though. I make sure breakfast and lunches are set up on carts, I do a final wipe down of the dining hall and set out cups, bowls etc. We go through property get it out in the matrix have it set out for signatures so they can get there stuff. If someone gets sent back from our facility we have to get the room boxed up and go through and inventory their property that is a strictly night shift job. We do laundry like rags, mop heads, bed rolls. And make sure cleaning supplies are filled and ready for guys to do their specific details they are assigned. We make sure paper work is set up for when guys release that happens in the morning but we make sure check lists, medications, all paperwork is ready and together. We collect all the days logs and make sure new sign in sheets, meal logs etc .are ready and set out. And of course what you mentioned as well area searches, your rounds , count, grounds etc. And like you expressed we prep for the next day. We do get friendly banter "wish we had time to sit around on our phones like nightshift". Even though we can all agree that's not what happens but yes we do have more downtime as a rule more than the other shifts. We do have the fair share of dealing with guys wanting to go to the ER or not coming back on time.

I'm a third shift supervisor, and everything you're saying is spot-on. We're understaffed, and still have work that we need to get done of our own. If afternoon shift drops the ball we pick it up and run it down the field, and we set the stage for day shift to start their shift ahead of the curve. 99% of the time our nights are long slow and boring, but that just means we're doing our job right because nothing out of the ordinary happened. When something does happen on 3rd Shift it tends to be real bad because we're understaffed and the inmates know it. On third shift you have to be just as much on top of your game as you do on first and second, it's just that your responsibilities are slightly different. Great video!

Thanks bro. I'm a new officer almost a year on midnight. It's sucks when you've busted your ass all-night or had shit going down just to hear from other shifts that you do nothing. We need to lift each other up, especially senior officers with newer officers. Stay safe!

We switch from day to nights each rotation. Its great. 8 hours without having to deal with inmate issues 90% of the time, only one supervisor around, get a meal around midnight chill out and go home and get a premium for it. Its gravy.

I've been a supervisor on graveyard shift for five years now. At our facility our shifts responsible for doing all of the property inventories for inmates being transferred or inmates that were placed in RHU the previous day. We also do all of the planned drug UA's. We also, as you said, get all of the call-out paperwork ready for the day, and we start breakfast at 5am. So morning wakeup is at 4 am. My biggest pet peeve is when I have other shifts tell me "you guys can take care of this, you have 8 hours of free time to get it done". Most of the time I am on the go from the moment I get on post till I go home. All I can say is other shifts. Be considerate, don't save things to dump on graveyards to get done, we have our own things to do, and if you do have something that still needs to be done, saying "I'm sorry, I tried to get this done, I just couldn't get to it" goes a long way.

Forgive me if you mentioned this already, it's no secret that Corrections has become the new State Hospitals , and third shift staff are invaluable when it comes to spotting guy with mental issues. Guys who normally sleep through the night are up for days on end and other changes in baseline behaviors that would go unnoticed, you see these guys every day Mental health is lucky to see them once a month and for a hour at best. Thanks Anthony, I wish we had a platform when I started.

Man, I've been looking for a channel like this for awhile! Instantely subscribed! I totally agree with the rivalry between shifts. I know I am guilty of telling an inmate "That's a day shift problem, bother them with it" when I've reached a certain stress level

Anthony, I am trained in Military Survival, Evasion, Escape and Resistance. In fact, I used to teach it. A shift with fewer Staff and plenty of hours of the concealment of darkness would be the best time for a Commando style escape and evasion of the anticipated pursuit, even without any outside assistance. I would wait until about an hour after the shift change, hoping that the Staff would relax and become less vigilant, thinking it would be just another relatively uneventful night. Then me and my hand picked crew would use camouflage, concealment and stealth to go over, through or under the fence or wall. Anyone familiar with professionally trained exfiltration would escape on the late shift.

Good morning, Anthony! Thank you for the information.

Off-topic but 6am-2pm sounds like the best shift ever

In Florida you start on what we call 1'st. or "Mids". 12AM to 8AM. Would meet Mrs. for breakfast, lots of coffee, hot shower, and a nap. Retired from 3'rd 4PM to 12AM with"tons" of OT. With every promotion it's back to Mids.

I'm a night shifter (7-7) at a very short staffed prison, and unlike my last facility where everything was pretty much like you said, at this facility, the night shift is the earned shift, because we are much smaller, and with a lot less supervision but we always have someone to respond to a Officer Assistance or 10-33. The night shift responder is one of the most coveted roles in our facility and I've been lucky enough to do it a few times. Strapped with a MK-9, and ready for something to happen. Our facility is home to a rare occurrence where inside the facility, night shift is more recognized and congratulated.

I work 3rd in correction's

I start as a new correctional officer on Friday. This information was very useful. Thank you. 🙏

I work swing but I do plenty of overtime on graves. my coworkers keep telling me I’m doing too much on graves because I like to actually do all the count times. the other C.O’s only do the first and last count on graves. I check more often because I don’t want to be the floor officer if something happens in a cell like a Murder because it has happened before and wasn’t found until day shift comes in to let people out. I also search all common areas and have found multiple shanks. the rest of the C.O’s are lazy

I work in large parish jail. We work 6-6 and rotate from days to nights every month. I think rotating eliminates the problem of a "gravyard shift". Nights are a month of less stress. Days are a month of being awake with your family. Once you get used to the transition itself i think it makes for a better work/life balance in the end.

I work 2nd shift 6am to 6pm and we are understaffed and it’s even worse when officers don’t show up for work....you’re right about the what if’s...one night we had an offender cut herself, 2 of our officers had to go to the hospital with her, and we didn’t have 2 extra officers to cover but we handled it and did what we could with the officers we had

I just made the phone call to set up an interview for my local prison, and I decided night shift was the best shift for me. I'm honestly really excited! I worked in a jail for a few months and it was a mad house. I keep getting told prison is better to work at because there's order and structure. Thanks so much for the video

I've been a third shift supervisor for 3 years now and I do feel like it's unrecognized. Too many times people view it as a walk in the park. At my facility the inmates are not locked in their cells due to being dry cells. We currently have 1044 inmates in the facility and my staffing on third is 19 staff. 6 units 2 staff each. RHU 1 staff. 2 towers 1 perimeter. 2 zone staff and master control. If anything happens we have no back up. We have to handle it until we can wake up additional staff, and get them in. We are alone. I always stress that to my staff. Other supervisors think my only concern is keeping staff from sleeping. It's really not. On first and second help is close not if needed not to mention they have as many staff in just the units as I have for the entire facility.

I spent a couple years on overnights. We call it 1st watch but anyways. We pass out the mail on overnights plus do hourly rounds with a fraction of the staff. "Its a nice break" is a good thing to say on one hand but on the other hand it could mean something bad about overnights. I enjoyed it. Staff interaction is a lot more. Its a good thing for camaraderie but bad for drama. I guess its a double edged sword. What killed me was the double backs. Whether it was working 16 hrs or having training in the morning and having to return that night. The lack of sun also sucked. Id like to go back, but the staff definitely would have to improve. Anyways thats my two cents.

I went from Graves to Days, then back to Graves... Graves has always been close and tight. I definitely prefer working nights. That's where leaders are made because you're forced to stand out.

I sue to work at c74 3x11 third shift is like a day off but its takes a toll on your body make sure to take care of your heath first no matter what

You have good points remember we have to get the inmate's up for chow court ext we do yours like every 25 mins or so and always change routines.....stay safe DOC....brother

yes everyone in my area shits on graveyard shift. we only have 2 shifts though. day and night. it pissed me off that we get all the problem employees but then are expected to run everything well.

l never worked graveyard / 1st watch in corrections / CDCR but before l went state, l worked in a private hospital as a nurse and i did 9 years on 1st / graveyard. l was in my 30's. l am now 58 and my sleep is still messed up.

Ant... This covid crazy lots of shortages here at my facility..just came off back to back doubles

Hey I'm going down the rabbit hole here tonight on you channel. Just curious do you still work in a facility? Would you recommend your Department? Been with FDOC for 2 years now, love the career just looking for other departments. Thanks!

I work second shift adseg on the darrington unit and first work ethic is ass they never finish what they started

Do institutions typically allow C.O.'s to read during overnight shifts?

That's where my nephew started out and low then he went to Sewanee Florida then back to Lowell in the women's prison which is the friggin worst we'll all of them are bad there's no good prison ever but I I feel for you guys most of my nephew he changed his life bro and I don't know how to approach him anymore I gave him my truck to make him happy he has no emotion you have any answer for me please let me know thank you Tim

I'm a river on third I walk the building secure and unsecure areas ext ect I drive Mobile work the gate

9-5 would be sweet

I work midnight in a county facility with 800 inmates federal and state as well as county with booking drunks all nite. We shower Isolation an protective do morning meds and inventory wayyy short handed i leave tired most the time ha ha luckily we have authority in my state of being duely elected deputies so if violence does break out we handle it..

no sleep at all😀

12 hour shifts where I work.