The New Year is only a few days old... but SO FAR, here's some things I've either seen/experienced myself, have heard about (as rumor or fact) or know of that you can take with a grain or salt as you like, ALL within the past few days:



*  Yet another dorm had a WHOLE SHIFT call in, leaving both sides to be worked by visiting staff.  That's never a pretty picture, is it?

*  A female staff on my dorm up and quit without notice.  Word is she'll be looking for another State job.  Good luck -- quitting without notice usually doesn't impress prospective employers, eh?

*  Youth on a dorm called the Abuse Hotline, complaining of a female staff asking them to "show me it" when they were taking a leak at the urinal.  I personally talked with the youth; he's sticking to his story.



*  As mentioned earlier, a youth told me a female staff working 10-6 actively enjoyed watching youth masturbate in bed at night, and apparently condoned this behavior by talking with them afterwards.  Scandal, anyone?

*  Long time female security staff who was often seen at the gate checking bags has quit; supposedly to other employment with corrections in Dallas.  She'll be sorely missed.



*  Another (3-year veteran) security staff quit -- he gave notice and is looking forward to working at another State job, even though the pay is less and the commute is longer.  Good luck!!  Gotta be better'n this place, even so.

*  Female staff was "wanged" by a youth who went "Psst, Miss!  Miss!" to get her attention for what he was doing, then denied he'd been doing anything when she referred him.  I was there when it happened.



*  Staff came in 40 minutes late on New Year's day, reeking of booze... I smelled it.

*  JCO 5 called in New Year's Eve and New Year's Day -- not sure if they had an excuse or not, other than they wanted to party!  Must be nice... I wouldn't know.  I had to work.

*  Youths cause a disturbance/diversion on dorm destroy a VCR -- apparently, I would imagine, to get the motor to make a tattoo machine.  VCR "remains" are unaccounted for, and apparently isn't taken off the books as being gone.  Staff blood is spilled during the containment.  Hmmmm. 



*  Long time JCO 5 is apparently reassigned due to racist comments directed towards a youth... this same staff was working when I first came to Giddings, and made NUMEROUS  racially degrading/humiliating comments to ME in front of the youth way back then.  There's been a number of other staff I've talked to who have said she'd treated them with the very same disrespect.  Guess it's OK to talk smack to the STAFF, but when a YOUTH fills out a grievance, they gotta bust ya.  That just plain sucks.

*  Staff CONTINUE to work on out-of-ratio dorms.  Nothing new there, as we all know -- but how long can it continue until ... who knows WHAT happens?  

In short, here's to wishing y'all a HAPPY NEW YEAR.  Glad I've got less than two weeks left ~~ and am getting out,
hopefully,  without losing any more blood or hair than I already have!!