Fights on the Inside vs Fights on the Outside - Tactical Dimension

Tim's Discussion Board: Concepts : Fights on the Inside vs Fights on the Outside - Tactical Dimension
   By Jeff on Friday, September 20, 2002 - 11:01 pm: Edit Post

In the thread on the utility of groundfighting techniques, Dragonprawn mentioned that fights on the inside of the correctional facility where he works are different than fights on the outside. I think this is an interesting topic for another thread so I am starting one, and inviting Dragonprawn to give us the lowdown. But I am hoping that this discussion can be more than about what its like in prison, I hope this thread can be about the relationship between techniques and tactics.

It is my opinion that questions like the one motivating the original thread about the "utility" of a type of technique are impossible to answer generally. They can only be answered by specific reference to (1) the type of situation you are in and (2) the type of outcome you are trying to produce. The skill of being able to match technical means to a strategic goal within a particular situation is called TACTICAL skill, and tactical skill is different than technical skill. You don't automatically become a tactician by becoming a technical expert, "Having the biggest hammer doesn't turn everything into a nail. "

So how do you develop tactical skills? I wouldnt presume to say (hopefully the expertise of the internet will provide), but I do think that it probably doesn't hurt to make a habit of paying attention to the "tactical dimension," which seems to be what Dragonprawn is talking about when talks about a set of distinctive concerns for the situation of a correctional officer dealing with fights inside a prison.


   By Dragonprawn on Saturday, September 21, 2002 - 10:24 pm: Edit Post

Jeff - Let me begin by clarifying. I do not work in a prison. I work in a maximun security Forensic Psychiatric Center. I work with the criminally insane. New York State law is such that they are either not guilty by reason of insanity or incompetent to stand trial. I've been doing this type of work just over twenty years.

That may not sound as dangerous as a prison & in many ways it isn't. Personally I would not like to work in a prison. They play by a different set of rules. I know some guys that work in prisons, but I would like to hear from more people that do.

There are times of course when I'm reminded that in some ways my facility is even more dangerous than a prison. For example, if an inmate at Riker's Island (basically a City run jail/short-stay prison/miniature city all its own) injures some C.O.s and is deemed in need of a mental exam, they send him to us.

Then we have a situation where this violent offender can no longer by dealt with using billy clubs, etc. We are technically a hospital. The inmate now becomes "the patient", and the administration expects us to treat them as such.

This can be tricky. You must always try to minimize staff, as well as patient injuries. Of course, being a psychiatric facility, most instances of aggression usually end with a needle in the behind & possibly (though less often than in the past) some form of seclusion or restraint.

Part of the focus on humane treatment has meant an overall decrease in the training of staff to deal with crisis situations. This is a big mistake in my opinion. It leads to complacency, ill-preparedness, worker's compensation, & much worse. And to be truthful, what little training they do provide is next to useless anyway.

I survived many encounters over the years, mainly by using my wits. I will say that things were much rougher in the old days. Many patients do respond to the calmer atmosphere that some of the changes have instilled. A big part of this was our recommendation to create what amounts to a "violent" ward that patients earn their way on to, & off of. When you work there you best be ready!

I might add that many of my charges have committed heinous acts & even multiple murders. Add to that their occasionally ballistic temperaments & you get the picture. Patient confidentiality laws will prevent me from being too specific however.

Since I've been traing in TCC my life has been easier, though to be honest I was never seriously injured before that either (a cut over my eye from blunt trauma & a hairline jaw fracture from a head butt). My primary goal usually involves some form of redirection and take downs. You know, the more I think about it, maybe I do a bit of grappling after all. But this is to some extent part of the difference between inside & outside situations that I will eventually get to giving you my take on.

Your point about tactics is a good one. We do work from a plan, though perhaps less formally than you might imagine. More on this when I post next time.


   By Jeff on Sunday, September 22, 2002 - 07:07 am: Edit Post

Dragonprawn,

Very interesting post! I would be interested to hear what kind of a plan you do work from. Is there a kind of general prototype to the way crisis events play out, like a set of stages they go through? What are the "worst case scenarios" and how do you deal with them? Do you often have to deal with people who are surprisingly powerful for their size, or who seem impervious to pain or physical damage that would incapacitate a normal person? After twenty years working with criminally insane people, have you developed a sense of how to read signs that predict trouble? Do you see people walking around in the outside world that ring those warning bells?

By the way, have you read The Lost Son by Bernard Kerik? He has a section on how he reformed the administration of Rikers, and reduced the level of violence from 115 stabbings per month ( ! ) in 1995 to only 7 per month in 1998.


   By Randall Sexton on Sunday, September 22, 2002 - 05:08 pm: Edit Post

I also worked in a psychiatric intensive care unit as an RN and really gained respect for people who were psychotic, felt no pain, and were 5 times stronger than normal people. The fact that you can't hurt patients does lead to a lot of redirection techniques till enough staff arrives to control the situation. One 238 pound patient incorporated me into his psychosis and exploded when I was right in front of him handing him his meds. I automatically did the same and dropped him with a palm strike. Xrays showed no broken ribs, but for every admission that guy had from that point, he showed me respect and was very nice! Techniques such as centering and grounding also helped when holding a patient while they were standing. One little 100 pound female was slinging a tech around on one arm while I held the other arm laughing at him. She was banging her head into a cinder block wall full force. And then there were the psychotic martial art guys! Also, my 5'1" special ed teacher wife broke up a fight by gently placing her hands on the chins of both fighters and "caressing" then up and apart. Another teacher said that he would not have believed it if he hadn't seen it! Woman's touch, I guess.


   By Dragonprawn on Tuesday, September 24, 2002 - 06:42 pm: Edit Post

Randall - Nice post. People who work in psychiatric centers see alot of the same stuff (and of course alot of rare & otherwise unusual events).We sure can't use palm strikes where I work.

Jeff - I did not read the book, but I probably should. Some of my guys on the admission wards tell me they are glad to get away from Riker's while others can't wait to go back.

As far as a plan is concerned, the latest version calls for the use of a restraining "blanket" (a thick canvas sheet held by two people). If you have time to get it you try to wrap the agitated patient in it. I don't love it, but it's not the worst tool to come along. Most of the time we don't bother. I prefer to stick & yield if they attack & go into a wrap up with my arms (& a little help).

There are signs that someone will go off most of the time. It could be when they start talking about certain things for example, or after a visit, or if the don't get commissary, or even just the traditional rocking back & forth. It is best to know your patients. The worst is when nobody working the ward that shift is a regular staff.

I've had some big, strong guys over the years. the biggest one was also manic & while in seclusion he busted the door frame out. Not the door, the door frame! Luckily he specialized in property damage, not people damage. Working in a forensic center you get fewer acute crisis situations though. Our guys have already been through a month or so of screening at Riker's & Bellvue.


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