A Correctional Officer
5/19/202635 min
Grinding through 16-hour shifts, standing behind inmates (never in front), and trying to stay human in an inhuman environment with Bill Farrell, a correctional officer in Massachusetts. What happens when an officer gets "frozen"? And why does the sound of scuffling sneakers stop him in his tracks?
LINKS & REFERENCES
- Bill was the co-creator of a short documentary about the physical and mental toll of being a correctional officer. It's called "Behind The Wall".
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsDan Heath· Host0:00
Bill Farrell is a correctional officer in Boston. He says he's a people person, even though he works in a job where you gotta keep your guard up, you know, because- It's ga, Dan, ga. Ga.
Bill Farrell· Guest0:14
[laughs] Yeah.
Dan Heath· Host0:14
I'm learning Bostonian live.
Bill Farrell· Guest0:16
[laughs] Do me a favor, Dan. Say ca.
Dan Heath· Host0:19
Ca.
Bill Farrell· Guest0:20
Bang a U-ey at the rotary.
Dan Heath· Host0:22
So like I said, he's a people person, which he says in his line of work, he shouldn't always admit to. Like, when he first interviewed for the job...
Bill Farrell· Guest0:33
So I'm in the interview room, and I have superintendents, and I have a couple of captains, and at one point, the superintendent said, "Why do you wanna be a correction officer?" And immediately in my head I said, "I'm a people person. I like people." [laughs] And obviously, being it's a prison, right?
Dan Heath· Host0:50
Right.
Bill Farrell· Guest0:51
[laughs] You're not really, you're not gonna find the, the best people- [laughs] ... in this environment. So I was, I almost said that, and then there was that little voice that said, "Just shut up. Just shut up." [laughs] But I am a people person, which is kinda strange, right, in this profession, but it served me well. I'm entering my 20th year, and I'm just... I can have a conversation with you. I can ask you how you're doing, you know. If I can interact with you, if I can communicate with you, "Hey. Hey, let's just hold on for a second, and let's just take a breather here. What's going on? Talk to me."
Unknown speaker1:26
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