Why Can't Visitors be as Polite As Inmates in the County Jail?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

as part of a public service commitment, i made a visit to the local detention centers -- aka the county jails. one of the things that struck me -- and there were several -- was how polite were the inmates i encountered. when they passed you in a corridor, they said "excuse me," they answered questions politely and there was none of the sullenness i've come to expect when encountering members of the public in the hospital corridors. i know that i didn't encounter the worst of the worst -- although we did pass by a couple of maxium security dormitories and were subjected to the kind of catcalls i had been expecting from the entire jail population. but by and large those inmates we did encounter were pleasant and polite.

i wonder why those same folks, when visiting friends and family in the hospital, can't be equally polite. it can be argued that it's not a stress thing -- surely being incarcerated is just as stressful as visiting someone in the hospital! could it be that there are consequences to poor behavior when in jail, and none when visiting those "customer service" hotbeds known as hospitals?

And you nailed it in one. Nobody is going to get their privildges revoked for being rude to a nurse or any other healthcare worker. We're not permitted to lock 'em back in their cells. They know that hospital security is a joke (at least at my facility)

Specializes in Med-Surg.

I have had numerous patient from our state max security prision. Never had one be rude to me. Now, the gaurds on te other hand...

Specializes in Med-Surg, Tele, DOU.

There are indeed reprecussions for inmate rudeness to staff. There are no reprecussions for guard inappropriateness to staff. There are no reprecussions for visitors--who you'd like to lock away--for rudeness and inappropriateness to staff. And physicians . . .

Specializes in ER.

The prisoners love the hospital. Comfy beds, 3 hot decent meals, cable, phone, passed snacks. It is like a vacation!

Because they have no consequences for behaving like Neanderthals.

JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.
there are indeed repercussions for inmate rudeness to staff. there are no repercussions for guard inappropriateness to staff. there are no repercussions for visitors--who you'd like to lock away--for rudeness and inappropriateness to staff. and physicians . . .

when i worked in a locked department in the state mental hospital, there could be a loss of privileges if certain patients acted inappropriately or rudely with staff, their doctor, lawyer or any visitors, they could lose a privilege or two. as one male patient used to remind me frequently, "there is no one so free as someone who has nothing to lose." this was often the only way we had to control the bpd patients. our patients were, in no sense, inmates, but there were quite a few similarities sometimes, especially on the forensic dept.

kathy

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

Along the same lines, I have always been amazed at the wide range of behavior I observe among patients. Some people, you know they are in agony, or they've just been diagnosed with a fatal condition or told that their chronic condition has progressed beyond the ability to treat and the next step is planning their death, and they are just as polite as can be. They ask "How has your day been going?", and they say "Please" and "Thank you.". Then there are others in the same boat who are demanding and without any manners at all. They bark out demands and snap out criticism if you don't meet their expectation.

I always give the second group the benefit of the doubt that they are not at their best because they are suffering, but that does not explain the first group. I find myself fighting back the urge to tell them "Hey, you don't have to be so nice. You're making the other patients look bad!"

Specializes in Psychiatry.
Because they have no consequences for behaving like Neanderthals.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

Unfortunately I'm becoming jaded with society as a whole- I think the general public is actually getting ruder (if that's possible). Calling them Neanderthals is putting it politely. ;)

Best,

Diane

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I have had numerous patient from our state max security prision. Never had one be rude to me. Now, the gaurds on te other hand...

This is interesting you say this, I shadowed a nurse at the local jail for one of my nursing school projects. I shadowed the med pass on the high risk offenders. We don't get a lot of crime here but their were inmates that were very violent IN jail, a few murders, many rapists and about 4 child molesters, then these were also inmates on a lot of psych meds. This was an open pod system for the most part and their was only 2 deputies in each of the pods, even the pods that had 75 inmates and then 2 to the higher risk inmates of about 10, only one pod was it not open and meds were passed through the food tray slot.

ANYWAY, for the most part the deputies were fine but in one pod this one deputy was very rude and sexist towards the nurse. This jail is pretty much the "magnet" status of jails. They win awards very rare to be seen in correctional facilities and for as open and "low security" the jail is, their has never been any trouble and no nurses have ever been assaulted, the only 2 deaths to occur in the jails history were 2 successful suicides. When you walk around this jail it's just so hard to believe that because of how easy the opportunity is if the prisoners decided to do something.

Anyway so after shadowing this one evening the only inappropriate behavior I witnessed was from this one deputy. I mean their were a lot of stares and flirty smiles and winks from the prisoners but that was to be expected. This deputy was being degrading and insulting and a pig towards the nurse and it seemed like he was trying to show off.

Specializes in Psychiatry.
Anyway so after shadowing this one evening the only inappropriate behavior I witnessed was from this one deputy. I mean their were a lot of stares and flirty smiles and winks from the prisoners but that was to be expected. This deputy was being degrading and insulting and a pig towards the nurse and it seemed like he was trying to show off.

Disgusting.. makes your skin crawl, doesn't it?? :angryfire

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Unfortunately I'm becoming jaded with society as a whole- I think the general public is actually getting ruder (if that's possible). Calling them Neanderthals is putting it politely. ;)

Best,

Diane

Isn't this the truth. I was in the parking lot at my school on friday and I was going down the lane to park, I was parking in a spot IN the lane I was going down. I get there first thing in the morning so the parking lot was pretty empty. This older woman on her phone in her van shoots across like 4 lanes and cuts right in front of me, I had to slam on my brakes not to hit her and she parks were I was getting ready to turn in. I sit there staring at her jaw dropped appalled and so I park and get out and I am still staring at her and she is talking to her mom I guess and is like "hold on mom let me get inside this rude girl is staring at me", I know she saw what she did because she looked right at me as she darted across all the empty parking spaces in shot out right in front of me. I figured she was going to just park on the right side of me in those spaces not continue out in front of me and cut me off. But seriously I was the rude one. It took all of my might not to turn around and key her car :stone That would have shown her how rude I was and if it would have been about 12 years prior that is probably exactly what I would have done :stone

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