How would you feel if you were placed into a bid that required you to be alone all shift with an inmate of the opposite sex? Would you remove yourself from the bid, or would you remain in the bid and leave yourself open to job-threatening rumors?
Officer Paul Comeron has been working in a female Correctional Facility for more than 15 years. During his time, he has seen many male staff members get caught up with female inmates (some of them he thought were innocent). After all he has seen, he made a vow that he would never find himself in a situation that would make him vulnerable.
Recently, Officer Comeron requested to be moved to third shift so he can have time for a secondary job. A job which he needed. He was forced to take a bid as a detail officer which supervises an early morning gas detail (which consist of one female inmate). His first day in his bid, he went to his supervisor and voiced his concern about traveling with one inmate in his vehicle to the gas pumps. He told the supervisor that even though he had no intent to cross the line with any female inmate, driving alone with the inmate all night left him vulnerable to any type of false accusation she could possibly make. The supervisor, not wanting to hear any excuses, told Officer Comeron, “You have a job to do and it just better get done.”
To play it safe, Officer Comeron decided to gas the vehicles on his own with no assistance from the female detail inmate. He told her that he would still pay her for the day, but he rather do the job himself. A week goes by and his supervisor gets wind that Officer Comeron has been paying an inmate for work that she clearly was not doing. The supervisor then confronts Officer Comeron and states that if you do not start calling this inmate out, I will charge you for not doing your job and have you transferred back to second shift. Officer Comeron needs to remain on third, but he feels uncomfortable traveling around all night with a female inmate.
Now, here is the question: Is the supervisor right in forcing the officer to pick up the inmate — who has been classified for job — despite Officer Comeron’s concerns? Or, should the supervisor listen to the officer’s concerns and allow him to do the job without the inmate?
Be advised, this is a seven-day a week job that provides work credits to the inmate in question. Therefore, removing the inmate from the job (through paperwork) is not an option.