Two Week Notice by James Carlson

When someone knows you need your job to help pay for hygiene, necessities, and food, do they treat you as less human, or take advantage of you by telling you to do this or do that for them that has nothing to do with your job? For months, I had a correctional officer harass me. Repeatedly, I asked him to stop. I do my job and work hard, and when cleaning the ovens or chow halls he would say, “I want you to do this right now or do that,” leaving the ovens or chow hall not done. But, I did it anyways, and even finish the ovens or chow halls too! Then he said, “You haven’t been written up or had a ticket while working here. I’m the one who’s going to write you up and laugh about it.” Then tells me to lock locks knowing I can’t touch security locks period. Then he says, “I’m giving you a direct order to lock the lock on the dumpster.”

“I’m not allowed to touch the locks,” I told him. And, that I will not touch them period. He would be laughing about it, but I still asked him to please stop harassing me. This went on for months, but I still went to work! But, just over a week ago, I saw him out of the corner of my eye while I was cleaning the sanitation buckets plant a blade or weapon under a plastic bag he was holding on the shelf in the sanitation closet. “What’s this,” he said. “Why do you have this? I’m writing you up for having this!” He was serious, and angrily I told him, “I just saw you put it there!”

“No I didn’t,” he said.

“Yes, you did,” I stated. “Besides, I saw you have it in your hand in the middle of the kitchen when two other guys were cleaning the ceiling titles. And, that the camera will show that.” Then, he immediately said, “I was just joking,” and again was laughing about it. I was pissed. I asked the other officer and the kitchen supervisor for help. To have him stop harassing me. You can joke about the way I work, the way I dress, or the way I look, but not a weapon. Not something that could give me more time.

The next morning another officer had the blade, shank, or weapon just left on her desk. No paperwork or note why it was there, just left on her desk. When I saw it, I freaked out. That’s what he tried planting and blaming me of having. I thought he got rid of it and explained what happened. Now, she called other staff in, but when I went into the office area, I should’ve had another person in there with me. But I was so focused and upset that I didn’t think to have another person with me. So, the officer who planted it on me as a joke explained that he was just joking. And, we talked and he told me if anyone asks me that he was joking. “Okay,” I said, and that was the end of it. But, remember the other guys who were cleaning the ceiling titles? Well, one was from another race. Again, it didn’t occur to me. I was explaining that he had it in his hand while those guys were cleaning the ceiling titles as evidence, but the other race was upset. So, I put in my two-week notice. I’ve been working in the kitchen for over 10 years. All through COVID, lockdowns, heat, etc. But, it is time for a change, and to keep the peace. I can’t work in a place to where I have to watch my back, or keep an eye on the person. Everyone knows that I’m a hard worker, that I show up every day, and make sure things are clean. But, missing $0.45 an hour and taking home just over $10 a week will hurt. Yet, I have a family who helps me and I will find a job, so things will be okay. And, thanks to my surrogate family telling me to budget my money and have an emergency fund that I’m okay for a while. So, do any of you have a person who harasses you? Or jokes that go to far and unnecessary? Or, makes work harder and stressful for you? How do you deal with it? One more week to go, but happy to be unemployed soon. Respectfully, James Carlson, #073536 

Contact Info:

Mr. James R. Carlson #073536
Central Arizona Correctional Facility
PO Box 9600 - PMB #173
Florence, AZ  85132

Email: https://www.securustech.net
Click the link above, then search for James Carlson in the state of Arizona.  The facility on Securus is listed as AZ DOC Inmate Services

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