Officers Training

Thank you for volunteering as staff at the jail. You are an important part of our jail role playing community.  The friendships made while roleplaying at the jail are priceless. We hope to continually build this community. We come from all kinds of backgrounds and have a common interest. The guests also have this common interest. In this community we set all of our opinions aside and play in the jail with no judgements. Our goal is to work together to make the experience professional, inclusive, fun, and unique.

The jail role play is intended to be an immersive experience that has aspects of realism, but also, is a place to play “cops and robbers”. We want there to be an element of fun and entertainment for the guests, but not to the point of losing some of the realism of what real jail was like. It is a balancing act. We generally fictionalized it into something more similar to a prison movie than actual reality. 

 
Inmate guests who come to this facility have specific jail images in mind. Often, these fantasies are tied with their interest in institutional restraints.   Some guests are looking for a challenging ordeal. Some come because they want to have time to rest and not make choices for a few days. Whatever the reason, we have to stay within the rules the city has laid out. We are not here to provide “adult entertainment”.  We have found that a visit to the jail can be very therapeutic, but we are not here to provide therapy.

Officers should be in full uniform when the inmates see them. The exception is an emergency. The guests need to see you as an officer of the jail.  Try to stay in the role as much as possible for the best guest experience. 

As an officer, go into the jail, do the work at hand with the inmate and then exit. Officers should not loiter in the jail and have long conversations with the guests during the day. Keep verbal communication brief and to the point. You are there as an officer. They are inmates. As an officer, don't talk to inmates about the time when you were an inmate. That will make you an equal with them. You are playing a guard now, not an inmate. The dynamic should not be equal. 

Officers should be authoritative. There are times when we drop out of roleplay and talk, but don't overdo it. We want to keep the guests in the head space as inmates. As a guard or officer, keep it professional and not too personal most of the time so that they sense the feeling of having someone in authority over them. Officers are not there to make friends with inmates. They need to be firm and authoritative. We do not want guards that yell like drill sergeants. But we also don't want guards that act as if they are equals with the inmates. 

In the evenings we are more relaxed. This is a time when conversation between guests and staff can be more personal. But still be aware of the dynamic of you as an officer. Also remember the rules of good a good conversationalist. Let them tell you about themselves. The best conversationalist is one that spends most of his time listening to others, not talking about himself. 

Be professional. Also, be aware not to become such an annoying and pestering officer to the guests that it isn't fun for them. Read the situation as you play. 

Do not plant keys in the cells. If you find a key in a cell, make sure to remove it. The cellblock should be checked and cleared of all hidden contraband before all roleplay events. 

Officers are “on stage”. It is unprofessional for an officer to put down a peer, or to have a temper tantrum in front of a guest. If there is friction, they will sense it. They paid a lot of money to come. Officers and inmates are also there to have fun. Do not be the person who ruins it for everyone. 

Keep your focus on playing with the inmates. Make sure that all guests are getting the proper attention. Some inmates will be more fun, prettier, or outgoing. Make sure to help those who are shy, nervous, or unsure of the roleplaying. Everyone needs to be validated and accepted. Do your best to also engage with the inmates that are not as fun.  Be all inclusive. Don't just play with the ones you are attracted to. All guests must get equal attention.

Officers should provide the appropriate experience that the guests are seeking. Do not force your own fantasies onto the guests. Your fantasies may not be what they are interested in. You need to facilitate their appropriate fantasy.  The job of the officers is not to make the guests miserable. We want to create an experience for the guests that fit with their expectations. Keep it fun. 

The inmate questionnaire will give you a good understanding of the guest’s interests. When an inmate is “bad” it generally means that he wants to be “punished”. Since corporal punishment is banned, the pretend “punishments” often involve restraints or isolation.  The application of pain is not permitted. Physical contact between guards and inmates should be kept to a minimum. (Note: Tickling is not something that would be done in a real jail) Do not use starvation as a punishment. This can be dangerous for some of the diabetic guests. Do not use extreme heat or cold a punishment. Always consider the safety and wellbeing of the guest first. 

We try to let the jail do some of the work. Being locked up in a real jail is of interest to everyone who comes. They don't need to be entertained the whole time. Most of the guests also want to be engaged in a jail activity, but they should also be given some down time in the jail.  

If there is a need to evacuate the building, guests are to be quickly ushered out. This needs to take less than one minute. All guards must be prepared and trained to handle emergency situations.

In the event that a guest needs to go to the hospital for an emergency such as a heart attack, call 911. Do not drive them to the hospital. If it is not a life-threatening emergency such as a broken finger, then one of the staff can drive them to the emergency room of the hospital.

All inmate guests are to be monitored at all times for safety. This means every minute. Things can go bad when you least expect it. Do not just depend on the panic buttons and monitoring devices. 

Roleplay stops when it is time for bed. We close at 10PM. We open again at 8:00AM and the roleplay starts again. Night is the time when the guards need to go to bed and get some sleep. It is not a time to continue the roleplay. So let the guests know that they need to sleep and not bother anyone.  

One guard needs to be in charge of monitoring the guests as they sleep. In the event of an emergency with one of the guests, the guard is to first check on the guest and wake the other guards if needed. 

For safety, never back an inmate out of an area where there are steps or an obstruction that he might trip on. Also have them watch their heads on the low doorways.

The jail door from the house to the jail should always be partially closed so that inmates in the cellblock cannot see through into the house.

The door to the main jail should be locked when not guards are present. We need at least two levels of security at all times.

When you go out of a door to the outside make sure that you close it behind you, so we don't get bugs in the building.

The upstairs area in the building, including the bunk room, is a quiet area. Be considerate of others who may be resting upstairs. Upstairs is not a public area. No guests are allowed upstairs. Gear that is upstairs is not to be used. 

The only gear that should be used at the jail are located on the main floor of the building. The main floor of the building is the only public area in the building. Gear that is in the basement is not to be used. The basement is not a public area. No guests are allowed to go down there.

Put gear away after you use it. If you make a mess in the kitchen, clean it up. Help to keep the space clean and professional.

No pornographic materials are permitted in the public areas. This is a rule for both staff and guests.

No alcoholic beverages are allowed. This rule is for both staff and guests.

The cell doors of number one and two should be all the way open or all the way closed for safety purposes.

Meals need to be served immediately to inmates. When hot meals arrive, they need to be served hot. Make sure that the inmate guests have at least 15 minutes to wash up and prepare for meals before food arrives. Do not hold out meals from inmates when role playing. When the meal is ready, serve it immediately. Role playing and "punishments" can come later if someone is acting up.

 
Keep the Darby keys in the cuffs screwed mostly out as not to damage the spring.

 
When an inmate is put into cell three, make sure to lock him all the way in behind both doors. If you fail to do this, the inmate might close the inner door, making it appear to be locked, and when a guard comes in, the inmate may bolt out and escape. In addition, guests who are in cell three want to feel the whole experience of being locked all of the way back.

Politics has no place at the Franklin County Historic Jail. If inmates start to talk about politics, shut it down. Remind them that it is against the rules in the jail. Guards should not engage in political discussions with the inmates. The jail is a place to get away from all of those distractions. The only exception would be if you are roleplaying that it is a particular year, like 1935, and you are talking about the current president, Roosevelt. 

Do not allow any guest to pressure you to provide an inappropriate adult service. Sexual playing, (including sadomasochism) is prohibited by local laws. All guests know this before they come. The jail roleplay events are not for purposes of becoming aroused. If you see a guest who is pushing the limits and acting inappropriately, they are to be told to stop or be discharged. 

Any form of "breath play" where the breathing of the inmate is restricted in any way is forbidden and is also against the law in Iowa. Do not put the customer at risk of life, or yourself at risk for the resulting legal consequences.

Some guests might suddenly get aroused by restraints. If this happens, it is something natural in the way they are wired that is out of anyone's control. If a guest becomes aroused just by roleplaying in the jail, ignore it. They didn't do anything wrong. Do not embarrass the guest over something that he has no control over.  Getting aroused by being in an old jail does not constitute "adult play". 

Be aware that some guests need more privacy in the bathroom and may need to be taken to the intake cell or shower where it is private. 

When an inmate is discharged, he should not be allowed back into the jail in his street clothes. 

Inmates are not allowed outside of the cell block unless handcuffed.

When inmates change out of their uniforms, have them return all clothing right side out.

NOTICE: Because of thefts, I have installed eight spy cameras thoughout the building. These may be moved around from time to time. They will be recording. Such recordings will not be watched or distributed unless a crime such as theft has occurred. Then they will be used for legal purposes of prosecution. There will be no cameras in bathroom areas. Mark Gudmundsen is the only person who will be operating the system. No other staff members will have access to the cameras or contents of any videos that will be deleted unless a crime has occured. If you discover one of the cameras, please leave it alone and do not point it out to anyone else. 

 If they are going to court from the jail, we like to put them in full transport restraints (leg irons, belly chain, connector chain, and handcuffs. Leaving them in the restraints for a while before court is more fun for the inmates. Let them sit in their cells for a while waiting to go to court, and don’t be in a hurry to get them out of the restraints. When you are ready to take them to court (gang chain them if multiples), lecture them on proper court decorum and warn them that any misbehavior or disrespect of the judge will be punished. Make sure that you as an officer is also being respectful of the judge. You are in his courtroom, and he becomes the law. 

Most of the guests will need cell phone breaks. Some need to have time on their computers. This has to be worked out with each inmate guest depending on their individual needs. The preferred time is in the evening, but this is often not possible with many of the guests. The guests should not be using their cell phones in front of other inmates. Have the guest do it in the intake cell or other place away from the other inmates as to not disrupt the role playing.

For most inmate guests, the restraints are an important aspect of the experience. We want them to be able to get into that head space of an inmate. The restraints should be kept simple and within the jail theme. This is not intended to be for purposes of "adult entertainment". It is to enhance and make the jail experience more realistic and also to let guests experience firsthand what some of the jail related restraints actually feel like. 

When using any restraint, safety needs to be the most important thing to consider. Guests are to be carefully monitored for safety at all times. The following list are some of the restraint ideas based on historical restraints used in jails and prisons in the past.

1. Emergency restraint chair:  Additional straps can be added to the inmate.

2. Stand up cage: hands can be restrained above the head, or in front or behind the back, or no restraints at all.

3. Time in the 3-D box 

4. Chain hog tie: Waist chain or belly belt, hands cuffed behind, and leg irons locked back. (darbys are more comfortable. Humane leather restraints are also appropriate)

5. Spread eagle on floor of cell 2 or cell 1.  Heavy irons, darbys, and humane restraints are appropriate.

6. Hands cuffed through bars

7. Cell three: hands cuffed above the head on the bed and legs cuffed on the other end

8. Inmates could be leg shackled with a chain leash to the walls of their cells as they did in the 1800’s

9. The pit cell. (Be careful of guys who might be claustrophobic or unable to get down and up out of the hole.

10. Authentic Canvas Straitjackets (No leather straitjackets should be used)

11. Bench cage  

12. Padded cell: With straitjacket. Inmate might be hog tied with humane restraint straps. The padded cell can be used without a straitjacket too, with just humane restraints used on the waist and legs, or a hog tie.

13. Sitting on the bench in a cell with arms spread apart, and the legs spread apart with cuffs.

14. Sweat box outside. Inmate must be carefully monitored for heat and cold.

15. Ball and chain

16. The tube mitts could be used with handcuffs when needed. (Learn how to use them first)

17. Spread eagle or chained to the day room bars while standing.

18. Full transport restraints left on.  Darbys could be used for longer terms. If an inmate is to be kept in handcuffs and leg irons for long periods of time, darby or heavy shackles are more appropriate and comfortable. Do not over tighten leg irons.

 
No collars, hoods, rubber, bondage adult toys, or things that do not fit the jail theme.

Review the videos of how to use some of the restraints.
 

The daily routine can vary, but here are some ideas that could keep things interesting 

1.   Role Calls

2.   Showers

3.   Cell Phone Checks

4.   Board Games and cards

5.   Cell time

6.   Discipline

7.   Courtroom

8.   Prison Transport

9.   Yard Time for recreation

10. Yard Time for work breaking rocks or digging holes.

11. Watching period movies at night (Movies shown need to be prior to 1988 when it closed)

12. Chow Time

13. Cell Searches

14. Cleaning cellblock

15. Jail Escape Challenges 

16. Interrogations

17. Mug Shots

18. Exercise