Behind the razorwire

I am never surprised by the happenings behind these fences, as was the situation the other day. We recently welcomed a new warden, well, welcome might not be the term some officers would use. It seems that this particular warden started his carrier in Corrections at this very facility and under command of some of these same officers who, as I've been told were not the kindest of teachers and suffice it to say some of them were a tad miffed at some of the changes implemented by the new warden. Some officers retired some transfered and some became dubious in their relationship with the inmates. Whatever they could do to cause the new warden misery was the name of the game, even solidified some fractured relationships between some officers.
In manageable groups the new warden addressed the inmates and explained that if they would respect his officers they in return would respect them and any mistreatment or unnecessary behavior by the officers reported to him would be dealt with immediately. Well this was a slap in the face of the ranking officers, who pretty much ran the camp before the new warden appeared. They were subject to issue citations and disciplinary at will for minor infractions, and often hold these citations for information from the inmate, a game often used by officers to make themselves look good, It would go like this "You bring me a shank or knife and I'll make this paperwork go away".
Often as not the inmate involved might not have access to a knife so he'll make one and another weapon in created. In my work area I happened upon an inmate doing just that, with a large file he had gotten from my tool room and his back to me he was filing away at a flat piece of steel finishing off the edges around the point. When he saw me his head dropped knowing it was over, I ask him to hand me the knife, and he did, I then ask him why he was in violation and he explained that he was out of his area or in another dorm and an officer I recognized as one who was particularly foul "went off" on him and wrote him a citation and made him the offer. I had the knife destroyed told the inmate to be twenty-one about his citation because a knife could only get him more time if his timing were off. He agreed and I never brought the incident up to him again, my co-worker whom I admire greatly was in disagreement with my decision to drop the issue and his point was that I had put myself in danger approaching the inmate, I let him say his piece but inside intuitively after seven years of dealing with inmates I knew this one wouldn't harm me..... I trust my instincts.