I really liked the way that the Sheriff presented his speech to the classroom. I like how everyone who wants to work for him has to start out in the same spot, and not show favoritism to any one person. And to be able to move up everybody in the jail and the patrol officers have to go through the same steps. I would rather have that then people who do not deserve to get moved up get promoted over a person who deserves to be promoted but does not get it because of some reason that they cannot control. I believe since the workers only get promoted is through him and his way of doing things, that his ,method will help reduce the cops that want to do their job right from the people who want to just go through the motions. I also like how everyone gets the job the same way and not just handed the job. Because they employees have to impress the Sheriff, they will show their true intentions or some people call it colors. The Sheriff has a great plan on reducing the number of criminals in our jails and prisons. To be able to get the prisoners their help while they are in jail or prison is key. Along with trying to clear some of the less violent offenders records. With a felony or some other bad thing on a person’s record it will be hard for them to get a job and pay for their lives. And when that happens they will have to find some way to get money to survive and that usually means crime and most likely they will get caught again and sent back to jail or prison.I believe in prisoners getting the help that they need in prison is very important for when they get out of prison. Locking them up will not solve their problems, they need some sort of way to get help for their problems. All in all, the Sheriff has a really good plan to help with the growing number of prisoners in prison.-crispychicken711
I learned many things about the county Sheriff; his role in the community and the many different career options he offered. He started his career through the military, once completing his term he continued his career at a local jail. Working his way up through the years; he was hired into the police unit, where he served many years. Through the police job, he became an investigator for the county which was his favorite job. He enjoyed putting the pieces of the case together to solve the crime. After this job, he went back to the jail as the head officer in the department. Finally, through this job, he was asked take over as the Peoria County Sheriff. With all his personal firsthand experiences he is the best for the job of sheriff. His role in the community is a strong and powerful position as he affects many people. He had the power to impact countless lives. He truly recommends the next generation who are looking into a career in criminal justice to begin in the jail. He strongly believes that correctional officers are better prepared and have a better out look on the criminal justice system than those who begin as police officers. He encourages a career in the local jail, not only is it a great step into the system but in fact a noble career within itself. He suggested to apply for a job at the jail, work there for a time and then continue on with an education by the expense of the jail. This would be extremely helpful if an individual wanted to continue their education but lack the necessary means to proceed. I was unaware the jail had the ability to pay for education in that way. I think that is such a wise move. Working in the jail gives a person experience all while saving money for education. I feel this a win win scenario for both the employee and employer. I am heavily considering applying at the local jail just from how the Sheriff displayed the importance of this career. I think it would be wise, as I would gain life experiences. It is the best step into the criminal justice system. -CoalRoller711
The sheriff did a really good job of talking to the class. He gave important information about the criminal justice field. The sheriff started off with going into the military at the age of 17. He then came out of the military and went into a police unit for about 6/7ish years. After that he became a parole officer, then onto being a detective a few years later. Being a detective was his favorite position in the criminal justice field. He liked being able to figure out what happened within the crimes. His biggest case as a detective was of a serial killer in Illinois, which was also his favorite because there was many things to figure out before they could accused the person committing the crimes.They had to figure things out, from where he's from?, what did he do to he bodys to know who he killed?, did he do the killings alone? Next he became the head officer in the department. Shortly after that, he became Peoria’s County sheriff which he is still doing today.One thing he said that stood out to me was that if you work for the Peoria Police Department and want to go to college still, they pay for you to go to a 4 year college. Its completely free so you would not be paying anything. Doing this would really save money and it would get you more familiar with how the criminal justice system works. You also would not have so much student debt to pay off when you are older. He also said you have to start with one thing (working in a jail) and you can not just go straight to parole officer or straight to a detective. You have to have some background knowledge and experiences in some sort of jail. Also you would have to work your way up to what you want to do. You can be 18 working at a jail but that's only some poisons. But to be a correctional officer or something more efficient you have to be at least 20. The sheriff really recommends starting your application early because it's a long process and many take up to 3 /4 months for all your stuff to go threw. The sheriff gave an awesome speech and told me information I did not know. -ny711
When the Sheriff came in he gave us so much knowledge about how everything operates and what happens when he hires you. I know becoming a police officer you have to go through a lot just to get to where you want to be and work at your whole life. Probation officers I believe does not have to do that much but test wise it’s about the same. He told us that when you are at an interview to just be yourself. Most people will be scared and go online and search whats the best things to say but I feel if you be yourself and answer the questions to your liking and not what nobody else tells you, much might go a long way. Just being honest to yourself will go a long way because you want to show who you are. He mentions that all the officers he hires always start in the jail first and not on the streets and I feel the reason why is because you have to learn how to talk to people before you go for your gun. Every police officer that approaches a human will go for their gun first or have their hands on it as they are walking towards them and that not good. So, in jail they don’t have no type of weapons just their mouths and bodies. Which is a good idea because that helps train for the patrol part of the job. The Sheriff says that he loves to help people when they are getting released and have program the people can go in to get help, which is a good idea because half of the people that get out are coming right in. they come back because they either did something they were not suppose to do or just trying to go back to get away from the world. Some families will not allow that person to come back and now they have to do everything in their power to survive that outside world. I really like what the Sheriff got going on and maybe one day I can work for him. – babyblue711
I was thrilled to listen to the sheriff and also listen to all of his experiences but also how he worked his way up to be where he is today. He went into the military at age 17 and then went into police for around 6 or 7 years. I thought that all of the job opportunities that he offered are wonderful and also to hear that every person he hires starts out at the same position every time. I wish more places did that because it help them notice which people are putting in the time and effort to be the best while also getting that recognition and reward. Whenever I listen to speakers my favorite part is hearing where they came from what they have been through and what they have experienced along the way and also what that has taught them. It as cool to hear that he is the youngest sheriff and that if you work hard and work your way up you can be very successful. It was nice to see how excited he was that all of us were in the class and also that he has lots of connections and can help us get to where we want to be in the future. I liked hearing about everything that he is involved in city wise and everything that he is over. Explaining the jail and briefly how it operates. I thought it is cool that you can work from the jail and up. I think that is a very smart move because like he said then you get to know the prisoners and you get to form relationships with them and you can use those relationships to get information if need be. If you then move up to patrol you have a good verbal approach to talking to people on the streets cause I know in prisons and jail they try to de escalate to situation verbally. But it can also help you realize that it is not the job for you or you just want to continue to work at the jail or continue to move up you can know for sure that's what you want to do. I think that what the sheriff is doing is great and will help lots of people - mmmchicken711
The Sheriff knew what he was talking about and everything he wanted to do, he definitely was good at his profession and the fact that he became the sheriff at such a young age shows on how he takes his profession seriously. This sheriff talked about how you don't go straight back into prison if you break probation, you have to go through the due process model, which basically means that you have to do a court trial and let the judge decide. I really like this sheriff because he is very knowledgeable about everything he does. For example, he told us about how there is a sliding money scale when paying for probation and the concept is the more you make the more you pay, so someone who is wealthier than someone will have to pay more because they make more. The sheriff made it clear that this is not just a job but his profession and if you take the job seriously then you will move forward in this career. He made it clear that he wants us to protect the community and would like to help rehabilitate people so they don't recidivise. He even told us that 70% of the amount of money given to the criminal justice system is put into the prison, so most people going into the criminal justice system will start out in the jail or prison because this is the area where you will learn the most and if you can succeed in the prison then they know you can succeed on the streets. He even went into detail on how we should approach applying for the system and you will need thick skin because people will try to break you and try to find your weaknesses. He told us that if you don't do anything wrong or break any rules then you should have no worry, and most importantly he told us to have integrity with anything we say or do, he made it very clear that this is one of the most important things you need to have in the criminal justice system. Thank you, sheriff, for coming in and talking to us -z33 711
I learned quite a bit from listening to our guest speaker, the sheriff, who came in last week and spoke to us. Something interesting I learned is that pretty much no matter what, in order to work for him, you must start off at the bottom, prove yourself, and work your way up. According to him, pretty much everyone starts off in the jail and must complete at least a couple years here before moving on. Something else I learned that I thoroughly enjoyed listening to were the 3 rules he has in order to be an employee of his; the first one was that you must always tell the truth, the second being that you treat everyone with respect and dignity, and the last being that you have an honest day for an honest day’s pay. Something he talked about I had never heard of that goes along with rule number one was that there is a thing called “giglio.” Giglio, as he explained, is when an officer has been previously caught lying in a testimony/falsifying statements and evidence in a courtroom and has lost seriously credibility from that point on. The next interesting thing I learned from him is that some sheriffs do just play the politics game, but he isn’t afraid to go after and try completing whatever his goal at the time may be, whether it be the popular opinion or not. For example, one of his current goals is to help the impoverished areas around us economically to help lower crime rates and the large sums of officers that must spend a large majority of their time in these areas. Something I found pretty unique about the sheriff’s history was that he did such a long time in the jail system, that when he was finally a patrol officer, he only served as such for a relatively short period of time. He was promoted to a detective because of his extensive service in the jail and his ability to communicate with those incarcerated and establish “relationships” of sorts. Normally, one would have to serve 2-4 years as a patrol officer(can’t remember which he said) in order to become a detective, but he was sort of an anomaly in the fact that he was promoted much sooner than this because of his past work experience and skills. One of the things he mentioned toward the end is how the interview process works for him. He says a lot of police departments, when interviewing, will ask just the generic questions you can find online, along with the generic “desired” answers, so he does something different- in addition to a lot of the standard questions, he also throws curveball questions you couldn’t have possibly found online to see what kind of person you truly are. He says you really just need to be yourself and not try to be just what you think those interviewing you want to be. Something I forgot to mention earlier in my post was the three reasons he stated he believed were the main causes of recidivism in our country- he said they were addiction (substance abuse syndrome), mental health disorders, and economic problems (poverty). The last interesting fact I wanted to state the sheriff taught us that I was unaware of, was that 70% of the criminal justice money he receives is used toward the jail/prison system. He said this is where a huge majority of officers’ time is spent and where some of the biggest costs come from- largely in just housing inmates and feeding them daily. GMan219711
When the sheriff came to our class last week I learned a lot about what his job and the different careers options that are offered. I like that everyone starts out by working at the jail and then staying in that position there for a couple of years before moving on. I also liked that he had rules to which one had to follow to work for him. Number one is to always tell the truth; the second one is treating everyone with respect and dignity; the final one being an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. Another thing I found interesting is that, when he was discussing the first rule, is that he used the word ‘gigolo’. A ‘gigolo’, as he explained, is when an officer has been caught lying in either a testimony in courtroom. That’s when they have lost all credibility from that point on. I also found it interesting that when an individual want to work of the Peoria Police Department and still want to go to college, they will pay for almost all of an individual’s college education, if they want to further their career. One thing that stood out to me was his plan to reduce the number of criminals in our prisons and jails. I liked that it involved getting the prisoners the help that they need while they are in there. That would also go along with clearing some of the non-violent offenders records cleared. By doing this, it would make it easier for those people to get jobs and better their lives. When there is a felony on an individual’s record, it makes it harder for that person to find a good job. When an individual can’t find a good job that normally means doing something that can get them back in prison, just so that they can provide for their family and themselves to survive. I found that one of the most interesting because I believe that helping the criminal while they are in prison is very important. I think that the sheriff’s plan is a good way to help with the growing population in prisons. –Adventureflight711
The Sheriff gave very good input, information and in depth details on what it is truly like working for the government in law enforcement. One of the things the sheriff talked about was how everyone he hires has to start off in the jail. I believe that this is a good form of opening the eyes to others on what it is really like. And to really show others that being out on the streets is only going to be ten times worse. Another aspect Sheriff talked about was how it is so important to follow your jobs rules and procedures. Many people believe that they can lie or will be able to get away with something, but not working in law enforcement. Another thing was, none of the correctional officers in the jail carry weapons. This really surprises me. But it also makes sense, you do not want the inmates to feel threatened when you are around. I also believe that the way he thinks that everyone should start off in the same place is good for each and every person. You then get to see the outlook on every position as you slowly move up. Another big topic the Sheriff talked about was reducing the number of criminals in our jails. He wants the idea of not locking someone up for a small misdemeanor when in reality they just need some help to get back up on their feet. Another topic I liked was that everyone has to earn their position. In order to move up, you have to prove to the Sheriff that you have been going above and beyond to show him that you deserve that position and that you are a great fit. I like the idea that the jail is willing to pay for your education if you work their. School is very expensive and I am always looking for a way to make it more affordable. Working in the jail you learn a lot about yourself and what you are able to tolerate and you also learn about people that you have probably never interacted with before. This can show your true colors and how you can retrain yourself from doing the wrong thing in a big situation. The Sheriff had a lot of good points, and I can't wait till we are able to tour the jail so we are able to ask more questions and see more in depth an upcoming career for most of us. ProbdrinkingStar$’s711
First off, I want to thank the Sheriff for coming in and speaking to us, and taking time out of his day. I learned that he is a man of dignity and respect. He takes respect very serious, which he should. Just know, if you want to work for him and his county, you will need to treat everybody in that jail with respect, if you care to get any respect back. It is very important. The jail offers many jobs. He started off as a patrol officer, and after a short 10 months of patrol, he went into detective work. He has been Sheriff since. He is running again. Let's go out and vote for him. I learned that if you would want to be a deputy with his county, you will need to start out working in the jail first. He says he likes everybody to start out in the jail and get that experience first. He told us if an individual was still in college, or taking college courses, and they went to work for the jail, they would pay all expenses. I found that very helpful and a kind gesture. That would be a plus. You would be doing something you had interest in, while still going to school and getting that education. He told us that alot of individuals applying for jobs will use real basic answers in their job interview. He says he would like for his applicants to use more in depth answers and really go into it. He would like to see what kind of person we are. He wants to know a little more about us. Most of the usual answers you can find online. He let us know that you have to be dedicated to this job. It turns into a lifestyle, not just a job. Get a call a 2 am to go in? You go in. You need to put dedication and heart into it. I really enjoyed the Sheriff speaking to us. Overall I think he is amazing at what he does and he is the man for the job. Great job Sheriff! -Bearsfan98
Sheriff Asbell’s speech brought a whole new light to my perspective for the county sheriff’s office. One thing that really caught my attention was the four pillars of the County Sheriff’s office. I was taken back by how he mentioned only 20% was only patrol. While the rest worked the jail, court security and civil process division. I didn’t realize the Sheriff’s office had a job specifically for serving warrants which is the civil process division. When he mentioned how many employees he oversees only 190 full time employees. Then he had over all had 210 without volunteers, and over 300 with the volunteers included. He included that he had 15 open slots for the jail and what type of work you are required to do. It was 50% oral and 50% written. With all of that it seems he has his hands full. With all those people under your care it must be stressful. However, the 3 rules he has everyone follow are top tier and so easy to follow. 1. Just be outright truthful and have integrity. He followed up with the Giglio Act. It was something I had never heard of before until he visited our class. With that making sure if you lied on the stand before and ruining your integrity which would entail you always having to tell the court which could affect the outcome of the trial. Stating who is going to believe a liar. 2. Treat everyone with respect and dignity. This is self-explanatory, and I do hold myself accountable for this everyday where ever I go. His third and final rule puts the cherry on top of the cake. Work an honest day’s work. That can mean anything to him. To me it means no matter what you’re going through give your 100% best efforts at work. Sheriff Asbell has put a lot of hard work into his 20 plus year career with the County Sheriff’s office. He is trying to change the correctional system for the better. When he passes the mantel to future generations in correctives it will be something to look forward to. -Rollforinitiative711
One of the first things that I was caught off by is how down to earth this guy is. When I think of the sheriff I think off a stern and rough man you wouldn’t want to conversate with. Another thing that was amazing is that he is the youngest sheriff in the state of Illinois. While running for reelection he is funding his own campaign. That shows how much he loves his job and he cannot be bought. He also served in the military for 3 years I think. You always have to respect that. How he got to the position is a great story as he started at the bottom working in corrections and worked his way up the chain. Another surprising fact is that he does not have a bachelor’s degree yet. That caught me off guard but also showed me that hard work leads to great things. Another interesting fact is that he got an associates at ICC last year. While he was detective he was one of the people that broke the bone breaker case and caught the guy. He was telling us that he had the FBI on the case and they had the profile all wrong and he and his crew were the ones that ended up solving the case. One of the reasons he got a confession is that he told the criminal that they had a heavy equipment at his grandma’s house ready to take out the pond that he made. Another one of his cases was the Bradley case where two Bradley kids set roman candles off into another kids room accidently setting it on fire and killing the kid. This is also interesting because in my Crj225 we had a homework problem over this scenario. The sheriff said that they got off with only 6 months in jail which is crazy because it should have been first degree murder. Another thing that I like about the Sheriff is that he makes you start off in corrections for the first couple of years to see if you are going to be a fit in this field. -ClarkKent711
I learned a lot of different things when the sheriff Asbell came into our class to speak, i was very surprised at how down to earth he was. I enjoyed listening to him and all the points he made about the criminal justice system and about how it started for him and how he got to where he is today. I think what really made him unique as a speaker is that he’s very straight forward, he didn’t sugar coat anything and try to make things more appealing he told us how it really goes and basically if we didn’t like that then we are not in the correct field. I think its great that he has all his employees start in the jail and then move up to different fields, i don’t think you should go into a job without being exposed to the people your going to be working with and the different types of challenges you’ll be facing. His career path really spoke volumes to me because my ultimate goal would be being an investigator, and the more he talked about different cases he was on the more i knew i was in the right spot and following my heart. Im so glad that he shared with us his favorite and biggest case in his career but also negative things about his job such as the 3a.m phone calls or the 3 days away from his family trying to crack a case. It makes me look forward to my future so much and also the path i have to cross to get to this point. I think working in the jail starting out would be a great job, obviously it has its down falls but being able to communicate with people that have the same career goals as you would be great and communicating and trying to help inmates would also be very eye opening. I loved that he talked about how its such a problem that we just lock everyone up and kind of set them up for failure instead of trying to help them and learn there problems and what they need to do to change there ways. It really shocked me him being the sheriff that he agrees not everyone who commits a crime is a bad person, people do make mistakes because of drugs, alcohol, and mental illness. Im very excited to tour the jail so i can see first hand what goes on.
When the Sheriff came in, the whole entire room seemed to light up. There were lots of good questions asked even though there was few. Also, to add before I get to what I think is most interesting, is that he was the exact opposite of what I thought a sheriff should be/ usually is depicted as. Yes I do understand that he is not a fluffy guy, but he knows how to establish relationships with strangers. Let it be us or anyone in the jail that he meets (behind bars or not). The first thing he addressed was the route he took to become sheriff. He started in the jail. There he said that communication is key in the jail and if you can’t talk down situations in the jail, then how are you going to tackle conversation outside of the jail? After the Jail he went to patrol but was only there for ELEVEN MONTHS that there shocked me. He explained that even though the was close to sheriff , that is not the reason why he only had to do elven months as a patrol officer. The reason he was able to move on so quickly to the Detective Bureau was because of that communication skill that was brought up earlier. It’s the same concept that is in the jail. Both of them are the same when it comes to people. If you are able to put on a face while being yourself, you can make a difference in their lives while they are behind bars or being interrogated. Those people can look at you if they run into you on the street and say that you were treated right. Not too long after he became a detective, he became the Sheriff because the one before him retired earlier than he had expected.
After we got that extremely interesting introduction, he began to talk about the bone crusher and how he was on that case once it hit Illinois. The bone crusher was a serial killer here in peoria that had originated in a different state but ended up here while he was skipping around. He killed african american prostitutes if I remember correctly. At first he would just toss bodies away and bury them, but after a while he began to cut them up and crush their bones in a cauldron. He did this in a pit in the ground with very specific wood that would burn quicker and then he would sprinkle the bone shards about the garden that his grandmother made for him. The Sheriff explained that he would work days at a time on this case and the man finally gave one they said they had enough suspicion. They were going to dig up that garden and that’s when he gave. Bone Crusher gave despite being a cold hearted killer had a soft spot in his heart for his grandmother. If it weren’t for that love that he had for his grandmother and the fact that she made the garden, they would have probably still solved the case based on bone examination BUT it would have taken a lot longer.
Finally, he spoke about unfair sentencing and what he looks for in an officer that would work in the office with him. He made a comparison on a black kid that dropped a cinder block off a bridge that killed woman driving and the Bradley case where two kids set roman candles off into another kid’s room and accidently killed the kid once it set fire. There was a lot more to what he stated including that the kids were rich and white and the boy that killed the woman was black. Both of them were clearly stupid, reckless, and deadly acts. Both of which ended up killing someone. BOTH OF THEM KILLING SOMEONE. YET the boy that killed the woman got a longer sentence than the two boys that killed their friends with the candles. It’s funny because as soon as he started talking about the Bradley Case I remember having that in my Criminal Law class on one of the homework scenario sheets.
For Conclusion, The Sheriff looks for key things in his officers. 1: Truthful 2: Treat everyone with dignity and respect 3:Honest days work is an Honest day's pay. So in short he said “common sense.” He mentioned that they are in need of new employees because there has been a decrease; the decrease is due to the “ferguson effect” that whole situation changed people’s ideas on the police and now there are more negative perceptions. -tanlion_nala711
Some of the things I learned from the Sheriff talking to the class were pretty cool. I like how he really started from the bottom of the jail as a correctional officer and made it all the way to the top as the county sheriff. I think he is doing a lot of good things there. I like how straight forward he was. He told us what was expected of anyone who wants to work there at the jail under him. He was not feeding us any lies that would make the job seem any better or worse than it really was. One of the things that I really liked about him was how he really was doing what he thought was right. Even with an election coming up soon, he knows that there are a lot of people that do not agree with everything that he is doing over there, but he continues to do what he feels is the best for the community. To me that is a true leader. Even when people doubt what he is doing, he still does them for the benefit of the community whether they believe it or not.It does not seem like he is just out here to get our votes, even though I am sure that he would love to keep the job, he is going to do what he thinks is in the best interest of everyone in the community that he serves. It is also great to know the oppertunities for advancement in your career there. When you work for the jail they and they send you back to school, they will pay for the grades that you get. The better you are, the better chances you have to move up to be a police officer. The sheriffs attitude towards education was great. He said even if the county pays to send you to school and you end up getting hired by the city, he does not have a problem with that because he knows that they are bettering the communities by doing that, which is just great if you ask me. -Steel711
The sheriff talked about some very interesting and useful things. When he started talking about his career and how he started in a jail for six years than moved in 11 months because of that was very interesting. Another thing that was interesting is how long you have to work as a patrol officer to move up and even after that it takes years. I also didn't know that we have to start of basically working third shift which has its pros and cons. I also didn't know that there were so many murders, he was talking about how he had caught this guy and got his confession to the murders by using his grandma. I also didn't know that they will help pay for college so that was really useful and really made me think of what my plan should be. I also found it interesting that they can hire people 20 years old at jails because of the training process. I also found it interesting how he founded his campaign all by himself and i like how he doesn't really take sides he just speaks his mind. He really explained how difficult the job is and i really liked that he was honest and didn't sugar coat anything. He also stressed the fact that honest and integrity are very important and that once you lie you lose all credibility. Also how if in court they will tell the jury that he are a liar basically and that was interesting I did not know they did that. This was very interesting and helpful to me when considering my future in criminal justice. - pizza711
I enjoyed very much how the sheriff kept talking about how if you like what you do then you do not work a day in your life and I find that to very accurate from my experience with jobs the ones you like seem to go by fast and have better days and the ones that are slow and boring are the ones I did not like. I liked how he talked about the prison a lot telling us that it is probably one of the best places to start our corrections career. He says this because they train you on how to handle everything just like a cop would. I found it nice knowing that he started his way from the bottom of the top to be sheriff. He said how if you want to go into investigation some nights you may only get 2 hours of sleep and the rest working and how that can put a toll of stress on you but he said it was a good job too. He said even you are on call all day so even sometimes you will get a call in the middle of the night and you will get up and work. I very much thought it was interesting how he said the officers in the jail do not carry any weapons. I did like when he talked about recruitment ages because I am still a couple years until I can buy a weapon he said that they will still hire a person who is 20 and a half because they will be 21 within months. I also liked how he talked about the people who have lied in court before and how everytime they join a courtroom they have to tell the court. I also found it interesting if I was to be a cop now then the police department would pay for my classes. If I were to get a 90 then the Police department would pay for 90 percent of the class and so on. He also goes into detail about how money and poverty really play a big role in the justice system, he said how some bradley students basically committed murder but got off with only a couple of months in jail. I very much enjoyed the sheriff being in the class and speaking and giving a lot of great information. -MyHandle711
Sheriff Asbell speech was very interesting he was really opened about everything and sugarcoat nothing which i loved and appreciate him for. He didn’t make it seem like it was a sweet job. He made sure to tell us about the advantages and disadvantage about being a cop. Usually people would try to dress the career up to make it seem like it’s not as bad as people make it seem. Sheriff made it clear that if that's the job you want and enjoy doing it with all your heart then you'll be able to handle the bad times and not give up because your not only doing it for the pay but you’re actually doing it because it’s your passion and something you really want to do. He told us how to Treat everyone with respect and dignity because you’re not going to always have that cop uniform off so you want people to respect you on and off the clock. He also mention how he had individuals working for him and still going to school and his department actually pays for your schooling if your doing both working in the jail and still getting further education.i love that because instead of them being selfish with your time they're helping you and giving you more reasons and opportunity to go further in life and supporting you along the way. He also mentioned they have programs for those that are recently released from jail which i find is VERY goody because most jails would just realize you with no care in the world if you have a place to go or is mentally ready to go into the real world again because in their head you’re going to be back in no time. Sheriff also pointed out how he don’t think locking people up is the answer to everything because some just really need mental help and special attention but there is some that just need to get tossed in jail for being a complete nut head purposely. Sheriff try to be active and know his environment and have a good reputation and one of those “Ugh here comes __ again” he want those on the street to be happy to see him and more than comfortable talking to him as well. Sheriff really motivated me more to become a police officer/ homicide detective and be best at what i do while also enjoying it and being genuine to myself and those that are around me rather they are my coworker or just a random person on the street.-KenzieLand711
There were several things I learned from the sheriff and I think he said a lot that was very thought provoking. One of the things I learned about him is that he got his start in the military and later went on to the police department and became detective which was his favorite job. I especially enjoyed the amount of passion for his job he displayed when he was talking to us. He was able to articulate many things that I believe but in a way that is easily digestable. I like his focus on keeping people that don’t need to be in jail out and how he tries to build a relationship with the community. I feel like that ties back with Angel who made a large part of his talk about the relationship between the police and the community and how important it is that there is a good one there. It seems to me like we should have more people like him in sheriff positions. I didn’t realize that he was on the Bone Crusher case in peoria, I actually pretty vaguely remember that happening. And I had totally forgotten about the person who helped finance the 9/11 attacks being in Peoria. Where I’m from Peoria is a pretty big place but still, you never think that those kind of things could happen where you live. It goes to show how important police work is everywhere and not just in the obvious places. Finally I like how he emphasizes the importance of being knowledgeable about all levels of the criminal justice system and has people start in the jails and move their way up. It may seem like at first it’s a waste of time but I think taking the time to gain knowledge is important in any career field you choose and really in all of life. He also mentioned the book “The New Jim Crow” as a big inspiration for his beliefs about criminal justice. I had heard of the book but never read it but I’ve bought the book and plan on reading it so hopefully I can learn a little more. Avatar711
There was some interesting things that the sheriff talked about. I thought it was interesting that everyone begins in the jail and they can work their way up. He said he even started in the jail and he has been very successful ever since. I think this is a good idea because it gives people experience and how to interact with the people in the jail. He mentioned how communication is a very important aspect is this field. You have to know how to talk to people and how to get them to cooperate with you. If you don't have very good communication skills and you’re questioning a suspect, the suspect is not going to be very cooperative and it’s going to be hard to get the information you need. He was talking about a case they solved and it was about the Bone Crusher. They were having trouble finding where he was putting the body and they were having trouble with him giving them information. They knew how to approach it with their communication skills and they brought up his grandma because they knew that the grandma was import to him and then after that he told them where he put the bodies. He mentioned that if you do go on to be an investigator or a detective, it can be really tough. Sometimes you will get called in really early or really late and you might work for two days with only two hours of sleep. He said that the First Forty Eight hours show is what it really looks like. He talked about how to first forty eight hours are the most crucial because you need to get information and you need to try to find witnesses or anyone that was involved before they disappear. The longer it goes the harder it is to solve it. He also mentioned how you need to love what you do when you’re working in this field. Doing something you like will help you be more successful in it compared to doing something that you don't like. He also talked about how honesty plays a crucial role in this field. In order to work for him you have to be one hundred percent honest. You should always be honest no matter what because if they catch you in a lie, they just lost a lot of trust in you and that is going to be very difficult to earn that trust back if you can even earn it back. He also mentioned that in order to work for him that you have to treat everyone with dignity and it doesn't matter what the person is in jail for. You always treat everyone there with respect. People will watch you in the jail and this shows people how you really are and if you don't obey these, you don't work there. He also talked about having a full time mental health staff at the jail. There is a lot of people that have mental health problems and they are being put in jail instead of being helped and he wants to help the people. Putting them in jail instead of giving them help will not do that person any good. It might even make things worse. -Soccer31711
I really like how the sheriff came to the class and gave us the whole little run down on the hiring process and what to expect if one of us was to join his team. I feel like he give everyone a fair chance to level up in their careers. He doesn't show any favoritism with anyone who apply with him, he make sure everyone start off at the same level. I also learned a lot about the sheriff personally and not just what he do at work. I believe he is a man of morals and he really love his job and he treat everyone fairly. He also mentioned how he doesn't talk to the inmates disrespectfully for the fun of it he actually treat them as humans and ho sometime that plays into his favor because then they be more willingly to talk to him about certain things. He mentioned how if he was a jerk to the inmates they would not tell him useful information. He also mentioned how mental health was a real big concern for him when he got the position he got and he made sure he put mental health things throughout the jail. He also feel as if being a correctional officer is essential If you want to be a police officer. That make a lot of sense because if you can't talk to inmates or walk into a tough situation without any weapons then your screwed. I think a lot of officers are killing people because they lack communication skills. Working in a jail help you build thick skin and it help you not use weapons when a problem is brought to you. I really like how he gave us a background on his life and how he went to the military right out of high school, that was my plan originally but then my plans changed. I feel like he's the best person to have his position because he set very passionate about what he do and if you aren't passionate about your job then you won't give it your all. -JollyRancher711
I thought it was really need how he said that he started out in the jail and how big of a supporter he was for law enforcement students and people wanting to become Police Officers, how that is a smart start. I also did not realize that the sheriff has the opportunity to pick who he wants to hire and does not have to follow a list like municipality has to. He told us he was a detective for awhile and was involved in some pretty big cases, one being the bone crusher and he talked about the case itself and the FBI coming in and what led them to the murderer. He told us he is still working for his masters degree and is going to college currently on top of everything else he is currently doing. I really like how the sheriff pointed out that he does not like the typical tough guy police attitude and does not want someone working for him that is super authoritative like that. When he was appointed sheriff he helped make jail revisions such as hiring full time behavioral therapists. He also kind of pointed out that law enforcement really is not for everyone and hit the nail on the head hard with that one and I feel like that was super important to hear for a college class. The sheriff said he believes in the thin blue line and that is how law enforcement should really be, like a brotherhood/sisterhood. He said if you are to work for him he has three rules, respect, honesty and dignity and said if you posses those three traits, you will not have an issue with him. I thought it was cool how he was honest and said if you do not have the same beliefs as him, he will not hire you. He wants all of his employees to be on the same page with him. I thought the sheriff was a really noble, kind guy. It was nice to have him in to speak with us. I am glad we had the opportunity. -notacop711
When the sheriff came to class, he did an really good job with his speech. He talked about his journey and how he got to the point in his life where he is now. He is a lifelong resident here where we are. I felt that was interesting because he could have did his career anywhere else instead he chose where he grew up even though that could have caused problems due to bias. In 1995 at the age of 22 he became a correctional officer and then two years later sargent from there he just kept going up. In 2017 he became sheriff due to his background. According to the sheriff the jail is 80% of budget and employees are 90% risk. They have 190 full time employees. There’s 50 contraction nurses, and health professionals. There are about 240 employees and 300 religious counselors. Over the years due to the media and the risk this profession in law enforcement has decline tremendously. Many people don’t want to get involved in this profession because all they see is risk, they don’t see the good part of it. They only see people v cops. One of the cases that has shaped the way people see the justice system is the Ferguson case. Even though this case has shaped our system, the sheriff still tries to treat everyone fairly no matter how they view him. He treats the inmates with respect and I think that's a good thing. Respect is a two way street so no one can expect to receive respect if they don’t give it and the sheriff understands that. The sheriff doesn't try to keep the immamates he wants them to change and do better in life. The main thing the sheriff stress is communication. In this field no matter where you are, in the jails, on the streets, without communication you are going to fail. Another thing that I got out of this speech is to never give up and believe in yourself and your goal. For the sheriff his goal is to rehabilitate the inmates and hope one day he sees them on the streets with a job, house, and car. He hopes to decrease crime and I really think he is on a good track with that.~ Justice711
Sitting in, and listening in on the County sheriff I learned some interesting things. In 2017 he became sheriff due to his background. One of the things I learned about him is that he got his start in the military and later went on to the police department and became detective which was his favorite job, he got promoted from a patrol cop to a detective rather fast, quicker than others but that was because he worked in the jail so he knew everybody, but also because he was very good at his job. Which them kept him moving up the ranks more and more and faster and faster. According to the sheriff the jail is 80% of budget and employees are 90% risk. I also did not realize that the sheriff has the opportunity to pick who he wants to hire and does not. With that being said the sheriff states that you have to kind of the mentality he does to get hired. For example, treat people as if you were in the shoes and the rolls were switched. He also goes into detail about how money and poverty really play a big role in the justice system, I figure that to be true in a lot of ways, cause the sheriff told us a story of how he was dispatched to a house around the Bradley university area as an officer or detective, and upon around it was a house on fire killing the suspects friends, turns out that they were shooting fireworks into the home and it ended up catching on fire and they tried to cover it up. He also mentioned they have programs for those that are recently released from jail, the sheriff also made sure that we knew that working for him that we didn’t see all inmates who are processed into the country jails are horrendous people even though there are people who are, but as people who down the line just made a bad mistake. Sheriff really motivated me more to become a police officer because this job is only for people who got the heart for it and is willing to put they life on the line for anybody even if we are the one getting bashed upon. -Statechamp711
I really liked the way that the Sheriff presented his speech to the classroom. I like how everyone who wants to work for him has to start out in the same spot, and not show favoritism to any one person. And to be able to move up everybody in the jail and the patrol officers have to go through the same steps. I would rather have that then people who do not deserve to get moved up get promoted over a person who deserves to be promoted but does not get it because of some reason that they cannot control. I believe since the workers only get promoted is through him and his way of doing things, that his ,method will help reduce the cops that want to do their job right from the people who want to just go through the motions. I also like how everyone gets the job the same way and not just handed the job. Because they employees have to impress the Sheriff, they will show their true intentions or some people call it colors. The Sheriff has a great plan on reducing the number of criminals in our jails and prisons. To be able to get the prisoners their help while they are in jail or prison is key. Along with trying to clear some of the less violent offenders records. With a felony or some other bad thing on a person’s record it will be hard for them to get a job and pay for their lives. And when that happens they will have to find some way to get money to survive and that usually means crime and most likely they will get caught again and sent back to jail or prison.I believe in prisoners getting the help that they need in prison is very important for when they get out of prison. Locking them up will not solve their problems, they need some sort of way to get help for their problems. All in all, the Sheriff has a really good plan to help with the growing number of prisoners in prison.-crispychicken711
ReplyDeleteI learned many things about the county Sheriff; his role in the community and the many different career options he offered. He started his career through the military, once completing his term he continued his career at a local jail. Working his way up through the years; he was hired into the police unit, where he served many years. Through the police job, he became an investigator for the county which was his favorite job. He enjoyed putting the pieces of the case together to solve the crime. After this job, he went back to the jail as the head officer in the department. Finally, through this job, he was asked take over as the Peoria County Sheriff. With all his personal firsthand experiences he is the best for the job of sheriff. His role in the community is a strong and powerful position as he affects many people. He had the power to impact countless lives. He truly recommends the next generation who are looking into a career in criminal justice to begin in the jail. He strongly believes that correctional officers are better prepared and have a better out look on the criminal justice system than those who begin as police officers. He encourages a career in the local jail, not only is it a great step into the system but in fact a noble career within itself. He suggested to apply for a job at the jail, work there for a time and then continue on with an education by the expense of the jail. This would be extremely helpful if an individual wanted to continue their education but lack the necessary means to proceed. I was unaware the jail had the ability to pay for education in that way. I think that is such a wise move. Working in the jail gives a person experience all while saving money for education. I feel this a win win scenario for both the employee and employer. I am heavily considering applying at the local jail just from how the Sheriff displayed the importance of this career. I think it would be wise, as I would gain life experiences. It is the best step into the criminal justice system. -CoalRoller711
ReplyDeleteThe sheriff did a really good job of talking to the class. He gave important information about the criminal justice field. The sheriff started off with going into the military at the age of 17. He then came out of the military and went into a police unit for about 6/7ish years. After that he became a parole officer, then onto being a detective a few years later. Being a detective was his favorite position in the criminal justice field. He liked being able to figure out what happened within the crimes. His biggest case as a detective was of a serial killer in Illinois, which was also his favorite because there was many things to figure out before they could accused the person committing the crimes.They had to figure things out, from where he's from?, what did he do to he bodys to know who he killed?, did he do the killings alone? Next he became the head officer in the department. Shortly after that, he became Peoria’s County sheriff which he is still doing today.One thing he said that stood out to me was that if you work for the Peoria Police Department and want to go to college still, they pay for you to go to a 4 year college. Its completely free so you would not be paying anything. Doing this would really save money and it would get you more familiar with how the criminal justice system works. You also would not have so much student debt to pay off when you are older. He also said you have to start with one thing (working in a jail) and you can not just go straight to parole officer or straight to a detective. You have to have some background knowledge and experiences in some sort of jail. Also you would have to work your way up to what you want to do. You can be 18 working at a jail but that's only some poisons. But to be a correctional officer or something more efficient you have to be at least 20. The sheriff really recommends starting your application early because it's a long process and many take up to 3 /4 months for all your stuff to go threw. The sheriff gave an awesome speech and told me information I did not know.
ReplyDelete-ny711
When the Sheriff came in he gave us so much knowledge about how everything operates and what happens when he hires you. I know becoming a police officer you have to go through a lot just to get to where you want to be and work at your whole life. Probation officers I believe does not have to do that much but test wise it’s about the same. He told us that when you are at an interview to just be yourself. Most people will be scared and go online and search whats the best things to say but I feel if you be yourself and answer the questions to your liking and not what nobody else tells you, much might go a long way. Just being honest to yourself will go a long way because you want to show who you are. He mentions that all the officers he hires always start in the jail first and not on the streets and I feel the reason why is because you have to learn how to talk to people before you go for your gun. Every police officer that approaches a human will go for their gun first or have their hands on it as they are walking towards them and that not good. So, in jail they don’t have no type of weapons just their mouths and bodies. Which is a good idea because that helps train for the patrol part of the job. The Sheriff says that he loves to help people when they are getting released and have program the people can go in to get help, which is a good idea because half of the people that get out are coming right in. they come back because they either did something they were not suppose to do or just trying to go back to get away from the world. Some families will not allow that person to come back and now they have to do everything in their power to survive that outside world. I really like what the Sheriff got going on and maybe one day I can work for him. – babyblue711
ReplyDeleteI was thrilled to listen to the sheriff and also listen to all of his experiences but also how he worked his way up to be where he is today. He went into the military at age 17 and then went into police for around 6 or 7 years. I thought that all of the job opportunities that he offered are wonderful and also to hear that every person he hires starts out at the same position every time. I wish more places did that because it help them notice which people are putting in the time and effort to be the best while also getting that recognition and reward. Whenever I listen to speakers my favorite part is hearing where they came from what they have been through and what they have experienced along the way and also what that has taught them. It as cool to hear that he is the youngest sheriff and that if you work hard and work your way up you can be very successful. It was nice to see how excited he was that all of us were in the class and also that he has lots of connections and can help us get to where we want to be in the future. I liked hearing about everything that he is involved in city wise and everything that he is over. Explaining the jail and briefly how it operates. I thought it is cool that you can work from the jail and up. I think that is a very smart move because like he said then you get to know the prisoners and you get to form relationships with them and you can use those relationships to get information if need be. If you then move up to patrol you have a good verbal approach to talking to people on the streets cause I know in prisons and jail they try to de escalate to situation verbally. But it can also help you realize that it is not the job for you or you just want to continue to work at the jail or continue to move up you can know for sure that's what you want to do. I think that what the sheriff is doing is great and will help lots of people - mmmchicken711
ReplyDeleteThe Sheriff knew what he was talking about and everything he wanted to do, he definitely was good at his profession and the fact that he became the sheriff at such a young age shows on how he takes his profession seriously. This sheriff talked about how you don't go straight back into prison if you break probation, you have to go through the due process model, which basically means that you have to do a court trial and let the judge decide. I really like this sheriff because he is very knowledgeable about everything he does. For example, he told us about how there is a sliding money scale when paying for probation and the concept is the more you make the more you pay, so someone who is wealthier than someone will have to pay more because they make more. The sheriff made it clear that this is not just a job but his profession and if you take the job seriously then you will move forward in this career. He made it clear that he wants us to protect the community and would like to help rehabilitate people so they don't recidivise. He even told us that 70% of the amount of money given to the criminal justice system is put into the prison, so most people going into the criminal justice system will start out in the jail or prison because this is the area where you will learn the most and if you can succeed in the prison then they know you can succeed on the streets. He even went into detail on how we should approach applying for the system and you will need thick skin because people will try to break you and try to find your weaknesses. He told us that if you don't do anything wrong or break any rules then you should have no worry, and most importantly he told us to have integrity with anything we say or do, he made it very clear that this is one of the most important things you need to have in the criminal justice system. Thank you, sheriff, for coming in and talking to us
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I learned quite a bit from listening to our guest speaker, the sheriff, who came in last week and spoke to us. Something interesting I learned is that pretty much no matter what, in order to work for him, you must start off at the bottom, prove yourself, and work your way up. According to him, pretty much everyone starts off in the jail and must complete at least a couple years here before moving on. Something else I learned that I thoroughly enjoyed listening to were the 3 rules he has in order to be an employee of his; the first one was that you must always tell the truth, the second being that you treat everyone with respect and dignity, and the last being that you have an honest day for an honest day’s pay. Something he talked about I had never heard of that goes along with rule number one was that there is a thing called “giglio.” Giglio, as he explained, is when an officer has been previously caught lying in a testimony/falsifying statements and evidence in a courtroom and has lost seriously credibility from that point on. The next interesting thing I learned from him is that some sheriffs do just play the politics game, but he isn’t afraid to go after and try completing whatever his goal at the time may be, whether it be the popular opinion or not. For example, one of his current goals is to help the impoverished areas around us economically to help lower crime rates and the large sums of officers that must spend a large majority of their time in these areas. Something I found pretty unique about the sheriff’s history was that he did such a long time in the jail system, that when he was finally a patrol officer, he only served as such for a relatively short period of time. He was promoted to a detective because of his extensive service in the jail and his ability to communicate with those incarcerated and establish “relationships” of sorts. Normally, one would have to serve 2-4 years as a patrol officer(can’t remember which he said) in order to become a detective, but he was sort of an anomaly in the fact that he was promoted much sooner than this because of his past work experience and skills. One of the things he mentioned toward the end is how the interview process works for him. He says a lot of police departments, when interviewing, will ask just the generic questions you can find online, along with the generic “desired” answers, so he does something different- in addition to a lot of the standard questions, he also throws curveball questions you couldn’t have possibly found online to see what kind of person you truly are. He says you really just need to be yourself and not try to be just what you think those interviewing you want to be. Something I forgot to mention earlier in my post was the three reasons he stated he believed were the main causes of recidivism in our country- he said they were addiction (substance abuse syndrome), mental health disorders, and economic problems (poverty). The last interesting fact I wanted to state the sheriff taught us that I was unaware of, was that 70% of the criminal justice money he receives is used toward the jail/prison system. He said this is where a huge majority of officers’ time is spent and where some of the biggest costs come from- largely in just housing inmates and feeding them daily. GMan219711
ReplyDeleteWhen the sheriff came to our class last week I learned a lot about what his job and the different careers options that are offered. I like that everyone starts out by working at the jail and then staying in that position there for a couple of years before moving on. I also liked that he had rules to which one had to follow to work for him. Number one is to always tell the truth; the second one is treating everyone with respect and dignity; the final one being an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. Another thing I found interesting is that, when he was discussing the first rule, is that he used the word ‘gigolo’. A ‘gigolo’, as he explained, is when an officer has been caught lying in either a testimony in courtroom. That’s when they have lost all credibility from that point on. I also found it interesting that when an individual want to work of the Peoria Police Department and still want to go to college, they will pay for almost all of an individual’s college education, if they want to further their career. One thing that stood out to me was his plan to reduce the number of criminals in our prisons and jails. I liked that it involved getting the prisoners the help that they need while they are in there. That would also go along with clearing some of the non-violent offenders records cleared. By doing this, it would make it easier for those people to get jobs and better their lives. When there is a felony on an individual’s record, it makes it harder for that person to find a good job. When an individual can’t find a good job that normally means doing something that can get them back in prison, just so that they can provide for their family and themselves to survive. I found that one of the most interesting because I believe that helping the criminal while they are in prison is very important. I think that the sheriff’s plan is a good way to help with the growing population in prisons. –Adventureflight711
ReplyDeleteThe Sheriff gave very good input, information and in depth details on what it is truly like working for the government in law enforcement. One of the things the sheriff talked about was how everyone he hires has to start off in the jail. I believe that this is a good form of opening the eyes to others on what it is really like. And to really show others that being out on the streets is only going to be ten times worse. Another aspect Sheriff talked about was how it is so important to follow your jobs rules and procedures. Many people believe that they can lie or will be able to get away with something, but not working in law enforcement. Another thing was, none of the correctional officers in the jail carry weapons. This really surprises me. But it also makes sense, you do not want the inmates to feel threatened when you are around. I also believe that the way he thinks that everyone should start off in the same place is good for each and every person. You then get to see the outlook on every position as you slowly move up. Another big topic the Sheriff talked about was reducing the number of criminals in our jails. He wants the idea of not locking someone up for a small misdemeanor when in reality they just need some help to get back up on their feet. Another topic I liked was that everyone has to earn their position. In order to move up, you have to prove to the Sheriff that you have been going above and beyond to show him that you deserve that position and that you are a great fit. I like the idea that the jail is willing to pay for your education if you work their. School is very expensive and I am always looking for a way to make it more affordable. Working in the jail you learn a lot about yourself and what you are able to tolerate and you also learn about people that you have probably never interacted with before. This can show your true colors and how you can retrain yourself from doing the wrong thing in a big situation. The Sheriff had a lot of good points, and I can't wait till we are able to tour the jail so we are able to ask more questions and see more in depth an upcoming career for most of us. ProbdrinkingStar$’s711
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I want to thank the Sheriff for coming in and speaking to us, and taking time out of his day. I learned that he is a man of dignity and respect. He takes respect very serious, which he should. Just know, if you want to work for him and his county, you will need to treat everybody in that jail with respect, if you care to get any respect back. It is very important. The jail offers many jobs. He started off as a patrol officer, and after a short 10 months of patrol, he went into detective work. He has been Sheriff since. He is running again. Let's go out and vote for him. I learned that if you would want to be a deputy with his county, you will need to start out working in the jail first. He says he likes everybody to start out in the jail and get that experience first. He told us if an individual was still in college, or taking college courses, and they went to work for the jail, they would pay all expenses. I found that very helpful and a kind gesture. That would be a plus. You would be doing something you had interest in, while still going to school and getting that education. He told us that alot of individuals applying for jobs will use real basic answers in their job interview. He says he would like for his applicants to use more in depth answers and really go into it. He would like to see what kind of person we are. He wants to know a little more about us. Most of the usual answers you can find online. He let us know that you have to be dedicated to this job. It turns into a lifestyle, not just a job. Get a call a 2 am to go in? You go in. You need to put dedication and heart into it. I really enjoyed the Sheriff speaking to us. Overall I think he is amazing at what he does and he is the man for the job. Great job Sheriff! -Bearsfan98
ReplyDeleteSheriff Asbell’s speech brought a whole new light to my perspective for the county sheriff’s office. One thing that really caught my attention was the four pillars of the County Sheriff’s office. I was taken back by how he mentioned only 20% was only patrol. While the rest worked the jail, court security and civil process division. I didn’t realize the Sheriff’s office had a job specifically for serving warrants which is the civil process division. When he mentioned how many employees he oversees only 190 full time employees. Then he had over all had 210 without volunteers, and over 300 with the volunteers included. He included that he had 15 open slots for the jail and what type of work you are required to do. It was 50% oral and 50% written. With all of that it seems he has his hands full. With all those people under your care it must be stressful. However, the 3 rules he has everyone follow are top tier and so easy to follow. 1. Just be outright truthful and have integrity. He followed up with the Giglio Act. It was something I had never heard of before until he visited our class. With that making sure if you lied on the stand before and ruining your integrity which would entail you always having to tell the court which could affect the outcome of the trial. Stating who is going to believe a liar. 2. Treat everyone with respect and dignity. This is self-explanatory, and I do hold myself accountable for this everyday where ever I go. His third and final rule puts the cherry on top of the cake. Work an honest day’s work. That can mean anything to him. To me it means no matter what you’re going through give your 100% best efforts at work. Sheriff Asbell has put a lot of hard work into his 20 plus year career with the County Sheriff’s office. He is trying to change the correctional system for the better. When he passes the mantel to future generations in correctives it will be something to look forward to. -Rollforinitiative711
ReplyDeleteOne of the first things that I was caught off by is how down to earth this guy is. When I think of the sheriff I think off a stern and rough man you wouldn’t want to conversate with. Another thing that was amazing is that he is the youngest sheriff in the state of Illinois. While running for reelection he is funding his own campaign. That shows how much he loves his job and he cannot be bought. He also served in the military for 3 years I think. You always have to respect that. How he got to the position is a great story as he started at the bottom working in corrections and worked his way up the chain. Another surprising fact is that he does not have a bachelor’s degree yet. That caught me off guard but also showed me that hard work leads to great things. Another interesting fact is that he got an associates at ICC last year. While he was detective he was one of the people that broke the bone breaker case and caught the guy. He was telling us that he had the FBI on the case and they had the profile all wrong and he and his crew were the ones that ended up solving the case. One of the reasons he got a confession is that he told the criminal that they had a heavy equipment at his grandma’s house ready to take out the pond that he made. Another one of his cases was the Bradley case where two Bradley kids set roman candles off into another kids room accidently setting it on fire and killing the kid. This is also interesting because in my Crj225 we had a homework problem over this scenario. The sheriff said that they got off with only 6 months in jail which is crazy because it should have been first degree murder. Another thing that I like about the Sheriff is that he makes you start off in corrections for the first couple of years to see if you are going to be a fit in this field. -ClarkKent711
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot of different things when the sheriff Asbell came into our class to speak, i was very surprised at how down to earth he was. I enjoyed listening to him and all the points he made about the criminal justice system and about how it started for him and how he got to where he is today. I think what really made him unique as a speaker is that he’s very straight forward, he didn’t sugar coat anything and try to make things more appealing he told us how it really goes and basically if we didn’t like that then we are not in the correct field. I think its great that he has all his employees start in the jail and then move up to different fields, i don’t think you should go into a job without being exposed to the people your going to be working with and the different types of challenges you’ll be facing. His career path really spoke volumes to me because my ultimate goal would be being an investigator, and the more he talked about different cases he was on the more i knew i was in the right spot and following my heart. Im so glad that he shared with us his favorite and biggest case in his career but also negative things about his job such as the 3a.m phone calls or the 3 days away from his family trying to crack a case. It makes me look forward to my future so much and also the path i have to cross to get to this point. I think working in the jail starting out would be a great job, obviously it has its down falls but being able to communicate with people that have the same career goals as you would be great and communicating and trying to help inmates would also be very eye opening. I loved that he talked about how its such a problem that we just lock everyone up and kind of set them up for failure instead of trying to help them and learn there problems and what they need to do to change there ways. It really shocked me him being the sheriff that he agrees not everyone who commits a crime is a bad person, people do make mistakes because of drugs, alcohol, and mental illness. Im very excited to tour the jail so i can see first hand what goes on.
ReplyDelete^^^ -momx3
ReplyDeleteWhen the Sheriff came in, the whole entire room seemed to light up. There were lots of good questions asked even though there was few. Also, to add before I get to what I think is most interesting, is that he was the exact opposite of what I thought a sheriff should be/ usually is depicted as. Yes I do understand that he is not a fluffy guy, but he knows how to establish relationships with strangers. Let it be us or anyone in the jail that he meets (behind bars or not). The first thing he addressed was the route he took to become sheriff. He started in the jail. There he said that communication is key in the jail and if you can’t talk down situations in the jail, then how are you going to tackle conversation outside of the jail? After the Jail he went to patrol but was only there for ELEVEN MONTHS that there shocked me. He explained that even though the was close to sheriff , that is not the reason why he only had to do elven months as a patrol officer. The reason he was able to move on so quickly to the Detective Bureau was because of that communication skill that was brought up earlier. It’s the same concept that is in the jail. Both of them are the same when it comes to people. If you are able to put on a face while being yourself, you can make a difference in their lives while they are behind bars or being interrogated. Those people can look at you if they run into you on the street and say that you were treated right. Not too long after he became a detective, he became the Sheriff because the one before him retired earlier than he had expected.
ReplyDeleteAfter we got that extremely interesting introduction, he began to talk about the bone crusher and how he was on that case once it hit Illinois. The bone crusher was a serial killer here in peoria that had originated in a different state but ended up here while he was skipping around. He killed african american prostitutes if I remember correctly. At first he would just toss bodies away and bury them, but after a while he began to cut them up and crush their bones in a cauldron. He did this in a pit in the ground with very specific wood that would burn quicker and then he would sprinkle the bone shards about the garden that his grandmother made for him. The Sheriff explained that he would work days at a time on this case and the man finally gave one they said they had enough suspicion. They were going to dig up that garden and that’s when he gave. Bone Crusher gave despite being a cold hearted killer had a soft spot in his heart for his grandmother. If it weren’t for that love that he had for his grandmother and the fact that she made the garden, they would have probably still solved the case based on bone examination BUT it would have taken a lot longer.
Finally, he spoke about unfair sentencing and what he looks for in an officer that would work in the office with him. He made a comparison on a black kid that dropped a cinder block off a bridge that killed woman driving and the Bradley case where two kids set roman candles off into another kid’s room and accidently killed the kid once it set fire. There was a lot more to what he stated including that the kids were rich and white and the boy that killed the woman was black. Both of them were clearly stupid, reckless, and deadly acts. Both of which ended up killing someone. BOTH OF THEM KILLING SOMEONE. YET the boy that killed the woman got a longer sentence than the two boys that killed their friends with the candles. It’s funny because as soon as he started talking about the Bradley Case I remember having that in my Criminal Law class on one of the homework scenario sheets.
For Conclusion, The Sheriff looks for key things in his officers. 1: Truthful 2: Treat everyone with dignity and respect 3:Honest days work is an Honest day's pay. So in short he said “common sense.” He mentioned that they are in need of new employees because there has been a decrease; the decrease is due to the “ferguson effect” that whole situation changed people’s ideas on the police and now there are more negative perceptions.
-tanlion_nala711
Some of the things I learned from the Sheriff talking to the class were pretty cool. I like how he really started from the bottom of the jail as a correctional officer and made it all the way to the top as the county sheriff. I think he is doing a lot of good things there. I like how straight forward he was. He told us what was expected of anyone who wants to work there at the jail under him. He was not feeding us any lies that would make the job seem any better or worse than it really was. One of the things that I really liked about him was how he really was doing what he thought was right. Even with an election coming up soon, he knows that there are a lot of people that do not agree with everything that he is doing over there, but he continues to do what he feels is the best for the community. To me that is a true leader. Even when people doubt what he is doing, he still does them for the benefit of the community whether they believe it or not.It does not seem like he is just out here to get our votes, even though I am sure that he would love to keep the job, he is going to do what he thinks is in the best interest of everyone in the community that he serves. It is also great to know the oppertunities for advancement in your career there. When you work for the jail they and they send you back to school, they will pay for the grades that you get. The better you are, the better chances you have to move up to be a police officer. The sheriffs attitude towards education was great. He said even if the county pays to send you to school and you end up getting hired by the city, he does not have a problem with that because he knows that they are bettering the communities by doing that, which is just great if you ask me. -Steel711
ReplyDeleteThe sheriff talked about some very interesting and useful things. When he started talking about his career and how he started in a jail for six years than moved in 11 months because of that was very interesting. Another thing that was interesting is how long you have to work as a patrol officer to move up and even after that it takes years. I also didn't know that we have to start of basically working third shift which has its pros and cons. I also didn't know that there were so many murders, he was talking about how he had caught this guy and got his confession to the murders by using his grandma. I also didn't know that they will help pay for college so that was really useful and really made me think of what my plan should be. I also found it interesting that they can hire people 20 years old at jails because of the training process. I also found it interesting how he founded his campaign all by himself and i like how he doesn't really take sides he just speaks his mind. He really explained how difficult the job is and i really liked that he was honest and didn't sugar coat anything. He also stressed the fact that honest and integrity are very important and that once you lie you lose all credibility. Also how if in court they will tell the jury that he are a liar basically and that was interesting I did not know they did that. This was very interesting and helpful to me when considering my future in criminal justice. - pizza711
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed very much how the sheriff kept talking about how if you like what you do then you do not work a day in your life and I find that to very accurate from my experience with jobs the ones you like seem to go by fast and have better days and the ones that are slow and boring are the ones I did not like. I liked how he talked about the prison a lot telling us that it is probably one of the best places to start our corrections career. He says this because they train you on how to handle everything just like a cop would. I found it nice knowing that he started his way from the bottom of the top to be sheriff. He said how if you want to go into investigation some nights you may only get 2 hours of sleep and the rest working and how that can put a toll of stress on you but he said it was a good job too. He said even you are on call all day so even sometimes you will get a call in the middle of the night and you will get up and work. I very much thought it was interesting how he said the officers in the jail do not carry any weapons. I did like when he talked about recruitment ages because I am still a couple years until I can buy a weapon he said that they will still hire a person who is 20 and a half because they will be 21 within months. I also liked how he talked about the people who have lied in court before and how everytime they join a courtroom they have to tell the court. I also found it interesting if I was to be a cop now then the police department would pay for my classes. If I were to get a 90 then the Police department would pay for 90 percent of the class and so on. He also goes into detail about how money and poverty really play a big role in the justice system, he said how some bradley students basically committed murder but got off with only a couple of months in jail. I very much enjoyed the sheriff being in the class and speaking and giving a lot of great information. -MyHandle711
ReplyDeleteSheriff Asbell speech was very interesting he was really opened about everything and sugarcoat nothing which i loved and appreciate him for. He didn’t make it seem like it was a sweet job. He made sure to tell us about the advantages and disadvantage about being a cop. Usually people would try to dress the career up to make it seem like it’s not as bad as people make it seem. Sheriff made it clear that if that's the job you want and enjoy doing it with all your heart then you'll be able to handle the bad times and not give up because your not only doing it for the pay but you’re actually doing it because it’s your passion and something you really want to do. He told us how to Treat everyone with respect and dignity because you’re not going to always have that cop uniform off so you want people to respect you on and off the clock. He also mention how he had individuals working for him and still going to school and his department actually pays for your schooling if your doing both working in the jail and still getting further education.i love that because instead of them being selfish with your time they're helping you and giving you more reasons and opportunity to go further in life and supporting you along the way. He also mentioned they have programs for those that are recently released from jail which i find is VERY goody because most jails would just realize you with no care in the world if you have a place to go or is mentally ready to go into the real world again because in their head you’re going to be back in no time. Sheriff also pointed out how he don’t think locking people up is the answer to everything because some just really need mental help and special attention but there is some that just need to get tossed in jail for being a complete nut head purposely. Sheriff try to be active and know his environment and have a good reputation and one of those “Ugh here comes __ again” he want those on the street to be happy to see him and more than comfortable talking to him as well. Sheriff really motivated me more to become a police officer/ homicide detective and be best at what i do while also enjoying it and being genuine to myself and those that are around me rather they are my coworker or just a random person on the street.-KenzieLand711
ReplyDeleteThere were several things I learned from the sheriff and I think he said a lot that was very thought provoking. One of the things I learned about him is that he got his start in the military and later went on to the police department and became detective which was his favorite job. I especially enjoyed the amount of passion for his job he displayed when he was talking to us. He was able to articulate many things that I believe but in a way that is easily digestable. I like his focus on keeping people that don’t need to be in jail out and how he tries to build a relationship with the community. I feel like that ties back with Angel who made a large part of his talk about the relationship between the police and the community and how important it is that there is a good one there. It seems to me like we should have more people like him in sheriff positions. I didn’t realize that he was on the Bone Crusher case in peoria, I actually pretty vaguely remember that happening. And I had totally forgotten about the person who helped finance the 9/11 attacks being in Peoria. Where I’m from Peoria is a pretty big place but still, you never think that those kind of things could happen where you live. It goes to show how important police work is everywhere and not just in the obvious places. Finally I like how he emphasizes the importance of being knowledgeable about all levels of the criminal justice system and has people start in the jails and move their way up. It may seem like at first it’s a waste of time but I think taking the time to gain knowledge is important in any career field you choose and really in all of life. He also mentioned the book “The New Jim Crow” as a big inspiration for his beliefs about criminal justice. I had heard of the book but never read it but I’ve bought the book and plan on reading it so hopefully I can learn a little more.
ReplyDeleteAvatar711
There was some interesting things that the sheriff talked about. I thought it was interesting that everyone begins in the jail and they can work their way up. He said he even started in the jail and he has been very successful ever since. I think this is a good idea because it gives people experience and how to interact with the people in the jail. He mentioned how communication is a very important aspect is this field. You have to know how to talk to people and how to get them to cooperate with you. If you don't have very good communication skills and you’re questioning a suspect, the suspect is not going to be very cooperative and it’s going to be hard to get the information you need. He was talking about a case they solved and it was about the Bone Crusher. They were having trouble finding where he was putting the body and they were having trouble with him giving them information. They knew how to approach it with their communication skills and they brought up his grandma because they knew that the grandma was import to him and then after that he told them where he put the bodies. He mentioned that if you do go on to be an investigator or a detective, it can be really tough. Sometimes you will get called in really early or really late and you might work for two days with only two hours of sleep. He said that the First Forty Eight hours show is what it really looks like. He talked about how to first forty eight hours are the most crucial because you need to get information and you need to try to find witnesses or anyone that was involved before they disappear. The longer it goes the harder it is to solve it. He also mentioned how you need to love what you do when you’re working in this field. Doing something you like will help you be more successful in it compared to doing something that you don't like. He also talked about how honesty plays a crucial role in this field. In order to work for him you have to be one hundred percent honest. You should always be honest no matter what because if they catch you in a lie, they just lost a lot of trust in you and that is going to be very difficult to earn that trust back if you can even earn it back. He also mentioned that in order to work for him that you have to treat everyone with dignity and it doesn't matter what the person is in jail for. You always treat everyone there with respect. People will watch you in the jail and this shows people how you really are and if you don't obey these, you don't work there. He also talked about having a full time mental health staff at the jail. There is a lot of people that have mental health problems and they are being put in jail instead of being helped and he wants to help the people. Putting them in jail instead of giving them help will not do that person any good. It might even make things worse. -Soccer31711
ReplyDeleteI really like how the sheriff came to the class and gave us the whole little run down on the hiring process and what to expect if one of us was to join his team. I feel like he give everyone a fair chance to level up in their careers. He doesn't show any favoritism with anyone who apply with him, he make sure everyone start off at the same level. I also learned a lot about the sheriff personally and not just what he do at work. I believe he is a man of morals and he really love his job and he treat everyone fairly. He also mentioned how he doesn't talk to the inmates disrespectfully for the fun of it he actually treat them as humans and ho sometime that plays into his favor because then they be more willingly to talk to him about certain things. He mentioned how if he was a jerk to the inmates they would not tell him useful information. He also mentioned how mental health was a real big concern for him when he got the position he got and he made sure he put mental health things throughout the jail. He also feel as if being a correctional officer is essential If you want to be a police officer. That make a lot of sense because if you can't talk to inmates or walk into a tough situation without any weapons then your screwed. I think a lot of officers are killing people because they lack communication skills. Working in a jail help you build thick skin and it help you not use weapons when a problem is brought to you. I really like how he gave us a background on his life and how he went to the military right out of high school, that was my plan originally but then my plans changed. I feel like he's the best person to have his position because he set very passionate about what he do and if you aren't passionate about your job then you won't give it your all. -JollyRancher711
ReplyDeleteI thought it was really need how he said that he started out in the jail and how big of a supporter he was for law enforcement students and people wanting to become Police Officers, how that is a smart start. I also did not realize that the sheriff has the opportunity to pick who he wants to hire and does not have to follow a list like municipality has to. He told us he was a detective for awhile and was involved in some pretty big cases, one being the bone crusher and he talked about the case itself and the FBI coming in and what led them to the murderer. He told us he is still working for his masters degree and is going to college currently on top of everything else he is currently doing. I really like how the sheriff pointed out that he does not like the typical tough guy police attitude and does not want someone working for him that is super authoritative like that. When he was appointed sheriff he helped make jail revisions such as hiring full time behavioral therapists. He also kind of pointed out that law enforcement really is not for everyone and hit the nail on the head hard with that one and I feel like that was super important to hear for a college class. The sheriff said he believes in the thin blue line and that is how law enforcement should really be, like a brotherhood/sisterhood. He said if you are to work for him he has three rules, respect, honesty and dignity and said if you posses those three traits, you will not have an issue with him. I thought it was cool how he was honest and said if you do not have the same beliefs as him, he will not hire you. He wants all of his employees to be on the same page with him. I thought the sheriff was a really noble, kind guy. It was nice to have him in to speak with us. I am glad we had the opportunity. -notacop711
ReplyDeleteWhen the sheriff came to class, he did an really good job with his speech. He talked about his journey and how he got to the point in his life where he is now. He is a lifelong resident here where we are. I felt that was interesting because he could have did his career anywhere else instead he chose where he grew up even though that could have caused problems due to bias. In 1995 at the age of 22 he became a correctional officer and then two years later sargent from there he just kept going up. In 2017 he became sheriff due to his background. According to the sheriff the jail is 80% of budget and employees are 90% risk. They have 190 full time employees. There’s 50 contraction nurses, and health professionals. There are about 240 employees and 300 religious counselors. Over the years due to the media and the risk this profession in law enforcement has decline tremendously. Many people don’t want to get involved in this profession because all they see is risk, they don’t see the good part of it. They only see people v cops. One of the cases that has shaped the way people see the justice system is the Ferguson case. Even though this case has shaped our system, the sheriff still tries to treat everyone fairly no matter how they view him. He treats the inmates with respect and I think that's a good thing. Respect is a two way street so no one can expect to receive respect if they don’t give it and the sheriff understands that. The sheriff doesn't try to keep the immamates he wants them to change and do better in life. The main thing the sheriff stress is communication. In this field no matter where you are, in the jails, on the streets, without communication you are going to fail. Another thing that I got out of this speech is to never give up and believe in yourself and your goal. For the sheriff his goal is to rehabilitate the inmates and hope one day he sees them on the streets with a job, house, and car. He hopes to decrease crime and I really think he is on a good track with that.~ Justice711
ReplyDeleteSitting in, and listening in on the County sheriff I learned some interesting things. In 2017 he became sheriff due to his background. One of the things I learned about him is that he got his start in the military and later went on to the police department and became detective which was his favorite job, he got promoted from a patrol cop to a detective rather fast, quicker than others but that was because he worked in the jail so he knew everybody, but also because he was very good at his job. Which them kept him moving up the ranks more and more and faster and faster. According to the sheriff the jail is 80% of budget and employees are 90% risk. I also did not realize that the sheriff has the opportunity to pick who he wants to hire and does not. With that being said the sheriff states that you have to kind of the mentality he does to get hired. For example, treat people as if you were in the shoes and the rolls were switched. He also goes into detail about how money and poverty really play a big role in the justice system, I figure that to be true in a lot of ways, cause the sheriff told us a story of how he was dispatched to a house around the Bradley university area as an officer or detective, and upon around it was a house on fire killing the suspects friends, turns out that they were shooting fireworks into the home and it ended up catching on fire and they tried to cover it up. He also mentioned they have programs for those that are recently released from jail, the sheriff also made sure that we knew that working for him that we didn’t see all inmates who are processed into the country jails are horrendous people even though there are people who are, but as people who down the line just made a bad mistake. Sheriff really motivated me more to become a police officer because this job is only for people who got the heart for it and is willing to put they life on the line for anybody even if we are the one getting bashed upon.
ReplyDelete-Statechamp711