When I started at the prison, we wore light-blue shirts and gray pants with no hats or patches. Then we had the police look, light-blue shirts and gray pants with patches and caps.

When we moved to the new prison, we went to brown uniforms with Stetson hats. We looked like park rangers with patches. Finally, we shifted to the Buffalo Police style. Dark-blue everything, police caps and patches that were changed to Sheriff when the Sheriff’s Department took over the prison.

When I first started working the commissary job, I was just the fill in, the relief pitcher until the senior officer retired. I got called into the office and only had five years on the job, but they offered me the full-time job running the commissary.

When I found out the schedule for this job gave me Saturdays and Sundays off, I said, “Sign me up!”

It was a dream come true and we would be like a regular family. I would be home on weekends with Marcia, Dawn and Marlo. I ran the Commissary for the next 29 years.

We made up special bags (Goodie Bags) for the inmates who went beyond the call with work. For kitchen help, trustees, library help, commissary help, wherever someone did a good job, I tried to recognize them. It was a little incentive that the inmates called Spanky Bags. I am told they still call them that today.

On my own I also helped inmates who had nothing. I would see they got toothpaste, Oodles of Noodles or some candy bars to help them get over the hump. I never treated anyone like they were less than me, only as an equal. You would be surprised by the old world respect that’s given to you.

After I retired, I worked part time for the county. I audited Senior Centers that feed seniors for $2.25 a meal. There were 47 sites throughout the county, and the funny thing is, all these years later I’d run into inmates who grew old with me. They all wanted to talk about when we were in jail together.

It’s really great to hear good things about yourself that you thought people didn’t notice.

I wanted people to do what’s right, get a job, stay clean, and be at home with their family. I wanted inmates to find the good within them and wanted them to know that change is possible.

Each inmate was to blame for why they ended up in jail, but each and every one had the power to change their future. I wanted them to put prison behind them and to move forward on a good path and in a positive direction toward a new life.

I had a long career and worked for a lot of different superintendents during my time as a correctional officer. First it was Mr. Meyers followed by Mr. Mindy. Then came Mr. Ford, who moved on after five months, followed by Mr. Festa. Then it was Mr. Gallagher followed by Mr. Netzel. Now the Sheriff’s Department is in charge of the Erie County Correctional Facility.

It was a great ride. I learned a lot about people and through it all I always tried to do the right thing.

We live in an imperfect world surrounded by individuals all trying to find their special place. However, we are all aging each and every day as Father Time keeps ticking on and we all will meet our maker in the end.

I sincerely hope and pray everyone reading this can find their quiet place, find peace and have God in the center of their life when it ends.