Tension narrowed Deputy Erica Francis' face as she ushered new inmates through the booking process and hushed a hysterical black woman at the Johnson County Adult Detention Center.

Deputy Kristoffer Watterson fingerprinted a white female who announced, with a grin, "I just got out Sept. 22."

Authority and camaraderie make a difference around the center, 101 N. Kansas Ave., Olathe, Deputy Leana Rathert said.

During two night sessions, Nov. 9 and 10, jailers and road patrol officers discussed how they do their jobs, concerns and what keeps them going.

"Our fellow officers are really the only thing that we couldn't do without here," Rathert said.

Deputies rotate to different areas about monthly, Sgt. Jim Cossairt said.

Rathert, assigned as "module officer," said she depends on officers in the control room to watch her monitor inmates.

Module officers sit at a desk and enforce rules inside a common area for inmates in a group of cells. Control room officers also watch inmates

nd can control module doors in case of an emergency.

In the control room with newly hired Deputy Brandon Steward, Deputy Brian Healy said control room officers can relieve pressure on module officers.

"I know how they feel; they feel nervous. I maintain alertness and make them feel safer," Healy said.

Steward has worked for the sheriff for three weeks. He said he enjoyed helping and being helped by fellow officers.

"What can really make me nervous is when I'm outnumbered and they are surrounding my desk (in the module)," he said. "This job is more different than any other job. It's not about you; it's about everybody helping everybody."

Third floor control room officer Deputy Joshua Theiss said inmates can give verbal or visual clues that they plan to cause trouble.

"You can kind of tell by watching when a situation has been defused, but if there is a situation and a code is called, I know backup is coming," he said. "The more attention you pay to (the officers), the better chance you have of keeping them safe."

Deputy Jack Weese said a code called on a previous night brought eight to 10 officers to the booking area within 10 to 15 seconds. For officers outside of the jail, on road patrol, backup can take 10 to 15 minutes.

Capt. Mike Raunig said in his 20 years with the Sheriff's Office major injuries for jailers are not common, but can occur.

"There's going to be a time where somebody comes away with a scratch or a bruise," Raunig said. "We try to arm our people with knowledge and training to avoid those situations."

Raunig said common issues include blood-borne pathogens, because of inmates spitting or officers getting staph infections; back injuries; and knee injuries.

"Bumps, bruises, scratches and cuts are probably the most common things," he said. "Even once in a while you get the bone or joint damage or lacerations from the altercations."

Alertness for dangers in jail can spill over into officer's personal lives.

"You can become cynical about other people … about their actions," Ball said.

This holds true everywhere, including trips to the grocery store, Weese said.

"You're always watching," he said. "I'm still aware of what's going on, but I have my family with me."

Weese said he feels uncomfortable seeing a past inmate in public. He said he tries to distance himself from the former inmate, but wants to know where the person is and watches to make sure no one follows him.

"You're with all the people that have committed crimes in Johnson County. They're all housed in one location," Raunig said. "It's not uncommon to go to a restaurant to see someone who's employed there that you've had in jail before and maybe had a dealing with on a daily basis while they were there."

Raunig said inmates have approached off-duty deputies to say they felt fairly or unfairly treated while in custody.

"Those instances have been documented in the past, but not anywhere where there has been any type of violent incident," Raunig said.

Many officers said work affects home life.

"I have breakfast with my daughter then go to work and don't see her again until the following morning," Weese said.

Francis said she worries about parents and siblings because she shares their last name.

"I notice things in public that I didn't notice before," she said. "I worry about the safety of my family, but since I am trained I can teach them selfdefense."

Weese said the hours can wear on families.

"Sometimes you'll see a wife bring the kids in on a Friday night to have dinner with Dad or a snack," he said.

Soccer games, school activities and family holidays are sacrificed for the job, but many said they enjoy public service.

"I pulled a cat out of a tree for a 9-year-old girl and it was the best time I had," Deputy Tracy Ball said.

Raunig said officers' work is "obviously rewarding," but fellow officers make a big difference.

"The main thing is the people that I've worked for in the past and the people that work for me now. That's really become the driving factor," Raunig said. "It really is like a big second family to you, unfortunately, a lot of times more so than your own family at home because you spend more time … at work."

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