The graveyard shift at our institution is called first shift. First shift starts just as the inmates are sent to bed and ends just as they are getting ready for breakfast. There just isn't much to do on first shift. They may search the day rooms and do random UAs but unless something out of the ordinary kicks off, there isn't much to do.
People can get pretty desperate when bored and COs are no exception. One particular night, someone brought in Carolina Reapers. If you haven't heard about Carolina Reapers, you are in for a treat. They are hotter than hot peppers considered the hottest in the world. They were created specifically for their heat. Here is a video of people trying it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiyCa6HoppA
Anyway, so an officer decided to bring some in and see how many other officers he could get to try them. He not only had all the staff in his unit, but also started gathering them from other areas of the prison including those meant to respond to emergencies. Problem. The officers willing to try the pepper had the expected result. Many were throwing up for hours and some were in such bad pain that they stayed huddled in a ball for hours. Luckily, no emergency happened. Can you imagine what would have happened if a fight broke off or there was a medical emergency? They break off at a moments notice and we could have had the majority of our staff out of commission. To make matters worse, this particular unit is our max unit where the majority of emergencies come from.
I understand the boredom and all but you really got to think these things through. Don't risk you job or the lives of others for entertainment. You have a job to do. If you can't handle the boredom without doing something stupid, find a new job.
