Behind the Bars: Insights from a newer Deputy I am Deputy Davidson from the Coos County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division, with 2 years of service. My first months spent as a jail deputy were culturally shocking. Raised in a morally and ethically sound home, I hadn’t witnessed many of the behaviors that some adults in custody exhibit. People threatening others with death or violence. Some scream into the void with anger or lunacy. People hitting their heads and fists on anything just to make them bleed, and others boldly lying while looking you right in the eyes. Each instance requires a thoughtful, calculated, and appropriate response from deputies. I have witnessed people intentionally bash their heads and face into concrete walls. I have seen people smear feces across their sink, windows, doors, faces, and bodies. I have had my hand in saving more than three lives. Behaviors and choices neither you nor I would ever imagine making in this lifetime; Deputies at the Coos County Jail witness, endure, and resolve most every day. Balanced amongst these extremes is a day of weighted responsibilities. Courtrooms, public inquiries, new arrestees, fingerprints, phone calls, reports, files, transportation, medical requests, meal services, dayrooms, yard schedule, visitation, sanitation, housing adjustments, classification reviews, wellness checks, general questions, and more. Along with the paperwork to track it all. My time at the Coos County Jail has been the most demanding and growth-inducing period of my life. We are physically tested weekly, mentally tested daily, and emotionally tested hourly. I am inspired every shift by the fortitude and respect my co-workers maintain when others would certainly falter. It has been an honor serving the public through my efforts at the Coos County Jail. I thank you for taking the time to consider this short description of the work jail deputies handle for our community members.