He s a bulldog of a man, compact but strong, with small, round glasses and a biting wit. A former military police drill sergeant in the Army, he s worked at the jail for three years. He began as a floor officer and was promoted to corporal after a year. He works as a liaison between inmates and officers, as well as officers and sergeants. He calls his job MBWA management by walking around.
Rakes also is an instructor, training new officers before they come into the jail.
But the best training, he says, comes on the job. The inmates teach you. They let you know, he says. If you sit back, watch and observe the inmates, they ll teach you everything you need to know about this job. Inmates taught Rakes that the blade in a razor can be replaced with a small slice from the shiny inside of a tube of toothpaste.