Calvin Shaw

"I can get you anywhere. I own this place."

Calvin Shaw is a recurring character who appeared in Season Twelve of Criminal Minds.

Background
Shaw was a highly respected agent who worked for the FBI's office in Detroit, Michigan. He and his coworkers were assigned to dismantle a branch of the Russian Mafia that was operating in the area, and they used an informant named Elena Olegnova to help them infiltrate the organization. At some point during the operation, Shaw started a romantic affair with Olegnova, despite being married to another woman who was expecting their first child. When Olegnova got pregnant with his child too, Shaw decided to silence her by killing her, and he shot her in the uterus to ensure no one would find a trace of his unborn baby with her. He then pinned her murder on a rival gang. He initially got away with it, but six months after the murder, his wife gave birth to his son.

Wracked with guilt, and realizing that he needed to raise his son with a clean conscience, Shaw decided to turn himself in. He created a false story that Olegnova got greedy and started blackmailing the team, threatening to blow their covers if they didn't increase her paychecks. Believing an arrest would still endanger the lives of his teammates, Shaw had chosen to kill Olegnova to silence her. After turning himself in, he was stripped of his badge and imprisoned at Millburn Correctional Facility. In prison, Shaw survived his first few months by reading books from the prison library and isolating himself from most inmates. He developed a good reputation with the rest of the inmate population because he was responsible for the death of an informant, a job that is seen by most criminals as the lowest of the low. He later became a member of a drug cartel that had an arm of operations in Millburn. Meanwhile, Shaw's case became a popular topic in the Bureau, with the story being used in training classes attended by Luke Alvez.

Alpha Male
"[Prison] is our ocean. One day it's calm. The next day there are waves the sizes of mountains. It'll be hard, at first, but trust me, you shouldn't fight it. You just gotta learn how to survive."

Reid first recognizes Shaw as the latter is playing a game of chess with another inmate, and Shaw notices him as well. Later that night, he saves Reid's life when he is about to be killed by Milos and his gang. He tells them to back off and untie Reid, which they do. The next day, Reid visits Shaw in his cell and they both introduce themselves. Reid knows about Shaw and why he is in prison. Shaw tells him about what happened in 2005 and why he killed Elena. Then, Shaw asks Reid if he killed Nadie Ramos in Mexico, to which he replies that he didn't. Shaw asks Reid if he likes to read books, to which he replies yes. Then, Shaw tells Reid that it will be hard to be in prison at first, but he shouldn't fight it and will learn how to survive. At the end of the episode, Shaw is last seen playing chess as he and Reid talk and play chess between their cells.

Assistance Is Futile
Shaw is next seen in the cafeteria with Reid. When Frazier and Duerson approach Luis Delgado and are about to assault him, Reid gets up, but Shaw stops him. He tells him that they are not going to hurt him, adding that they will only teach him a lesson. Shaw tells Reid that they are testing him and the rules are different. Then, Shaw tells Reid that he doesn't have a badge or a gun and tells him to stop fighting it. The next day, Reid and Shaw are in the cafeteria. Reid asks Shaw what happened to Luis, to which he replies that he has been taken into the infirmary with broken ribs and reminds him that it was a test. Then, Shaw tells Reid that in prison, they are all psychopaths and asks him if he is a predator or prey.

Reid gets up and talks to Officer Peters about something. After Reid talks to Peters, he tells him to sit down. When Reid returns to sit with Shaw, he asks him what he told Peters, to which Reid replies that he was thirsty. Then, Shaw tells Reid that he helped him because he likes him as he is interesting to him. Then, Shaw tells Reid that if he keeps this up, keep thinking that the normal rules apply in prison, then he can't help him, because Shaw thinks that Reid is the only innocent man in prison. Shaw tells Reid good luck as he is going to need it.

In the Dark
Shaw later talks to Reid about how there is no upside to be a hero. Reid tells Shaw that Luis says that the inmates would come up with demands and are willing to negotiate. Then, Shaw says that he might be willing to do some shuttle diplomacy. He asks Reid what is he offering, to which he replies that he will do anything that isn't illegal. As they continue to talk, Peters tells Shaw that he has a visitor. Shaw's visitor is Alvez who came to prison to talk to him. Shaw guesses that Alvez came to prison to check on Reid and see if he is okay, but Alvez says that he came to prison for Shaw and refers to him by his first name. Alvez knows everything about Shaw while he was in the Fugitive Task Force and knows why he turned himself in: his son. Then, Alvez threatens Shaw that Reid will not get hurt in prison again, because if he does, Alvez will make Shaw suffer and take away his son. Shaw leaves the visitors' area afterward.

The next day, Shaw is seen playing chess with an inmate. Reid comes into the room to talk to him. After the inmate leaves, Reid talks to Shaw about talking to Alvez about his safety. Reid tells Shaw the problem about Luis, who is still in trouble, as well as they can't compromise Reid and want Luis. Then, Shaw reminds Reid about the deal that he saved his life and that is enough charity. Reid tells Shaw that he is going to the guards and give his cell to Luis, since they can't touch him, Reid can help keep Luis safe. This frustrates Shaw and he leaves.

Hell's Kitchen
Shaw is seen in the episode during visiting hours and then there is a lockdown. He asks Officer Lionel Wilkins what is going on. He replies that the cell block got a tip about a delivery and found a load of drugs. Shaw is next seen in his cell playing chess and asks Reid if that is Rossi who came to see him, to which he replies yes. He asks him if he taught Reid the chess move. Reid says that it was Gideon, who was killed a couple of years ago. Then, Shaw tells Reid that he has to move on from Luis's death as it was his own fault he got himself into that mess. Reid asks Shaw if he knew that they would kill him. Shaw replies that he figured they would send a message and admits that it would not be that loud.

The next day, Reid and Shaw play another game of chess. Then, Reid asks Shaw how he knows Malcolm, but Shaw denies knowing him. Reid tells Shaw that he is not going to move the drugs, but Shaw warns him that the inmates are going to beat him up again. Reid replies that he will survive. He tells Shaw that he thinks that he is the one pulling the strings in prison and decides when to help and when to look away, since he has lots of friends inside. Unfazed by the assumption, Shaw tells Reid that he is losing it. At the end of the episode, Shaw is seen in his cell, coughing severely and bleeding. It turns out that Frazier and Duerson distributed the drugs after Reid spiked them with a poison, which spread throughout the prison.

Green Light
After fully recovering from the poison, Shaw apparently informed the other inmates about Reid's former status as a federal agent. He and a few other inmates later watch as Reid talks with Malcolm, who later leaves him after realizing he was an agent. Later, Shaw sits with Reid and tells him that he needs to grow some eyes in the back of his head, since he will never see another attack coming. Then, Reid tells Shaw that he has a better idea and tricks Shaw into stabbing him in the leg with a shiv. This causes a riot, and the guards take Reid to a solitary confinement while Shaw is thrown back into his cell.

Eventually, Shaw sends Reid a letter containing an implicit threat towards him. The next day, Reid is released from prison due to new evidence coming to light. Immediately afterwards, Shaw talks to Alvez, telling him that he doesn't know who he is messing with. Alvez tauntingly replies that he does. Then, Alvez tells Shaw that he arranged for his transfer to another prison in Michigan, adding that he will not see his son as much anymore and that the inmates (members of the Russian Mafia who Shaw put away during his time as an agent) are excited to see him.

Known Victims

 * Unspecified date in 2005: Elena Olegnova

Appearances

 * Season Twelve
 * "Alpha Male"
 * "Assistance Is Futile"
 * "In the Dark"
 * "Hell's Kitchen"
 * "Green Light"