A prison officer, also known as a corrections officer or warden, is entrusted with the care and safety of inmates as well as the safe management of a prison. Within a system, prison officers may have a variety of jobs, but they tend to work together to form a cohesive authority unit. In many areas, becoming a prison officer requires extensive training and may have specific requirements.
A prison officer, who is frequently placed in supervisory roles, must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. To keep the peace, wardens must try to keep the prisoners calm and peaceful while maintaining the system’s authority. Prison officers may have control over every aspect of a prisoner’s life, from rehabilitation to health care.
Officers can serve as motivators and counselors to prisoners in areas where rehabilitation is a key component of prison goals. Some people apply for the job in the hopes of assisting others in gaining the skills and awareness necessary to live a lawful life in the future. A prison officer, who is frequently asked to play the role of a therapist or social worker, must keep a close eye on inmates for signs of suicidal depression, increasing hostility, or other problematic issues.
A prison officer’s job entails a significant amount of security and maintaining order. Even if they are trained in weapons and self-defense, prison wardens may find themselves in danger if a prisoner attempts to escape, start a riot, or simply commit violence. Wardens are in charge of transporting inmates to and from court appearances, work assignments, and furloughs. They must also conduct frequent searches to keep contraband items, such as weapons or drugs, out of the hands of the inmates.
In some cases, prison officers act as liaisons between social workers, lawyers, and the families of the prisoners. Because they work with the prisoners on a daily basis, they are often in the best position to assess their behavior. Many have been trained to write efficient court reports that can be used to report rule violations and violent incidents, as well as to assess a prisoner’s eligibility for parole or early release.
Some people think of prison officers as sadistic thugs who relish the power they wield over others. While some experts believe that some wardens do fit that description, many are more concerned with assisting inmates than with asserting power. At its most basic level, the job of a prison officer necessitates putting oneself in danger and working with people who most people would avoid. A prison officer can be the very model of a humanitarian when they perform their duties with compassion, efficiency, and honesty, even if they must use disciplinary tactics on occasion.