Corrections officer

Corrections officer
Finnish female prison guard.jpg
Finnish corrections officer
Occupation
Names Correctional officer, prison warder, prison officer
Type Employment
Activity sectors Law enforcement
Description
Competencies See Working environment
Education required See Training
Fields of employment Prisons, jails
Related jobs Police officer

A corrections officer, correctional officer, detention officer, prison warder, or a prison officer is a person charged with the responsibility of the supervision, safety and security of prisoners in a prison, jail, or similar form of secure custody. Historically, terms such as jailer[1] (also spelled jailor or gaoler), jail guard, prison guard, and turnkey[2] have also been used.

These officers are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been arrested and are awaiting trial while on remand or who have been convicted of a crime and sentenced to serve time in a prison or jail. They are also responsible for the safety and security of the facility itself. Most prison officers are employed by the government of the country in which they operate, though some are employed by private companies.

Contents

Duties

The duties of a correctional officer can vary, but they often include:

Working environment

A correctional officer's job is often considered dangerous with inmate confrontations resulting in many injuries a year. A correctional officer's working environment can vary considerably with some correctional institutions being modern, well lit, air-conditioned and ventilated while others are old, overcrowded, and noisy. Correctional officers often work on a rotating shift basis including weekends and holidays. Since many correctional facilities have officer shortages, correctional officers are often required to work additional shifts. Having to put in extra hours can result in fatigue, low morale, and family related problems. Correctional officers may also get burned out because their work is unpredictable, identity threatening, tragic, incongruous, and stigmatized. [3]

Because a correctional institution is a controlled environment inmates will often attempt to disrupt that environment. Various remedies for such disruptions, including physical and less than lethal force, isolation and less lethal weaponry are often adopted depending on the type of correctional facility and its jurisdiction. Due to multiple disruptions and challenging work environments correctional officers often face high levels of stress, burnout, health problems, high turnover rates, low life expectancy and decreased quality of life. In fact, the National Institute of Corrections reports that after 20 years of service the life expectancy of a correctional officer is 58 (National Institute of Corrections, 2008).

The duties a correctional officer carries out will often depend on the type of institution in which they work. For instance, a correctional officer at a minimum security institution may be responsible for casually supervising inmates as they work or participate in treatment programs while at a maximum security institution a correctional officer would have duties involving the regular use of restraints, weapon searches, and tactical response.

Correctional officers are also expected to control their emotions, remain impersonal and engage in activities that are often conflicting. For example, they are expected to respect and nurture, yet suspect and discipline inmates and have an us-them mentality.[4]

Training

Correctional officer training will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction as well as facility to facility depending on the legislated power given, the nature of the facilities, or even the socioeconomics of the region. Training may be provided by external agencies or at the facility with a peer-group or supervisor instructor.

In North America, standard training usually includes:

Many jurisdictions have also, in recent years, expanded basic training to include:

See also

References

  1. ↑ Biblical dictionary
  2. ↑ Ontario Provincial Secretary and the Inspector of Prisons' report on the Toronto Central Prison
  3. ↑ U.S. Department of Justice, Addressing Correctional Officer Stress: Programs and Strategies
  4. ↑ Tracy, S. J. (2005). Locking up emotion: Moving beyond dissonance for understanding emotion labor discomfort. Communication Monographs, 72, 261-283.