Corrections officer

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Finnish female prison guard

A corrections officer, correctional officer, detention officer, jail guard, prison guard, prison warder, or 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. In unformal language, term jailer is also used ^[1]^[2].

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 a correctional facility. Most prison officers are employed by the Government of the country in which they operate though some are employed by private companies.

1 Duties
2 Working environment
3 Training
4 See also
5 References

[edit] Duties

The duties of a Correctional Officer can vary but often include

Maintaining order and discipline within the institution
Enforcing facility rules, regulations, and applicable legislation
Searching inmates and environs for contraband
Transporting inmates to courts, other correctional facilities, or into the community (e.g. medical appointments, escorted day-pass, etc.)
Providing first-response in the event of riot, fire, medical emergency, etc.
Tactical response for ongoing emergencies, such as riot, hostage taking, or other major crisis

[edit] 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.

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.

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.

[edit] Training

Correctional officer training will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction as well facility to facility depending on the legislated power given, the nature of the facilities, or even the socio-economic conditions 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