Prison officer

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A Correctional Officer is a person charged with the responsibility of the supervision of prisoners in a prison or jail. Other terms for prison officer include Corrections Officer, Correctional Officer, Prison Guard, Detention Officer, and Prison Warder.

These officers are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been arrested and are awaiting trial 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 Federal or State Government, City, or County, though some are employed by private companies. There are approx 500,000 correctional officers employed in the United States.

1 Duties
2 Slang terms
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Duties

The duties of a Correctional Officer often include maintaining order within the institution, enforcement of the facility rules and regulations, search of inmates and their living quarters for contraband like weapons or drugs, writing reports on any inmate misbehavior and transportation of inmates. The work of a Correction Officer can be stressful and hazardous at times.

Maintaining a safe and secure environment does not come without certain challenges. Prison is a controlled environment, often inmates will attempt to disrupt that environment. This can/may result in a use of physical force or use of "less lethal" weaponry.