The Corrections Officer career field has seen much change over the past few decades, and during that time these changes have presented many new challenges and opportunities. New Corrections Officers need to be ready for these challenges to be successful in this career field.
Prison Guards to Corrections Officers
Prior to the late 1980’s many states had laws requiring prisoners to do manual labor, most of the labor during those times included highway construction and road maintenance work. Organized prisoner work parties were called “Chain gangs,” and the men who supervised the chain gangs were called “Chain Gang Guards.”
North Carolina is one state where chain gangs were popular from 1950-1986, and many stories during those times shed light on how much today’s correction facilities have changed. Prisoners did not have classifications and everyone had to work. Prison guards made sure all inmates slept, ate and worked, and there were no rehabilitation programs. If you went to prison, you worked hard did your time and then got out.
The job title of prison guard changed with time, this reflected the changing job duties that were later required. Now corrections officers have much more responsibilities and duties than prison guards ever did.
The Role of Correctional Officers
In the old days, prison guards did very little or no documentation of any kind when they performed their duties. Inmates were simply locked up and put to work, the only real documentations that was kept on prisoners was their release dates. Today though corrections officers are required to write reports every day, and follow strict rules and regulations.
Corrections officers today are made up of well trained professionals, dedicated and committed people who take their work and responsibilities seriously. Times have changed since the old days of the chain gang guards, now corrections officers do more than just guard inmates. Before, prison guards would just tell inmates what to do, and guards would sometimes inflict corporal punishment when prisoners disobeyed.
The role of corrections officers today require them to follow strict rules governing inmates and act as investigators. They are also trained to be able to defuse tense situations, respond to riots and escapes. Corrections officers have many other duties such as transporting inmates, maintaining public safety and they still supervise working inmates wherever they are assigned.
New Kind of Inmates, New Challenges
Most states have training for correctional officers. Certification requirements ensure that today’s corrections officers are highly trained individuals who are prepared to handle the new kind of inmates along with their modern day problems.
States have passed laws to protect correctional officers against crimes targeting them. Increasing numbers of violent inmates are much different than those of years gone by. Some violent inmates have thrown their bodily fluids at corrections officers, and crimes like these create a dangerous and very challenging environment to work in.
With the wide variety of ethnic, cultural and gang affiliations among the prison population, these add even more challenges to corrections officers. Because the job is dangerous many people are reluctant to enter into this career, as a result recruitment and retention continues to be an issue in many states
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