Can you give me a non sugar-coated view of what your job entails? I'm applying at many different LEO centers and also a few prisons in the area. I have no friends/family who are guards so I have some questions as well, but mostly want to know "what is it like? do you like your job? why are you a guard? etc.

Thanks for your time,

I was a cop for a while. I'll tell you this.

Jailers are either fat guys who couldn't make it as cops, or Russians who love to hit people.

It's a fucked up job. But, you get in a lot of fights.

Also, a lot of departments will hire jailers 'cuz they know bad guys and can fight.

I worked 5 years in a state institution. It's a thankless job, and it sucks! But like anything else it's what you make of it. I'm a cop now and I can say working a prison really helped me...not to much gets by me now.

If you get the job remember "to walk quietly and drink a lot of water" for a while.

Why the mass consumption of water?

Why the mass consumption of water?


The saying goes that if your drinking a lot of water your not running your mouth....

Thanks for the replies all,

Yeah I'm thinking about it because of how difficult it is to get hired in my area. Most hires are lateral transfers of people with experience. We haven't had an academy in years.

But I heard like you guys said, they hire police out of jails and after a year you could become a roaming Sheriff which is appealing.

Thorthe power, could you describe a normal day at the prison? How often did you get into brawls, how did you deal with prisoners giving you ****, what could you do/not do?

Thanks again :)

Jails and Prisons are totally different worlds. In jail, inmates have rights still, in prison, they don't.

I've got 2 years with Department of Juvenille Justice, 7 years with Depatment of Corrections, 5 years on the Rapid Response Team, 6 years on the Cell extraction team, and have graduated to inspector. I have every advanced DT course that DOC provides, and have taught DT. I've got 3 family members that are Cops, and one is a Federal Cop.

So yeah, little bit of experience in prisons. Some people do well, some get caught up in the bullshit and don't make it. Some never make it through the first sally port because of clastraphobia. Some get freaked out the first time they see a shank, or real fight, or an officer get jumped on. You never really know how you are going to take it until you get there.

Good sides: You don't have to worry about someone pulling a gun on you. You know the environment that you are going to be fighting in. The pay is good. Plenty of job security. Lots of practice in use of force activities.

Bad sides: Long hours. Working double shifts. Patroling the yard when there are 3 officers and 1200 inmates. Patroling the yard when it is 100 degrees outside. Patroling the yard when it is 25 degrees outside. Getting piss, cum, feces, and puke thrown on you. Doing cell extrations when the inmates has rubbed blood or **** all over himself. Sitting in the inspector's office answering all kinds of hypothetical questions about your use of force techniques. Answering bull **** grevances just because you did your job, and people don't like it. Having your integrity and ethics questioned on a daily basis. Busting your ass when fat officers half ass their jobs.

If this turns into another, "I hate cops" thread, I'm out. Otherwise, feel free to ask questions.

Thanks for the replies all,

Yeah I'm thinking about it because of how difficult it is to get hired in my area. Most hires are lateral transfers of people with experience. We haven't had an academy in years.

But I heard like you guys said, they hire police out of jails and after a year you could become a roaming Sheriff which is appealing.

Thorthe power, could you describe a normal day at the prison? How often did you get into brawls, how did you deal with prisoners giving you ****, what could you do/not do?

Thanks again :)

A lot of our local jails, hire people out of the jail to work on the streets. The jails are a good training ground to learn stuff for street work.

Normal day at prison depends on which shift you are on.
Midnight shift: Count, count, count, then wake up inmates, feed them, then count again, then get them out of bed, make them straiten up their areas, and get them ready for work call.

Day shift: count, work call, medical call, then release for rec. Patrol the yard, shake down the dorms, shake down the yard, shake down the inmates. Put them back in dorms and count again. Feed them, then count again. Then afternoon work call, medical call, and rec again.

Evening shift: end rec and put them back in dorms, then count, feed, then count again. Do showering (in confinement), hand out supplies, shake down dorms, shake down inmates, give meds, master count, lights out, then count again.

Fights depend on what shift you are on and where you work. I averaged about one big one a week. How you deal with inmates giving you ****, is the biggest question. You won't know that till you do it. Just don't bitch up, no matter what.

Diesel pretty much summed it up^^^^

As far as handling hostile inmates goes, we always fought like bananas…yellow and in a bunch!

Altercations between CO’s/Staff and Inmates seemed to be mostly comprised of breaking up fights between inmates…except the mental health and juvenile units or pods as they are referred to. Those units you have to be even more careful in especially with dudes already doing a life sentence…they can care less about having an extra two years tacked on for assaulting an officer.

How you deal with inmates giving you ****, is the biggest question. You won't know that till you do it. Just don't bitch up, no matter what.


That really sums it up...if you let that happen might as well seek employment elsewhere...

Word of what kind of officer you are will spread overnight. If your in a parent institution making a reputation for yourself is a little easier.
In a reception center it goes in cycles...because of the constant in and out flux of inmates you will be tested a little more often.

Biggest advice can give is be firm, fair, and consistant in how you deal with the inmates and other staff.

I worked in a max security juvenile institution for several years. It takes a certain type of temperment to be able to work in a place like that. You've got to be confident, cool-headed, and not get bored easily. You have to make sure not to take your work home with you, and avoid letting the work affect you personality. (i.e. become paranoid, or start trying to act tough all of the time.)

Diesel's summary pretty much goes with my experience, but here's my shift breakdown..

Night shift- wretty much what diesel said. Do head counts, cleanup the control room, check in with other staff members if working front control room, finish any paperwork for the unit.

Morning shift- Head count, wake them up, feed them, exercise them, strip rooms, supervise meds distributions, supervise classroom instruction.

Afternoon shift- Head count, dinner, showers, recreation time, possibly another exercise session, supervise meds.

All shifts - Strip kids whenever they've come into contact with anyone from the outside. Break up fights. Fights usually occurred at the start of the day (catch the other guy waking up), right at a shift change, or in the courtyard. Make sure kids aren't punking each other for food, etc. Make sure the kids have clean clothes, bedding, etc. Look for contraband.

In reality the job was kind of a cross between counselor/bouncer/janitor/sevice provider.

I moved on to something else because dealing with criminals all day was getting old.

Another point that a senior staff member told me early on that was really helpful.

Don't be a dick, and treat them with respect. But make sure it's clear you have the authority. If you have to restrain someone, take them down hard.

Once you've established yourself as a fair staff member who is not someone to be fucked with, you have a lot less trouble.

Can you give me a non sugar-coated view of what your job entails? I'm applying at many different LEO centers and also a few prisons in the area. I have no friends/family who are guards so I have some questions as well, but mostly want to know "what is it like? do you like your job? why are you a guard? etc.

Thanks for your time,

You know what? I have a co worker whose husband works in a prison. It is awesome, and the pay is ridiculously high. Being a medical person in a prison rocks considering how tough it can be to work in a regular hospital.

I have a friend who works in a prison in a medical capacity as well. The institution is broken and the hours are weird, but a regular hospital is probably worse! He used to be a cop as well.

EDIT: forgot to specify that they are all nurses, not guards.

Oh, yeah! The nurses I talked to were all very happy to be working there rather than in a hospital.

Oh, yeah! The nurses I talked to were all very happy to be working there rather than in a hospital.

Let me tell you, I am consistiently horrifed by what I see going on in hospitals! A nurse is far better off working in prison. I remember during the healthcare reform debates people kept alluding to "the best healthcare system in the world", and I was like, "holy **** you have never stayed in a hospital for a major health problem have you?"

Yeah, everyone I know that works in hospitals have a great fear of MRSA. One told me that they start people on antibiotics early, because they figure you will probably get MRSA, so they might as well start treating it!!!

The nurses in the prison were pretty cool. Most of them don't put up with a lot of BS. And they will get your back in a heart beat!