About Prison Wardens
Prison wardens combine aspects of management and administration with law enforcement in their work. They are in charge of managing the entire institution, including all the operational functions and all aspects of prisoner custody. They determine budgetary needs and also manage personnel. Wardens also may be known as prison superintendents.
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Identification
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Prison wardens are usually hired or appointed by state governors. Almost all in the United States are men, although prisons exclusively for women typically have women superintendents. Often, former correctional officers become appointed to superintendents after many years working in the corrections field. Job performance is evaluated by the level of problems seen at the facility, such as riots, need for lock-downs, violent behavior, hostage situations, escape attempts and other scenarios.
Function
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Prison wardens make budget recommendations, do hiring and firing of staff, and identify and solve any issues causing problems at the facility. They create and implement new policies which are designed to make the prison run better. Prison wardens work on enhancing security while staying within a budget. They develop training programs and other rehabilitation opportunities for prisoners. They also write press releases and make statements to the press, and they address citizen groups.
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Effects
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Wardens' viewpoints affects the way the prison is run. They may be more interested in security or more interested in rehabilitation opportunities. Wardens interested in prison reform will work to promote their ideas. Those interested in security will investigate better and more cost-efficient options. Wardens whose focus is rehabilitation will develop educational, counseling and work-skills programs for prisoners.
Considerations
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The job can be dangerous. Prison wardens work in a hostile environment and will encounter violent situations during their tenure. They can also face hatred from family members of prisoners who may feel their loved one is not being treated fairly. Their office is usually located in the facility, so direct contact with inmates is common. Prisons typically are understaffed, and especially in maximum-security environments, workers can feel overwhelmed by a continuous stream of violent, angry and rebellious prisoners. Wardens usually are pressured to cut budgets, and the restrictions can be frustrating when they realize how much more could be accomplished with greater funding.
Requirements
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Prison wardens almost always need an Associate or Bachelor's degree in criminal justice or related field. They must have several years of experience in the correctional system, as a corrections officer, or a parole or probation officer. Police officers also are considered. Typically, however, the people chosen have experience in management.
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