Prison Guard Duties
Prison guards, commonly known as corrections officers, are employed to work in local, state and federal jails, penitentiaries and reformatories. According to Education-portal.com, corrections officers are responsible for maintaining control over individuals who are awaiting trial or those who have been convicted of a crime and are incarcerated. Because of the often-dangerous nature of the work, prison guards have many duties.
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Maintain Prison Security
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prison guards maintain the safety and the security of inmates, fellow guards and the facility by preventing disturbances, assaults and escapes. Prison guards monitor all activity within the facility, including screening visitors, checking identification, processing new prisoners, transporting inmates, and ensuring that equipment and furniture are not tampered with.
Maintain Order and Enforce Rules
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prison guards ensure that inmates are orderly and obey rules. To do this, prison guards perform regular accountability checks of inmates, conduct inspections and searches for contraband and weapons, settle disputes, enforce discipline and closely monitor all activities and the whereabouts of inmates. Prison guards are unarmed for the safety of guards and the facility, but physical restraint and use of physical force are sometimes necessary to maintain order.
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Maintain Logs and Make Reports
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Prison guards make daily reports and keep logs of all activity within the prison, including behavioral issues, security breaches, head counts of inmates, violation of rules, disciplinary issues and all other required logs assigned to them. In the event of an escape or other unusual occurrence, reports must be made.
Tactical Response
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Prison guards are trained to respond to and deal with emergencies such as prison riots, assaults, hostage crises, escapes and other occurrences within the institution. They must respond to incidents in a timely and effective manner using teamwork and communication.
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