Other essays on this theme

Essay: "What Makes a Good Prison Guard"

There are many prisons throughout the world. Inside of each prison both the inmates and correctional officers both share one thing in common on a daily basis, "WE MAKE CHOICES!" Those choices we make are either bad or good and they in turn can make the person bad or good. My name is Randall Howell and I am currently in the prison unit at Amarillo, Texas serving a 34 year aggravated sentence of which I have served seven years. I have in my seven years met many correction officers. Within the past two or three years on this prison unit we have seen a large turn over of officers. Some we have lost because they were deemed "bad" by the state for bringing in cell phones, tobacco, drugs or even fighting amongst themselves in the parking lot. What makes a good corrections officer? Is it their attitude? Is it what their superiors taught them?

As an inmate I have rules to follow and I know the officers not only have rules they have to follow but rules they have to enforce on us. When we have an officer that enforces all of the rules we (the inmates) deem them bad. When we have an officer that does not enforce all the rules, their superiors and some of their co-workers deem them bad. Personally, I think a good correctional officer is one who does their job, but remembers the inmates they have been put in charge of are human beings that simply made a bad choice and realize there are choices they could have made differently.

I pray for correctional officers frequently. I use a prayer that is in my Kairos daily devotional, that inmates in Ohio state prisons put together: Lord, God above, I pray for those whom are charged with my imprisonment, correction, counseling and welfare. Give them the patience and wisdom to direct, guide and edify me. Let their actions and intentions always be the right thing-for the right reasons-and done the right way. May everyone I come in daily contact with, from the rookie correctional officer, to the most seasoned administrator, be mindful of the impact they have on the lives with which they are entrusted. May those in authority over us foster and engender opportunities that will nurture our spirituality. Lastly, sweet Jesus, I ask you to find, heal and feed those with power over me. Let them know of your endless love, so they might treat us as they would have you treat them.

I believe that correctional officers should have something like this to read daily. If they tried to do things such as these, they would be good correctional officers.

The best correctional officers I ever met are the ones that will say directly to our face, "the only difference between you and me is that you got caught." These types of officers don't try to be a judge or jury to us. They realize our imprisonment is the only punishment we are supposed to receive and that their main job is to keep us in the prison we are assigned to. To me this is what a good correctional officer is.