Correctional Officer Life for a Correctional Officer

Correctional Officer Life for a correctional Officer The assigned section describes the responsibilities, duties and challenges of a correctional officer. A correctional officer is one of the most important and responsible employees at a correctional facility such as a prison or a jail where there is a need for keeping the inmates in order. The unique environment and people at a correctional facility makes it necessary for a correctional officer to possess a distinct set of personal and professional skills.

These include courtesy and respect for people, value for fairness and impartiality, an ability to engage in effective communication, and the stamina to remain motivated at a job that may seem monotonous and unexciting at first. The reading is useful for those looking to make a career as a correctional officer and even for those interested in other areas of law enforcement. As of 2005, prisons in the United States employed 295,261 correctional officers so that the ration of inmates to officers was 5.1 is to 1 (Seiter, 2011).

This makes correctional officers one of the most ubiquitous staff members at correctional facilities. Indeed, correctional officers perform their tasks in diverse environments. The monitor the activities of inmates in their living quarters, at the workshops, in the compound, and at their assigned duties. They also perform administrative and security functions to protect the premises. Correctional officers need to be alert and vigilant. They also need to be well-informed about administrative policies and rules so that they may be effective at maintaining order at the facility.

At the same time, they should also be respectful and courteous towards the inmates and cordial towards their colleagues. These capabilities help them to perform their daily duties, deal with organizational and job-related stress, and ensure that inmates follow the rules (Seiter, 2011). Although a correctional officer strives to maintain order and predictability at the workplace, his or her daily jobs and tasks are quite diverse.

During a typical day, a correctional officer supervises inmates in their living quarters, as they leave for work, while they perform work, and during their lunch time. In addition, the correctional officer may also supervise inmates while they perform their assigned duties at the facility, he or she may also sort out their disputes and provide counseling and conduct random security and body checks on the prison yard. They also need to understand the legal issues of the inmates and deal with them accordingly.

Correctional officers try to maintain order, security and a healthy environment at the facility. They need to be able to switch between diverse and multiple tasks as and when required. While doing so, they need to make effective use of their daily post orders (Seiter, 2011). Jamnik et al. (2010) identify some of the physical strengths needed by correctional officers to meet the challenges and responsibilities of their jobs. They need to have muscular strength, flexibility and endurance to deal with instances such as a brawl between inmates or to impose order.

Stress is a frequent issue in the life of a correctional officer. The inmates that a correctional officer is responsible for are a potential cause of disorder, conflict and violence at the facility. Therefore, the constant vigilance may be a cause for stress for the correctional officer. At times, a correctional officer may be attacked by an inmate, which may even be fatal at times. A number of correctional officers also experience stress as a result of overwork and overtime.

Correctional officers are in short supply, so the responsibilities have to be distributed among the limited staff. Personal and family issues, workplace rivalries and jealousies along with traditionally low pay also constitute causes of stress. However, facilities have begun training staff in stress reduction strategies involving dealing with personal issues, exercise and meditation, and counseling (Seiter, 2011). To perform their duties effectively, correctional officers need to develop trust and respect with inmates (Seiter, 2011).

Specific and clear rules and policies when enforced create an environment where officers and inmates can act within their boundaries. However, instead of seeking compliance through force and intimidation, correctional officers rely on building interpersonal rapport to motivate inmates to follow the rules (Seiter, 2011). For instance, correctional officers who make the effort to address their inmates by their names and to interact with them courteously and respectfully are less likely to face disciplinary issues. However, correctional officers do not need to become personally involved with the problems of the inmates.

Simply treating inmates as human beings worthy of respect can help to make their job easier. Correctional officer.