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Prison Guards Job Overview

Prison guards oversee prisoners who have been convicted and are serving a sentence in a jail in order to maintain the safety and security of the prisons. They also oversee inmates in the prison who are awaiting a trial and guests as well.

Prison Guards Schools and Degrees

To become a prison guard a high school diploma is requires. A bachelor’s degree is also important for entry-level prison guards. College credits are required by many local and state corrections agencies as well..

Job Requirements

Training is an important requirement for prison guards. Many local, state and federal departments give training according to the guidelines of the American Jail Association or the American Correctional Association. Trainees receive many months of training in the actual job environment under the supervision of experienced prison guards. Federal guards who are new to the job need to finish 200 hours of training in the first year of their service and 120 hours of special training at the US Federal Bureau of prisons within two months of their appointment.

Higher education is useful and help prison guards in the advancement of their career.

Prison guards need to be a citizen of U.S. and over 21 years old. They need to have a clean criminal record. They need to meet the requirements for physical fitness, hearing and eyesight. Many states use tests to ascertain the capability of the individual to work as a prison guard. It is important for prison guards to be able to think and act fast and to have good judgment skills. They also need to pass a substance abuse test and written tests and background checks.

Nature of Work

Prison guards maintain the security in jails and prisons. They regulate the behavior of inmates and prevent violence in prisons amongst inmates. They examine the locks, grills, doors and windows of prisons to thwart any effort to escape. They search cells and prisoners for any drugs or weapons. They guard the entrances to prisons and check and regulate the entry of visitors.

Prison guards may need to work either indoors or outdoors. A usual work week for a prison guard is 40 hours. They, however, often have to work in shifts because prisons need to be guarded at all times.

Prison Guards Jobs and Outlook

According to research in 2006, prison guards jobs are projected to increase by about 16 % in the next ten years in the U.S.

The median annual salary of prison guards as of 2004 was $33,600.

Job Numbers and Growth

About 442,000 prison guards can be found working in the US. A very low unemployment level has been the case recently. Employees without jobs were about 2%.

Area Job Conditions

Finding employees is easiest in Pine Bluff (Arkansas), Cumberland (Maryland), and Killeen (Texas), and by comparison more challenging in Fayetteville (Arkansas), Knoxville (Tennessee), and Santa Ana (California).

The pay is best in San Francisco (California), Edison (New Jersey), and Stockton (California) and worst in Longview (Texas), Fort Smith (Arkansas), and Florence (Alabama).

Training and Education

You'll generally want moderate-term on-the-job training for this career path. Of current employees, 11% graduated from college with degrees. Some 49% of prison guards attened college but did not go on to get a bachelor's degree. A high school education was sufficient for 40% of workers. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Prison guards working part-time accounted for 2% of those employed in 2008.

Prison Guards by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Nebraska

Nevada

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

West Virginia

Wisconsin