Will “Prison Guard” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

Job Description

Guard inmates in penal or rehabilitative institutions in accordance with established regulations and procedures. May guard prisoners in transit between jail, courtroom, prison, or other point. Includes deputy sheriffs and police who spend the majority of their time guarding prisoners in correctional institutions.

Job Details

• The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 33-3012.00
• The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 46,750.00
• The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 22.00
• Currently, there are 431,600 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Correctional Officers and Jailers”.

Also Known As…

• Correctional Officers and Jailers
• Jailor
• Jailer
• Jail Officer
• Detention Officer
• Detention Deputy
• Deputy Jailer
• Custody Assistant
• Corrections Officer (CO)
• Correctional Sergeant
• Correctional Officer
• Youth Corrections Officer
• Turnkey
• Station Jailer
• Security Officer
• Reformatory Attendant
• Prison Officer
• Police Matron
• Police Detention Attendant
• Penal Officer
• Patrol Conductor
• Matron
• Juvenile Detention Officer
• Jailkeeper
• Jailer/Training Officer
• Jail Guard
• Immigration Services Officer
• Immigration Guard
• Guard
• Gate Watchman
• Gate Watch
• Gate Guard
• Gang Pusher
• Deputy
• Custodial Officer
• Cottage Supervisor
• Cottage Parent
• Cottage Master
• Corrections Specialist
• Corrections Sergeant
• Corrections Corporal
• Correctional Lieutenant
• Correctional Guard
• Correctional Captain
• Correction Officer
• Convict Guard
• Community Services Officer
• Civilian Jail Officer
• Certified Detention Deputy
• Booking Officer

Tasks for “Prison Guard”

• Arrange daily schedules for prisoners including library visits, work assignments, family visits, and counseling appointments.
• Settle disputes between inmates.
• Conduct fire, safety, and sanitation inspections.
• Drive passenger vehicles and trucks used to transport inmates to other institutions, courtrooms, hospitals, and work sites.
• Assign duties to inmates, providing instructions as needed.
• Guard facility entrances to screen visitors.
• Record information, such as prisoner identification, charges, and incidences of inmate disturbance, and keep daily logs of prisoner activities.
• Serve meals, distribute commissary items, and dispense prescribed medication to prisoners.
• Sponsor inmate recreational activities such as newspapers and self-help groups.
• Counsel inmates and respond to legitimate questions, concerns, and requests.
• Participate in required job training.
• Use nondisciplinary tools and equipment such as a computer.
• Inspect mail for the presence of contraband.
• Provide to supervisors oral and written reports of the quality and quantity of work performed by inmates, inmate disturbances and rule violations, and unusual occurrences.
• Issue clothing, tools, and other authorized items to inmates.
• Supervise and coordinate work of other correctional service officers.
• Monitor conduct of prisoners in housing unit, or during work or recreational activities, according to established policies, regulations, and procedures, to prevent escape or violence.
• Investigate crimes that have occurred within an institution, or assist police in their investigations of crimes and inmates.
• Use weapons, handcuffs, and physical force to maintain discipline and order among prisoners.
• Maintain records of prisoners' identification and charges.
• Search for and recapture escapees.
• Inspect conditions of locks, window bars, grills, doors, and gates at correctional facilities to ensure security and help prevent escapes.
• Conduct head counts to ensure that each prisoner is present.
• Process or book convicted individuals into prison.
• Search prisoners and vehicles and conduct shakedowns of cells for valuables and contraband, such as weapons or drugs.
• Take prisoners into custody and escort to locations within and outside of facility, such as visiting room, courtroom, or airport.

Related Technology & Tools

• Tactical riot shields
• Desktop computers
• Radio frequency identification RFID devices
• Leg irons
• Lower body armor
• Prisoner transport belts
• Surveillance cameras
• Metal handcuffs
• Protective safety glasses
• Riot protection helmets
• Firefighting respirators
• Tablet computers
• Cut resistant gloves
• Electroshock weapons
• Data collectors
• Laptop computers
• Personal computers
• Hearing protection plugs
• Mobile radios
• Law enforcement flashlights
• Law enforcement shotguns
• Law enforcement rifles
• Upper body armor
• Law enforcement handguns
• Stab proof vests
• Protective gas masks
• Emergency fire hoses
• Emergency fire extinguishers
• Air-supplying respirators
• Expandable batons

• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Corrections housing software
• 3M Electronic Monitoring
• Web browser software
• Jail management software
• Microsoft Word
• Guardian RFID
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel