A prison officer (UK and Ireland, and the official English title in Denmark, Finland, and Sweden), also known as corrections officer (New Zealand, US), correctional officer (Australia, Canada, Jamaica, and US), or detention officer (US), is a person responsible for the supervision, safety and security of prisoners in a prison, jail, or similar form of secure custody. Historically, terms such as jailer (also spelled jailor or gaoler), jail guard, prison guard, and turnkey have also been used.
Prison officers are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been arrested and are awaiting trial while on remand or who have been convicted of a crime and sentenced to serve time in a prison or jail. They are also responsible for the safety and security of the facility itself. Most officers are employed by the government of the jurisdiction in which they operate, though some are employed by private companies.
Read more about Prison Officer: Duties, Working Environment, Training
Famous quotes containing the words prison and/or officer:
“each prison crypt,
of canyoned traffic . . . Confronting the Exchange,
Surviving in a world of stocks,—”
—Hart Crane (1899–1932)
“There was something so free and self-contained about him, something in the young fellow’s movements, that made that officer aware of him. And this irritated the Prussian. He did not choose to be touched into life by his servant.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)