I would recommend if you are in the process for Corrections Officer, contact the prisons that are being offered to you to schedule a tour. If you know someone at any of those prisons get with them. The person to contact would be the Public Information Officer (PIO) this will give you an understanding of the type of prison you will be working in.

If you are going to any prisons that have (Enhanced Outpatient) EOP inmates especially a level 3 or 4, coming in as a new officer it’s safe to say you will be assigned on a EOP facility. A lot of the senior officers especially where I’m at will not work and avoid at all costs working with EOP inmates and anywhere on the facility that houses EOP.

You will be responding to multiple alarms/incidents every day. There will be days you don’t get a chance to sit down and eat. There are no scheduled breaks, it’s you eat when you have the time to. We are averaging 10-20 medical emergencies every day on both 2/W and 3/W and a handful on 1/W just within our EOP housing units.

We are starting to see this taking a toll on all staff (officers & supervisors) getting burned out working with EOP inmates. You will always be in a state of “hypervigilance” in any prison however in a more higher level in a level 4 prison. I’ve seen a newer officer who just can’t get himself to walk through the gates anymore. The call offs have increased on that facility which people are getting held over or redirected from their original position to cover positions in EOP because EOP inmates MUST have their program.