Criminology

Correction officers refer to persons charged with the responsibility of supervising, and providing security to prisoners in a prison and other correctional facilities (Ethie, 2009). Basically, correction officers in the United States are responsible for the safety, custody, and control of persons who have been arrested, those in remand awaiting trial as well as individuals who have been convicted of a crime and sentenced by the courts to serve time in prison. They are also responsible for the safety and security of prison facilities.
    In the United States prisons, correction officers have various roles that ensure safety and accountability of the inmates as well as smooth running of the prison facilities.
    First, correction officers maintain security within the prisons. They ensure keep order as well as ensure that the prisons rules and regulations are observed by the inmates. They provide back up incase of violent inmates who brew fights, disturbances, assaults, or even make escape attempts (Alaska Department of Corrections, 2009). Inmates are searched to ensure that they do not have dangerous weapons that would be used against others. They also supervise the work assignments allocated to the inmates.
Secondly, correction officers are charged with the responsibility of observing prisoners behavior. It is the role of these officers to closely monitor, and stop any unwanted behaviors such as fights that may lead to violence in prisons. Any suspected medical conditions that may lead to violent behavior are reported to the medical departments for intervention.
    Thirdly, the U.S. prisons correction officers are charged with the responsibility of admitting and releasing prisoners (Ethie, 2007). They keep records of prisoners in prisons which include details such as fingerprints and photographs. This ensures efficiency in operation of the prisons.
    Fourth, they help in rehabilitating the prisoners (Alaska Department of Corrections, 2009). They help plan for various training or educational programs offered in prisons. These programs are aimed at helping inmates to easily fit into society when they are released. Additionally, this training equips prisoners with knowledge and skills that would help them get jobs and thus reduce criminal activities in society.     
    Fifth, prisons visits by inmates families and friends are supervised by the correctional officers. They make sure that nothing which is not allowed in the prisons is passed by the visitors. Visitors are thoroughly searched and closed observed to ensure that nothing gets out of hand.
    Correction officers provide security for transportation of prisoners to courts, to other correctional facility as well as to facilities such as hospitals for treatments (Ethie, 2007). They also supervise inmates doing community work such as cleaning. 
Finally, the Unites states correction officers provide first-responses and assistance to emergency cases such as inmates riots, accidents, fire breakouts, and medical emergencies among others. They ensure safety of the general public, and the prisons staff in the event of these emergencies.
All in all, prisons and other correctional facilities form one of the three parts of the criminal justice system in the U.S. Therefore, the basic roles of the U.S. correction officers are to provide security, maintain order and ensure that rules and regulation are followed in the prisons. They play a key role in ensuring that the inmates released from prisons are fully rehabilitated and set to adapt themselves to society.