Prison guards. Wanna-be cops with power tripping egos. (Flame Away!)One of my sons was a prison guard. 5 Years at Idaho State near Boise, and 3 years at Oregon state in Ontario.
He told me it's common for guards to be attacked, harrassed verbally, have fecal material (crap for those of you in Fresno, Calif) thown at them. He says it's part of the job, and a guard must NEVER show weekness.
As far as ego trips go... it's possible. But he told me if you treat the them fairly, they'll respond fairly. He could've become a parolle officer, howvever, that can be dangerous as well.
I admit I was generalizing and I'm sure your son is a fine young man. I come from a family of police officers and have many friends who are police officers. Most agree that a large number of prison guards are police applicant wash-outs who long for a uniform and control over others. BTW, my wife is a former deputy sheriff and says she can spot a wanna-be police officer a mile away. She also agrees that after having dealt with guards, they fall into this category.
You're right. I had a college class with a CA guard who astonished me with the lengthy rules and regulations guards must follow.
The inmates run the asylum.