My father was a chaplain and psychologist at a maximum state prison. We lived on the working prison during the 60s - 70s with working guards on horses and weapons. Never were allowed outside when they were in the fields.
However, trusties brought food and worked in the houses with no guard. I once asked my father about the trusties and why they didn’t have guards. Even as a young girl, I was shocked by his answer. Most trusties, were there by crimes of passion, and were acting out against one person. Not serial criminals.
The family Christmas parties behind bars kind of scared me. We would go through these bars...on one side, they would drop the key to the gate in a bucket on a rope and on the other side, we would would raise the key to lock us in. Never had an issue.
Never had a break into our house. I asked Dad why? If they break out they want off the farm ASAP.
The weird thing is, I never was afraid there excepts for the wolves...the real animal wolves. They would kill wolves and hang them on fences to keep them away from the cattle.
Oops - except