California Prison Academy: Better Than a Harvard Degree

Wall Street Journal online ^ | * APRIL 30, 2011 | ALLYSIA FINLEY

[unique]

Prison guards can retire at the age of 55 and earn 85% of their final year's salary for the rest of their lives. They also continue to receive medical benefits.

As a California prison guard, you can make six figures in overtime and bonuses alone. While Harvard-educated lawyers and consultants often have to work long hours with little recompense besides Chinese take-out, prison guards receive time-and-a-half whenever they work more than 40 hours a week. One sergeant with a base salary of $81,683 collected $114,334 in overtime and $8,648 in bonuses last year, and he's not even the highest paid.

[1st I.D Vet]

If anyone thinks that is an easy way to make money they are ill informed.

I 100% agree. My dad is a conservative and has worked at a prison for the last 10 years...and has hated every minute of it. He has more red tape to go through than anyone else I’ve known.

There are times when he bitches and moans about this or that paycut, or political b.s., but now and then he says something to the effect of “I chose to work here, so I guess I should be thankful”.

[GOPJ]

I can get why a prison guard can make some good money seeing that your life is in danger having to babysit some of the worst offenders.

Having to baby sit a bunch of impulsive sociopaths is worth 'good money'... You're right on that.