I believe that the prison guard force has declined in quality, but my perspectives differ from those of this website. The types of guards that the state gets are what the state recruits, and what it pays for. They get what they want. I think that the best prison guards are of two types. The first, and the oldest type (now almost extinct) is the "farm boy." Since most prisons used to be (and still are) constructed in rural areas, farmers used to take jobs in prisons in order to get the benefits and to supplement farm income during lean years. Those guys were tough and resourceful. Farm life toughens one up in the right way. They were not petty or catty. They were accustomed to giving decent care for animals without emotion or affection, but with interest and concern. They took the jobs for the money, not because they had something to prove. The number of the farm boys declined rapidly as new ways of doing things were adopted by the prisons and as affirmative action and other make-work programs were introduced. The watering down of socialist state benefits, at least in Michigan, made the jobs less lucrative. The second type of guard with which I'm familiar is the "displaced" worker. I'm one of them. These are mostly men who've been laid off from industries that have downsized or moved overseas. Some are men who came home from the military and were unable to find a job for which they were qualified. Most of these guys were from hard-working backgrounds like the farmers, but were more familiar with urban life. We tend to work a lot like the old farmers did, but we are a little more adaptable to change and a more modern way of doing things. Ex-factory workers and ex-military, like the farmers, are usually in the job for the pay check and have nothings to prove, no personality flaws. The worst guards are the wannabe-cops and the affirmative action types. Personally, I can't figure out why the wannabe-cops are working in prisons. Police work, to me, seems a lot more rewarding and a better life. Strangely, lately, the corrections department has been hiring tons of these shaved-headed, swat-team wannabes who seem to have the "education" and "qualifications" that would allow them to be police officers. They seem to me to be a little too gung ho and petty. I concede that some of that will wear off with experience and age. But, in my mind, there's always going to be a difference between how someone who worked on a farm or in a factory and never felt the need to be a "police cadet" or crossing guard (we used to call them "the gestapo" when I was a kid) handles people, and how one of those swat-cop-hotdogs handles people. Then, there's the affirmative action hires; minorities and women. It's not that minorities and women can't do the job just as well as others, but, when one is hired on a quota, where is the quality control? There are problems in prisons with those who see color (and judge by it). Some don't want to enforce rules on their "home boys," or even sell them drugs. There are women who think that prison is a dating service! In the short term, such shenanigans may seem to be beneficial, or merely amusing to the prisoners. In the long run, however, they are dangerous and harmful. This website focuses on guards, the prison employees, rather than on the real "professionals," the administrators and policy makers. Guards don't make policy. They (sometimes) enforce it. Guards are like the rest of the wage-slaves. Guards are "day-labor," just like anyone else. They are there because the big shots haven't figured out how to get machines to do the job and a handful of pretty-boys with masters degrees can't do the job. When the administrators figure that out, our asses are gone! Prisons will still be miserable and there will still be a high recidivism rate. Editor's Note: We've slightly edited this commentary by a prison guard from Michigan. We don't agree with all of what he writes, but some of it is perceptively insightful, if a bit biased. He was afraid to use his real name. Guards are afraid of MANY things so we've adopted his pugnacious nom de plume. P.A.