Essay Example on Be a Police Officer: A Job of Authority and Fear

It is good to be a police officer and to enforce the law. Looking at the nice uniforms that the police wear and how people respect them might make one love to be a police officer. One seems to have so much authority that they might order one and the order is final. However, one of the things that might seem to be scarier is being a prison officer. There are just so many things that can be scary. Beginning with the idea that one has to deal with murderers, rapist and generally bad people might be scared enough. While being a police officer might be a good thing working as a prison officer is not a job that I would ever like.

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One of the reasons that I would never want to take this job is that it is rated as one of the riskiest profession. One that chooses this profession is exposed to the institution and work-related dangers as well as mental health risks. While working as a correctional officer, one is supposed to disrupt prison gangs, stop prison riots, and protect themselves from infectious diseases. Ideally, the risks that one is exposed to are very high that just working might make one be at the verge of death (Mumford, Bruce, and Kubu 120). I prefer to do any other work, but the last job I would think of taking is a correctional officer.

The other reason that makes me not to take this profession is the levels of stress and burnout. The level of stress and burnout comes as part of the job and might affect an individual mentally. Besides, studies show that the jail guards are at a higher risk of high cholesterol, chronic injury, hypertension and heart diseases as compared to other law enforcement jobs. Besides, fatigue, work conflicts, heavy workload, and little resources increase the pressure that one experiences as a correctional officer (National Institute of Justice (NIJ), et al.). Working as a prison officer subjects one to daily stresses that affect an individual personal relationship and also one's family. Besides, as a jail guard, one is living in the constant fear of the being harassed sexually (Mumford, Bruce, and Kubu 120). There is just so much pressure that comes with the daily experience that one has to go through in the work environment. Taking into account all these issues, I do not think this is a profession that I would like to be in.

Besides, I do feel like working as a prison officer confines one to live in the prison environment. Although one might not be living as a prisoner, I think that such a situation might seem like being in prison. While one has freedom during the hours that they are not on duty, the other hours might seem like living a prison life (Steiner and Wooldredge 340). Therefore I don't think that this is the kind of life I would like to confine myself to.

While I might consider a position in law enforcement, I could take any other place but not one as a correctional officer. The life and the stress that comes with such kind of work is not something that I can bear. I do feel that living with people that society seems to have condemned and rejected is not my cup of tea. I might prefer to work in any other environment, but a position as a correctional officer is not something that I would ever consider.

Works Cited

Mumford, Elizabeth A., Bruce G. Taylor, and Bruce Kubu. "Law enforcement officer safety and wellness." Police Quarterly 18.2 (2015): 111-133.

National Institute of Justice (NIJ), et al. "Correctional Officer Safety and Wellness-What We Learned From the Research Literature." (2017).

Steiner, Benjamin, and John Wooldredge. "Individual and environmental influences on prison officer safety." Justice Quarterly 34.2 (2017): 324-349.