The job of a prison officer is
tasking- physically, emotionally, financially, intellectually, and even
spiritually. It is a kind of job that ensconces a conglomerate of other jobs. A
prison officer’s duty comprises of the duties of the police, customs, immigrations,
military, civil defence, drugs law enforcement and so on.
Let me explain.
The job of a police officer is to
maintain law and order in a polity. The prison officer maintains law and order
in the prison yard. And when there is
chaos in the yard, the prison officer quells it. Hence, he is a police officer
in the prison yard.
A custom officer scrutinizes
every good and commodity coming in and going out of a polity to make sure that
contrabands are not imported, or our landmark heritage are not illegally
siphoned. The prison officer does same by scrutinizing every person or thing
going in or coming out of the prison yard.
An immigration officer mounts the
borders of a polity to disallow foreigners from entering without due permission,
and conversely citizens without visas from leaving the country. So also a
prison officer keeps an eagle eye to wade off unwanted persons from going into
the prison yard and inmates from escaping from therein.
A military officer’s job is to
protect his polity from external aggression which may come from land, air or
sea. Our prison armed squad personnel perform the same function, making sure
the prison is not attacked by insurgents either through land, air or sea.
A civil defence officer protects
civilians, public property, installations and national monuments from being vandalized
and destroyed. The prison officer also performs this function by making sure that
prison properties are not wrecked or banged up.
A drugs law enforcement officer’s
mandate is to minimize illicit drugs production and trafficking in a polity. Of
course, a prison officer does same in a prison.
And we can go on and on and on…
Having illustrated the above, you
would agree with me that the job of a prison officer being a lump of other security
duties demands tact, physical fitness, mental excellence and intellectual
sagacity. Hence, a typical prison officer is expected to be an embodiment of
these qualities in order to be efficient on the job. Mind you that a prison
officer is also a psychologist, administrator, counselor, role model, medical
personnel, caterer, educationist, technician, etc. The only way a prison
officer can keep abreast of all these obligations is through developing the
mind by reading constantly.
Reading is important to the
prison officer because it develops the mind and improves one’s intellect. The
mind is a muscle that needs exercise. Understanding the written word is one way
that the mind grows in its ability. The more you read, the better your grasp of
phenomena, and also the more you easily decipher happenings in your
environment. A sharp mind is a prerequisite for success as a prison officer
because dealing with criminal minds is not a job for dullards. It demands a
sixth sense which can only be developed through constant reading. When you read
a book, you are taking in all that the book is about such as people, places, and
things. When you read you are using your memory muscle which lies in the
Cerebrum part of your brain thereby making you a smart officer.
Reading is fundamental to the day-to-day
activity of the prison officer. At the basic, it is pertinent that every prison
officer must be able to read comprehensively, and write lucidly. A sentry must
be able to write clear reports about happenstances in his or her beat before
handing over, and also be able to read written reports about same before taking
over. A prison officer must be a good reader in order to understand reports
that have been written, as well as a good writer in order to write succinct
reports. Hence, every prison officer must be avid readers to acquire these
basic skills.
By reading, you are exposed to so
many wonderful things. This helps your imagination when it comes to creating
and thinking. By reading, you are painting those pictures of the story in your
mind. Books can take you anywhere you want to go. You may not have been to
Guantanamo Bay, but through books, you can get information about Guantanamo Bay
and even discuss the operations there.
When you are reading, you are
focusing and concentrating on one thing.
By sitting still and reading, you are training your body as well as your
mind to be calm, relax, and focus on what you are reading. This helps your
ability to focus, concentrate on details and develops the skill of observation,
which is important in the prison job.
Reading improves your
communication skills. Through constant reading, you are exposed to a wide range
of choice words. Reading also improves your spoken language and gives you an
edge in the proper use of words. It improves your syntax and diction and makes
you communicate in clear language that would make people respect you when you
speak. Reading gives you confidence when speaking in public events and arenas. Hence,
as a prison officer, when you read, you will communicate effectively with
inmates and colleagues, thereby making you an all-round officer.
Reading is the cheapest form of
entertainment you can get. It offers you the best form of entertainment which
improves your acumen concurrently. Many prison officers spend huge resources in
beer parlours, brothels and others hoping to get entertained, but end up
getting ephemeral fun. But reading is cheap and gives you the best
entertainment while you save huge resources. Reading books can open up the world
you might never have imagined.
Reading a book for something that
you are inquisitive about saves you so much money. We all know how expensive
taking classes can be, so why not spend time reading about it instead. You can
teach yourself with specific books. Aside, as a prison officer, you can spur
excellence in your children by reading. When you read, your children emulate
from you and this will improve their school performance thereby saving you
trouble of poor academic performance of your children. And when your children
perform well in school, you are assured of a happy and prosperous retirement.
Now, how can you develop a life
of reading?
1. Try
and buy books always. The first thing I do when I get my salary alert is to buy
at least a book. Once you buy books, you will be compelled to read them.
2. Read
what interests you. It can be romance, espionage, autobiography, biographies,
letters, poems, etc.
3. Read
variety of authors. It can be James Hadley Chase, Mario Puzo, Sidney Sheldon,
Dean Koontz, Loveday Omu, Michael Crichton, Chimamanda Adichie, Robert Ludlum,
Zainab Alkali, Kazuo Ishiguro, Chinua Achebe.
4. Never
force yourself to read a book which does not interest you. Once you start a
book and after 50 pages, you are not following, drop it. There are a billion
and one other waiting to be read.
5. Keep
a diary of books you have read. It gives you a sense of accomplishment.
6. Try
as much as possible to read a book in a month. You can start with a 100-page
book, and as you grow in your reading dexterity, you go high up the ladder. Before
you know it, you would be reading a 1500-page series.
7. Try
and read every day. Even if it is for 5 minutes, create that time. Just read
something.
DSP Ugwuoke
Kelvin Abuchi is an reader and a staff of Plateau state command.
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