Corrections professionalism at its best.

More than half of Kentucky's state prison wardens started out as correctional officers--eight of the 13, to be exact. In other words, they worked their way up through the ranks from an entry-level position to the top job in the department ... other than mine.

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Our private prison wardens in the state share the same story: two of the three began their correctional careers as correctional officers. This is significant in a profession where we are still struggling to overcome the stigma associated with the term "guard"--so often used by the media and others when referring to correctional officers.

Tom Dailey, warden of the medium-security Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in LaGrange, Ky., recently wrote an op-ed article on the topic after a string of media stories used the term "guard." The editorial was published in the state's second largest newspaper as well as the local newspaper that circulates in the area surrounding the prison. In it, Dailey, a 22-year veteran of corrections said the term "guard" is an insult to the men and women who have chosen the field of corrections as a career.

Dailey should know, he is one of the eight wardens who started as a correctional officer. In the early days of his career, he probably experienced first hand the effects of the negative connotations of the word "guard."

For many years, correctional officers have been required to undergo weeks of intense training. In most places, the training is divided into two stages: a basic academy and then additional weeks of on-the-job training (OJT). After the initial orientation of a new correctional officer, basic academies usually include classes in federal, state and local laws; departmental and institutional policy and procedure; inmate rights; use of force; firearms training and qualification; health and safety issues; fire prevention; self defense; report writing; and communication devices.

Following the academy, new officers begin the second phase of training: OJT. Upon arrival at their assigned institution, correctional officers are required to complete new employee orientation that is specific to the institution where they are assigned. After completion of this two-phase initial training, officers are required to attend a 40-hour annual training session where they are updated, informed and tested.

All of this training is not easy, and the actual job is even tougher, as anyone familiar with the profession knows. But the training is not meant to be easy. It is meant to train a work force for the strenuous but rewarding career of corrections.

The job of a correctional officer is dangerous and often stressful. Every day, officers are faced with members of our society who have committed some of the most heinous crimes imaginable. These officers are charged not only with protecting the public, but also protecting the offenders and providing for their needs and safety as well. Many times the correctional officer is on the front line observing potentially dangerous situations that may require quick, crucial decisions and actions.

Webster's II New Riverside Dictionary, Revised Edition, defines "profession" as: "An occupation requiring advanced study and specialized training." So the next time you hear the term "guard," think about the responsibilities, training and work ethic required by a correctional officer and ask yourself which title he or she truly deserves.

By John D. Rees

Commissioner

Kentucky Department of Corrections