ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses upon what prison guards perceive as the most salient negative factors in their work and work environment. Although its subject matter is essentially negative, the men whose experiences provide the raw material for discussion here are in reality “success stories.” They took jobs in prison under conditions of great uncertainty, and with little preparation they have managed to pursue their careers. Special attention is thus given to the mechanisms these guards employ to cope with demands of their work. It is here, in the processes of adapting to prison life, that the guard becomes part of and affects the everyday life of the prison community.
