In 1984, President Ronald Reagan established the first full week of May as National Correctional Officers Week, recognizing correctional officers as “a vital component of the field of corrections.” He pointed to the complexity and danger of the job — and the professionalism, dedication and courage it demands. More than four decades later, that recognition still holds. The work has only grown more challenging, and in 2025, governors across the country continue to formally recognize the men and women who serve behind the walls.
This roundtable is a small part of that recognition — a chance to hear directly from those who understand the job and to say clearly: your work matters, and it does not go unseen.
A profession worthy of recognition
Correctional professionals work in one of the most demanding and misunderstood parts of the public safety system. While their jobs happen behind secure doors and out of the public’s eye, the impact of their work extends far beyond prisons, jails, detention facilities and community corrections settings.
As a correctional officer, I participated in Correctional Workers Week events. I remember the time and effort involved in fundraising, organizing, planning and executing these events to make them successful. At the time, they built camaraderie and boosted staff morale. Over time, I have learned that they mean much more. They signify appreciation, unity, honor, pride and respect for a profession built on sacrifice, service and dedication.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed Proclamation 5187 establishing the first week of May as National Correctional Officers Week. He recognized that correctional officers had long been referred to as guards, often working in isolation and misunderstood by the public. He emphasized that the professionalism, dedication and courage of correctional officers deserved recognition (Reagan, 1984). That point remains just as relevant today.
We are not just guards. We are correctional workers. This distinction matters because our work extends beyond restraint. Correctional workers manage behavior, de-escalate situations, respond to emergencies, enforce policies, protect lives and make decisions that affect the safety of staff, the public and incarcerated individuals.
This week is also a time to honor those who gave their lives in the line of duty. Their sacrifice reminds us that corrections is inherently dangerous work and that public safety often depends on the courage of those working behind the walls, out of public view.
To all correctional officers and employees — your work is meaningful. Your service matters. During this week and every week, you deserve respect, appreciation and recognition. Thank you for your contributions to this profession.
Frontline work behind the walls
By Gary York
Correctional officers face both physical and emotional dangers every day. They manage inmate populations with limited tools — often just handcuffs, radios and pepper spray — while being significantly outnumbered. Many report to work knowing they will face unpredictable violence and ongoing staffing shortages.
With challenges ranging from medical crises and suicides to overdoses and mental health emergencies, correctional officers are quick to respond and save lives. As the first responders inside jails and prisons, they wear many hats. One moment they may be evacuating a facility during a natural disaster, the next they may be saving an inmate from self-harm or intervening in violence.
On any given day, an officer may perform CPR on a fellow officer, staff member or inmate and provide first aid. Identifying crises quickly and responding while maintaining custody responsibilities is central to the role.
Correctional officers play an instrumental role in the broader law enforcement system. They are part of America’s frontline. Thank a correctional officer today.
Service without recognition
This week, we pause to honor the men and women who do some of the hardest, most misunderstood work in America. Correctional Workers Week is not just a date on a calendar. It is a chance to say plainly: we see you, we respect you and we are grateful.
I spent nearly three decades inside those walls and behind those fences. I know the weight carried on every shift. I know the decisions made in seconds that most people will never understand. I know the discipline it takes to return shift after shift, doing the job even when no one is watching.
You are not just maintaining order. You are holding the line that keeps communities safe. Every day, you choose service over comfort, duty over convenience and professionalism over provocation. That is not small. That is a calling.
To your families, thank you. You share the burden. You carry the worry and support your officer so they can do this work. You are part of this mission as well.
To every correctional professional reading this — your work matters. You help keep families and communities safe. You do it without headlines and too often without recognition.
The backbone of corrections
As a member of prison management, I see every day that correctional officers are the backbone of our system. We ask them to step into environments most people never see, where one decision can mean order or chaos, safety or disaster. They take policies, schedules and plans and turn them into reality on the tiers, in housing units and on the yard.
This profession is not about posts and headcounts. It is about people. Officers read the housing unit the moment they walk in — noticing tone, behavior and subtle warning signs. They step in, calm situations, set boundaries and still find moments to mentor, listen and treat people with respect.
Those quiet wins rarely make reports, but they are the reason shifts end safely. Leadership in this field requires more than rank. It takes the willingness to stand behind officers, make tough decisions and ensure safety and dignity for both staff and incarcerated individuals.
During Correctional Officers Week, we should do more than say thank you. We should recognize the weight officers carry and the public safety they provide every day.
The true value of the job
By Leo Perez
My dad was a home builder. I remember him saying, “When you build a home, you don’t get the guy who pours cement to build your roof, because then your roof will be worthless.” As I got older, I understood what he meant. Corrections, as a profession, needs us more than we sometimes realize.
There are thousands of people in correctional facilities and many more on community supervision. Those who have lost their way need direction, counseling and a shift in how they think. Every time you put on that uniform or badge, remember your role is helping some people become a better version of themselves.
No one likes to fail, but it is often the best teacher. Every setback carries a lesson. Do not take the failures of the job to heart. This profession can only help those who want help. Think of failure as a stepping stone, not a roadblock. We can only help those willing to be helped.
It takes a high degree of commitment to work in corrections. Your journey is unique. Every step you take to become a better officer helps those you supervise rebuild stronger and wiser. That is the true value of the job. I will leave you with this thought: “There is no greater reward in life than helping those who have lost their way.”
From the Corrections1 team: Correctional work rarely makes headlines, but its impact is felt in every community. The voices shared here reflect just a fraction of the experience, responsibility and commitment carried by those in this profession. To every correctional officer and staff member — thank you for the work you do, the risks you take and the professionalism you bring to a job most will never fully see or understand.