Job related advice?
-Rule #1: Everyone goes home at the end of their shift.
-Always know who's behind you.
-Always be fair.
-Remember, you're locked in there too.
-Remember who's an inmate, and who's a CO. Sometimes these lines will seem to blur.
-Learn how to write a legible, thorough, and mistake-free report.
-If the inmates think you're a rollover, you'll be a rollover forever.
-Learn who the snitches are and use them to your advantage.
-You will see more dicks and puckered starfish than you ever thought possible.
-Don't trust anyone, but know who's trustworthy. The longer you do the job, the more this will make sense.
-Don't burn bridges. 99% of your fellow COs will have your back if something turns to crap even if they don't like you, but you don't want to run the risk of that 1%er being the first one in the door.
-Being the sick call officer is one of the best jobs in the institution. You get to hang out with nurses all night. And prison nurses are cool as crap. I'm still friends with several of them fifteen years later.
-Learn all the jobs that require extra training (Tower, work release, commitment, etc)
-Try not to let the job change you. You'll probably fail at this unless you quit early, but do your best.