Jobs Abroad

The information in this article is from an interview with a former armed security officer who was deployed from South Florida to Maricopa County in Arizona for a prisoner transport job. This is one of the many jobs that security officer's now get an opportunity to work in the private prison industry.

As more prisons become privatized, security officers who would normally not qualify for public prisons are now getting opportunities to work in private prisons where they can get the experience necessary to advance in their careers. I had a short interview with this fellow colleague and I hope the responses can help.

How is this job discovered?

With a major security provider, opportunities for these types of jobs are contracted between the security agency and the private prison. For security guards who are interested, they must apply for deployment and be accepted. The job is posted within the company platform and is not available to the public.

The security officer has to be in good standing with the company. He must pass a physical exam and be eligible to carry a firearm. There can be no reprimands or removal from posts on his file. He also has to be open to working overtime and as a floater for at least one year to qualify.

A floater is someone who works at various sites and is not confined to any one security post. This is someone with a flexible schedule and their own transportation.

Who is responsible for the travel?

The company pays for everything. Passport and plane tickets. If you drive to the site then they provide a company car and gas card. You meet at their main office when ready and you have your starting mileage recorded there and then you're off. Most of the time you fly or they send you in one of their vehicles with the GPS technology to track mileage better. The company does not want you wandering about in your personal vehicle for security reasons.

What about living and food expenses?

Your living quarters is covered for. Most of the time you're put in a hotel but sometimes you will live on the client site. Some places have cottages or towns where only employees live. Usually you have a roommate. Forget about privacy. Someone will always be watching you. For food, per diem. You are given a certain amount which covers 3 meals a day and you can use your own money to buy extra.

What was the job like?

As a driver, your job is to transport prisoners. You carry an issued firearm. You don't interact with the prisoners. You are given training on what to do during an attempted prison escape, ambush, or prisoners fighting. You fuel up the bus or transport van and then pick up the inmates and transport them from one facility to the next. It was a quiet job. You don't talk to inmates. There is a prison guard that takes care of making announcements for when they get on or off.

The hours are long. You work on and off 12-hour shifts. Even when you have off, you are on call 24 hours a day. If you are not transporting prisoners, you are searching the vehicle for weapons, cleaning piss from seats, deodorizing, or refueling it. You check for basic maintenance to make sure it is in working order. Oil change, tire change, warning lights, etc. Paperwork is done to log every transport, refueling, maintenance, how many persons transported, names of transportees, inspections of vehicles, and more. You do this every trip.

How much autonomy can you expect?

Little to none. When you are off and in your living quarters you will see inspections or tests. Even on days you have off, you have to check in. You are on call always and you report how you feel for the day and they prioritize who will be selected first. You see a chart with your names in order of who gets called first.

Another thing is the tests and inspections. When you go off duty, you should clean your weapon and turn it in to the supervisor. Some guards have failed to do that and kept it locked in their hotel room. Sometimes the supervisor will come to the room when the guard is showering and take the gun. The guard comes back and can't find it. Well now you have a problem. This mistake is going to cost you because you're most likely being sent back home on the next plane flight and taken off the deployment list and/or fired entirely.

How many hours do you work?

12-hour shifts at least and for about six days a week. You will easily see 70+ hours per week. Some people work 16-hour shifts. Most people have one day off. If you work this Saturday, then maybe next Saturday or Sunday you will be given off. Everyone has a chance to get at least one Saturday or Sunday off every month.

Who would be best for this type of job?

Anyone that wants to save a lot of money. You won't be spending much because most of your time will be at work. You don't party or anything like that. You work until the contract expires for you or for the agency. Some guards come for three months and leave. Some come for a month and can't handle it and leave.

If you have a family then this job is not for you. You won't see them for a long time. If you like to party, then don't apply. If you drink a lot, don't waste your time. This is a job best for introverts and people who doesn't talk much.