After a corrections officer working in a Ross county prison was killed by an inmate on Christmas, 21 news looked into how correction officers in Mahoning county prepare for the job.

Correctional officers in jails and prisons keep inmates secure and uphold order, but the job is not without risk.

“The role of a correctional officer inside of jails in prisons are so often overlooked,” said William Cappabianca, Mahoning County chief deputy. “Assaults on staff happen in every correctional facility. It's an inherently dangerous job.”

The Mahoning County Jail has safety precautions in place to protect their officers. Anyone working in the jail is required to go through training every year.

“It starts from the day the sheriff chooses to hire them. We have a five week training program. The first week is classroom type setting and the remainder of it is with a field training officer inside of corrections,” said Cappabianca. “It starts 100% they watch the field training officer and each week, more responsibility is given down to where almost the last week the FTO is watching the performance of the correctional officer.”

Mahoning county jail is a direct supervision facility. This means the correctional officer is inside the housing unit with all of the inmates. 

Cappabianca feels this helps keep the correctional officers alert.

"It’s almost like you could smell something in the air before it happens. All of your senses are working. And it’s very beneficial for the correctional officer in a direct supervision housing unit as each day goes by, there experience grows, and they stay ahead of things," said Cappabianca.

To make sure their experience continues growing, the officers are required to go through annual training.

“Every year, anyone working inside of the jail has to go through an eight hour course on annual training. We try to stay up to date on what that training is. As well as role calls. Information, important information is passed on in role calls from supervision to the staff before they head up into the housing units,” said Cappabianca.

It's important to note, because of overcrowding in prisons, jails are used for sentencing inmates with misdemeanors and some felony charges. 

Cappabianca said correctional officers at any type of correctional facility need to be alert at all times.