National Correctional Officer's Week

MARIETTA, OH — It's National Correctional Officer Week. First started by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, the first week in May honors jail guards. They honor all correctional officers who exemplify professionalism, integrity, and strength in the face of a difficult, and often dangerous, work environment.

Live in Marietta? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow Marietta Patch on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free Patch mobile app on Android or iPhone.

Captain Lori Greathouse of the Washington County Jail explained what this means for correctional officers. "It honors all the heroes, all those that lost their lives in corrections." She said that this is like police week, but for jailers. "Whether it's in prisons or county jails."

Like police officers, those who work in prisons and jails put themselves in danger every day. "We hold everybody in our jail for misdemeanors all the way up to murder suspects." She said these officers will routinely into dorms with 36 inmates by themselves. "It is dangerous because they only have one thing on their mind and that's you. They watch you, they watch everything that you do." If there's a fight, that officer has to handle it.

Many corrections officers have lost their lives just doing their jobs, "It's very dangerous." Greathouse said that she's done this for almost 35-years, and is grateful that they don't see as much violence in their local jail as they would if they were a prison. "In prison they make shanks, they have weapons, they have gang wars inside the facility." She said they do see these things in the Washington County Jail, just not as much. Local COs might have to deal with up to 124 people. "We get all walks of life, we hold federal prisoners, we hold people from different counties."

This is the week to thank anyone you know who works at a jail be it a friend, family member, someone in your church, etc. Greathouse said a thank you is much appreciated. "Thank yous are free, they can be passed out anytime you want to give them." There is no event for local jailers, watching those behind bars is a bit of a thankless job, but folks can still extend their gratitude. "We've had people who send in thank you letters and thank you cards to the sheriff's office. That's huge. That lets us know that there are people out there that do recognize and respect what we do." She says that the people she works with are just the best, and deserve all the praise in the world.

Anyone who wants to show some love to those who work at the jail can. You can send a card to the Washington County Sheriff's Department (they oversee the jail). You can also post a thank you to their wall or send them a Facebook message!