I was a TDC/TDCJ (Texas Dept. of Corrections) Correctional Officer while attending Sam Houston State University in Huntsville (state prison central for Texas.) The unit we proudly execute inmates in is 1/2 mile from campus. My unit, which was in the sticks north of Huntsville, was primarily younger gang bangers. Be prepared for dudes jerking it in front of you (most likely thinking about you while they are), naked dudes 24/7, some of the worst smells imaginable especially bad in the warm months. Grow eyes in the back of your head, too.
You'll, hopefully, learn the rest.
I am by no means intimidating. 6'1" 130 pounds. The way I earned respect was by being firm, fair, and consistent. All those guys were treated the same and fairly. That all these guys want mostly. Treat them with respect and you will get the same back. I saw too many guards being assholes which only made their job harder. The one that assaulted me was different. Inmates, in Texas, know that when they assault a guard they will get transferred to another unit. Just prior to the assault he had a hearing for his request a transfer to be closer to home, it was rejected. So...he decided beating up me, the guard for his block, was the way to get out of our unit and into another one albeit not the one closer to home. He was a pussy...he hit me from behind when I was letting the guys into the dayroom for TV time. Unfortunately for him the following week was one of the worst weeks of his life (an inmate just doesn't fuck with Texas COs. Word spreads fast throughout the system rapidly).