A telephone survey of residents of Carbondale, IL - a small community (26,000 population) that is the economic and educational center of the southern Illinois region - found that most respondents viewed prison jobs as neither particularly good or bad, but of average quality. This perception did not vary significantly by gender, race, age, or income; however, those with higher levels of education held less favorable views of prison work than other respondents. Importantly, the age, race, and gender of a respondent were unrelated to the willingness of a respondent to become a correctional officer. This suggests that a diverse potential pool of residents may be attracted to correctional work. The most attractive aspect of prison work for most respondents was its economic benefits, i.e., pay, health insurance, a pension, and job security. In addition, respondents tended to view prison work as meaningful and socially beneficial. Respondents also expressed concern about the safety risks and negative work environment of a prison. The study determined that those who were willing to take a job as a correctional officer and those who held favorable views about the quality of prison jobs were more willing to support the building of a new prison in their community. This held true even after controlling for a number of socio-demographic and work-related variables. The analysis was not successful, however, in identifying the factors that influence the willingness to become a correctional officer. Most respondents favored attracting educational, medical, and manufacturing industries to the region rather than building a prison. 2 tables, 1 figure, and 14 references