THIS REPORT IS BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF GUARDS IN A MIDWESTERN STATE PRISON WHO, FOR THE MOST PART, TOOK PRISON EMPLOYMENT BECAUSE OF THE WAGES OR LOCATION OF EMPLOYMENT OR BECAUSE THEY NEEDED WORK. THE FIRST STEP IN ACCULTURATION FOR PRISON GUARDS ENTAILS BECOMING 'CON-WISE' OR DEVELOPING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE INMATE CULTURE AND DEVELOPING CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS OF INMATES, AS WELL AS METHODS OF INTERACTING WITH INMATES, THAT ARE COMMON TO GUARDS. GUARDS AND TREATMENT PERSONNEL WHO DO NOT BECOME 'CON-WISE' ARE DESIGNATED AS 'PROINMATE' AND A CONFLICT DEVELOPS BETWEEN THESE PERSONS AND THE TIGHT-KNIT BODY OF GUARDS. THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GUARDS AND TREATMENT PERSONNEL IS USUALLY BENEVOLENT ALTHOUGH THERE IS SKEPTICISM ON THE PART OF SOME GUARDS REGARDING THE NECESSITY OF SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GUARDS AND THE WARDEN IS OFTEN VOLATILE DUE TO THE LARGE AMOUNT OF ADMINISTRATIVE DISCRETION AFFORDED TO THE WARDEN, WHO IS CONSIDERED AN OUTSIDER BY THE GUARDS, SELDOM HAS MUCH PRISON WORK EXPERIENCE, AND IS OFTEN CONSIDERED AMBITIOUS OR ARROGANT. ALTHOUGH MOST GUARDS HAVE FAVORITES AMONG THEIR CHARGES, THERE IS AN INEVITABLE CONFLICT BETWEEN GUARDS AND INMATES. GUARDS GENERALLY FEEL ISOLATED FROM SOCIETY, FEEL THEIR OCCUPATION HAS LOW SOCIAL STATUS, AND CONSIDER THEMSELVES PROTECTORS OF A SOCIETY WHICH CONCEIVES THEM TO BE HARD AND CRUEL. NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.