A prison officer is in total charge of a prison and everything that goes in the prison is in his/her responsibility. A prison officer must be comfortable dealing people from variety of backgrounds. Should be able to coordinate other staff and be able to understand the requirements of the prisoners. They must also be able to foresee troubles and avoid the chances of violence, jail breaks, etc. A sense of fairness, patience, good understanding skills, commitment to helping people, ability to stay calm under stressful conditions, assertive personality, ability to deal with violent prisoners, etc are all essential skills a prison officer must possess.