By fulfilling their tasks, employees of isolation institutions contribute to the subjective sense of security of citizens. At the same time, the staff of these institutions and their dependents become a security entity which, due to the dynamically changing sense of danger on the part of prisoners, requires active prevention of factors threatening the correct execution of the penalty of imprisonment (aggression against officers, violence against inmates, self-aggression, suicidal behaviors, etc.). In fact, by undertaking a number of preventive measures, staff undoubtedly manages security in penitentiary facilities. It is also important to use appropriate protective infrastructure depending on the type and type of prison. It is worth paying attention to the situation of Polish prisons. Political changes in Poland after 1989 also caused transformations in the prison system. A characteristic feature of these changes is the normalization of relations between prison staff and prisoners. Amendments to criminal legislation, including penitentiary, have adapted the legal situation in prisons to international standards. In theory and practice, attention is paid to a more subjective treatment of persons deprived of their liberty and greater protection of their rights and freedoms.