The prison officer analogy is because teachers keep saying they can't be seen as the same as other keyworkers as are at higher risk than any other public sector.
As all NHS/care staff apparently have PPE (false, frontline should by now but it's not available for all NHS or care workers who have face to face contact).
Many prisons don't have adequate (or any) PPE for staff and they certainly don't provide it to inmates.
And teachers are apparently not the same as other keyworkers such as supermarket workers exposed to hundreds of people touching stuff all day with no PPE.
That's different it seems because people come and go with social distancing but teachers are expected to be in buildings with dozens of children all day and cannot social distance.
Prison staff are expected to be on wings or moving between wings with hundreds of people all day. Sadly (to some) the inmates have to come out of their cells at points for showers or food. Where even with staggering, you can't bring out one at a time so groups have to mix. My local prison has a wing that doesn't even have in- cell sanitation so inmates have to be brought out if they need to use the toilet. Yes, you heard that right. If there aren't enough staff to answer the bell, inmates piss in bottles or shit in cups.
Children are from all the evidence, less likely to experience serious complications from COVID and potentially less likely to pass it on.
Adult prisons have high levels of at-risk groups likely to have serious complications.
Teachers can send CV positive kids home to isolate. They can shut down areas of schools to deep clean or shut down completely if there was an outbreak.
Prisons cannot. They also rarely have any really effective way to isolate CV positive prisoners full stop.
Teachers have children coughing on them or have to tie shoelaces etc.
Prison officers have people spitting on them, biting them, assaulting them, throwing piss or shit or having to go into cells to deal with serious self-harm and attempted suicides.
That happens routinely. It's ramped up even more during CV because there is even less opportunity for inmates to come out of cells, no socialisation periods like before and no visits from family/ external support workers.
Like I said, not a race to the bottom but it's annoying that some teachers are suggesting they're being put at higher risk than any other keyworkers when they are not.
And some public sector workers/keyworkers at higher risk are completely ignored.
So the crass analogy to bar staff for a laugh grated somewhat.