http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/04/florida.jail.attack/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn
Inmates come to guard’s aid in jail attack (VIDEO surveilance tape)

Actually I’m not too surprised.  The officer was well liked by the inmates most likely because he didn’t treat these men like animals (many officers do and seem to enjoy the power they hold).  While working as a correctional officer I was advised by a few inmates that ‘Officer Hulit, if anything ever happens here, a fight or a riot, please get down and we’ll protect you’.  I worked at an institution for the criminally insane, those incarcerated for multiple murders.  And yes, I believed what they told me and I still do.

‘Funny’ how all the other guards showed up after the guy was already down.

Depending on the environment, cell blocks typically have only one correctional officer (guard) at least they did where I worked.  In common reacreation areas there are more.  And officers (guards) are locked in the cell block along with the inmates.  There is no way for an officer to receive help unless the hall officer is notified to unlock the cell block.  The inmate who radioed knew this and that’s why he called the alarm.  It can take a few minutes for a squad of officers to actually reach the cell block officer.

Wouldn’t it be safer if the co’s operated in pairs?

You’d think so wouldn’t you, but that’s not how it’s done.  The hall officer walks up and down the entire shift looking through to each cell block along that particular hall to check on the officers locked inside.  There is usually a small dolly port where the officer can lock him/herself into if there’s trouble and he/she can get there in time.  It’s usually a small entry area between the hall locked door and the cell block, or in the case where this officer was attacked a bit larger. 

Normally the dolly port remains open during a shift so the cell block officer can make rounds and control cell doors opening and closing in the block itself. 

I was commonly in cell blocks with 30 male inmates.

I suppose they figure that it’s better to lose guards only one at a time, rather than two at a time?