Where I work the top pay is a good amount less than the local hospital. My state doesn't have a pension anymore. The benefits are good; in my state the benefits are public information. I've worked in corrections 2 years; I have seen a good amount of people start and quit because one reason or another. The stress is not so much like the hospital, its more like mental stress, or dealing with angry people and a lot of games inmates play. Growth prospects where I work seems to be only if you go into management. Inmates it seems dream of suing the state and making a million dollars, so you kind of always have that as a concern ( but I guess that could be the case in a hospital too).