The humanization of the criminal penalty, the international events connected with activization of the activity of the terrorist organizations, an intense situation in Ukraine have led to deterioration in the criminogenic structure in the institutions executing punishments. The number of faces with the increased aggression and excitability, with mental deviations has increased, danger of distribution of extremism in the territory of institutions of еру penal system has appeared. Such situation considerably complicates work of officers of the penal system, first of all the staff of operational divisions.The article deals with problems of theoretical and practical character in the sphere of legal regulation of social protection of operational personnel of the penal system; the author submits the analysis of standards of the federal law of au- gust 12, 1995 no. 144 federal law «About investigative activities", the federal law of april 20, 1995 no. 45-federal law "About the state protection of judges, officials of law enforcement and supervisory authorities»; the author considers problems of legal guarantees and social protection of operational workers during investigative operations; ways of improve-ment of a legal mechanism of realization of social guarantees are planned; the structure of social guarantees according to the federal law of december 30, 2012 is given no. 283-federal law «About social guarantees to the staff of some federal executive authorities and introduction of amendments to separate acts of the russian federation».