Correctional Officer Job Description

Most correctional officers are employed by state and local governments.

Correctional officers are responsible for monitoring and securing inmates inside prisons and juvenile detention centers. Most correctional officers are employed by state and local governments. Individuals who wish to pursue this career path can also find employment with private detention centers. Correctional officers are also referred to as detention officers.

Education and Training

A high school education is required for all positions. Additional educational requirements are in place for some governmental agencies. For example, job seekers wishing to win a job with the Federal Bureau of Prisons will need a bachelor's degree. Some agencies allow job candidates to substitute years of formal education with military training and law enforcement experience.

Before assuming the position of correctional officer, candidates must complete an intensive training program. A correctional officer in training must pass several tests gauging her physical fitness, marksmanship and understanding of important rules and regulations before moving on to a permanent position.

Work Environment

Correctional officers may be assigned to patrol the grounds or guard external gates exposing them to extreme weather conditions. New facilities provide a comfortable work environment for officers stationed indoors. Temperature control systems cool buildings down in the summer and pump warm air through the corridors in the winter. Adequate lighting is provided as well. The same cannot be said for some older facilities. These buildings may be run down, noisy, drafty or excruciatingly hot.

Work Schedules

Eight-hour shifts and forty-hour work weeks are common. Since prisons and detention facilities must be staffed around the clock weekend and holiday shifts are mandatory. Seniority or a rotating system is used to determine who staffs the less desirable evening and graveyard shifts.

Occupational Hazards

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), correctional officers experience one of the highest rates of nonfatal on-the-job injuries. The threat of being assaulted by an inmate is a legitimate concern. Confrontations between correctional officers and inmates result in physical injury.

Job Outlook

According to the BLS, there were 454,500 correctional officer positions in 2008. A job growth rate of 9 percent was expected from 2008 to 2018. BLS officials estimate that 42,900 correctional officer and jailer positions will be created during this time.

Earnings

In 2009, the average salary for federal corrections officers was $53,459, according to the BLS. The median annual wages for all correctional officers was $38,380 in 2008. Officers employed by privately operated prisons made less. Their median annual wage was $28,790.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Correctional Officers