How to Get A Job As A Prison Guard In Texas, Correctional Officer
The job of a correctional officer or prison guard can be challenging but offers job security and many good benefits in return. Here is more about how to get a job as a prison guard, with emphasis on jobs in Texas.
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Instructions
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Consider what you might be in for in a prison guard job. The job of a correctional officer or prison guard can be challenging even on the best of days. Depending on the type of institution where the officer is employed and the makeup of the population at that facility, the level of personal danger to be dealt with can vary accordingly. Today's prison guards or correctional officers undergo a rigorous course of instruction in self defense, conflict resolution and methods of interacting and reducing not only risks to themselves but to the inmate population in general.
Prison guard jobs do offer very good benefits and despite downturns in the economy, the need for correctional officer jobs remains steady. Prison guards receive good pension plans, dental plans, free meals when on duty, free uniforms, sick leave and paid holidays, and more job security than found in many other professions. Persons wishing to become a corrections officer in a state such as Texas must have a high school education or GED and be a legal resident of the United States. They must have no felony convictions, domestic abuse convictions or DUI's. They must also not have any current charges for any of those same offenses, nor any class A or B misdemeanors such as drug possession within the past five years. -
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Be drug free, fit and ready to study for the exam. Candidates for Texas Department Of Criminal Justice prison guard jobs must pass a written exam, a drug screening test and be able to pass a physical exam as well. Applicants for prison guard jobs in Texas and most other states must be in good enough physical shape to perform the essential functions of the job of corrections officer that may include working at heights, climbing numerous stairs and carrying at least fifty pounds of weight.
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Inventory your job skills and determine if you may have experience that will help get you hired. Active military are not eligible for jobs as prison guards, unless they are on terminal leave with an honorable discharge, however you may take the pre employment job screening test if you are within six moths of being discharged from the military. Applicants with criminal justice backgrounds or military police history are highly sought after.
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Consider the pros and cons of a prison guard job. Correctional officer or prison guard jobs are obviously not for everyone, but candidates come from all walks of life. If you have a clean background, can handle stressful situations and are up to the many other challenges of the job, there are usually job openings at the Texas Department Of Criminal Justice for prison guards. You can visit their website, listed in the resources section and even take a sample employment test. You will also find a list of job benefits on the TDCJ website.
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