Correctional officers oversee and manage individuals who are being detained. That detention might be for short periods of time, such as before a court hearing, or for the long-term, as would be the case with an inmate serving a prison sentence.
Entering a profession as unique as corrections necessitates extensive training and education. However, a formal degree is not required; instead, focused training, both on-the-job and at special academies, will teach correctional officers everything they need to know about handling detainees. This guide will give an overview of correctional officer careers and what it takes to become one, both from an education and training perspective.
What Does a Correctional Officer Do?
[dig-deepersubtitle="Correctional Officer Careers Basics"description="Correctional officers have the primary role of maintaining order within a detention facility, such as alocal jail or federal prison. The detainees a correctional officer will oversee can be incarcerated for any number ofreasons, which run the gamut from awaiting a court hearing for a minor offense to serving on death row. This means thatthe day-to-day duties of a correctional officer can vary widely. Some will work in transport, taking prisoners to andfrom court. Some will rarely have contact with prisoners, and will instead work in the administrative areas. Others willwork "on the floor" at all times, supervising inmate activities, searching through cells for contraband, overseeingoccasional visits with family, escorting inmates to the infirmary and other necessary duties."panel_subtitle="Correctional Officer Careers In-Depth"]
Like many other jobs, not all correctional officers have the same primary tasks. Some have special training to deal with violent inmates or large-scale disturbances. These officers are highly-trained and might attend training sessions once a month or more in order to keep their skills sharp. Other correctional officers spend less time maintaining order within a prison and more time helping rehabilitate or counsel inmates. These officers might have a degree in counseling or psychology, or be trained as a rehabilitation expert. There are also correctional officers that have supervisory duties and monitor the officers that are monitoring the inmates. Administrative duties might include working closely with local, state and federal officials – depending upon the security level of the prison – to ensure that everything is working smoothly and efficiently on all levels.
[/dig-deeper]Correctional Officer Salaries & Job Growth
The amount of compensation that correctional officers can expect to receive varies greatly. Some higher-paid correctional officers are also located in some of the more expensive areas of the country. To find out more about what correctional officers can expect to make in each state, check out the following map.
