Why correctional officer

Law Enforcement Academy. College Credit Programs. Degree Prerequisites. Degree Programs. Articulation Agreement. College-Credit Certificates. Geneva Center Facilities. They need to interact and communicate with inmates to keep the order in correctional facilities and courtrooms. They also need to be able to control their emotions when confronted with hostile situations, and not show favouritism. Correctional officers may have to restrain inmates in handcuffs and leg irons to escort them safely to and from cells and other areas.

They also escort prisoners between the institution and courtrooms, medical facilities, and other destinations. If a crime is committed within their institution or an inmate escapes, they help the law enforcement authorities investigate or search for the escapee.

Correctional officers have no responsibilities for law enforcement outside of their place of work. Correctional officers have distinct personalities. They like tasks that are tactile, physical, athletic, or mechanical. Does this sound like you?

Take our free career test to find out if correctional officer is one of your top career matches. The vast majority of correctional officers work for the government. Some are employed by private companies that provide correctional services to prisons and jails. Working in a correctional institution can be stressful and dangerous.

They also help offenders prepare for life back in the community by evaluating their progress and providing support when needed, in collaboration with outside organizations and individuals.

Correctional Officers ensure the safety of persons serving sentences in prisons provincial facilities for offenders serving sentences of less than two years and penitentiaries federal facilities for offenders serving sentences of two years or more and make sure things run as they should in these facilities.

Correctional officers monitor offenders very closely. For example, they must be highly observant in order to detect dangerous or prohibited objects that have found their way inside the correctional facility.

In addition to working in penitentiaries federal facilities and prisons provincial facilities , corrections officers may also work in probation offices. Officers working in probation offices provide guidance and review the conditions of legal orders. This can include:. Even though a college or university degree in corrections or a law-related field is not currently a requirement, it would certainly help better prepare you for a career in this field.

If you want to work in a penitentiary or a prison, you must also pass tests to evaluate your judgement, observation skills, speaking and listening skills as well as physical abilities. To work in the federal system, you must successfully complete a Correctional Service Canada training course.

If you choose to work in a provincial facility, you will receive training geared to these facilities. For more information about career opportunities for correctional officers at the federal level, visit. Federal Bureau of Prisons. Office of Personnel Management. Correctional Officers and Jailers. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.

Last Modified Date: Friday, October 22, The What They Do tab describes the typical duties and responsibilities of workers in the occupation, including what tools and equipment they use and how closely they are supervised.

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The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. Additional training needed postemployment to attain competency in the skills needed in this occupation. Work experience that is commonly considered necessary by employers, or is a commonly accepted substitute for more formal types of training or education. The employment, or size, of this occupation in , which is the base year of the employment projections.

The projected percent change in employment from to The average growth rate for all occupations is 8 percent. Menu Search button Search:. Summary Please enable javascript to play this video. What Correctional Officers and Bailiffs Do About this section Correctional officers must follow procedures to maintain their personal safety as well as the safety of the inmates they oversee.

Work Environment About this section Because jail and prison security must be provided 24 hours a day, officers work in shifts that cover all hours of the day and night, including weekends and holidays. How to Become a Correctional Officer or Bailiff About this section Correctional officers typically attend training at an academy before being assigned to a facility.

Job Outlook About this section Correctional Officers and Bailiffs Percent change in employment, projected Total, all occupations. CareerOneStop CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. Similar Occupations About this section This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of correctional officers and bailiffs.