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| Correction Officers |
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| Employment Increase: |
69% |
| People In Field: |
479,000 |
| Average Salary: |
$24,150 |
| Qualifications: |
High School, Training |
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Nature of the Work:
Correction officers are entrusted with the security
and safety of persons who have been arrested, are awaiting trial
or other hearing, or who have been convicted of a crime
and sentenced to serve time in a correctional institution.
Many correction officers guard prisoners in small municipal jails
or precinct station houses where their responsibilities are
wide ranging, while others control inmates in large state and
federal prisons where job duties are more specialized. A
relatively small number guard aliens being held by the Immigration
and Naturalization Service. Regardless of the setting,
correction officers maintain order within the institution, enforce
rules and regulations, and often supplement the counseling
that inmates receive from psychologists, social workers, and
other mental health professionals.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement:
Most institutions require that correction officers meet
an 18 or 21 year age minimum, have a high school education
or its equivalent, and be a United States citizen. In
addition, correctional institutions increasingly seek correction
officers with postsecondary education in psychology,
criminology, and related fields — reflecting a continuing emphasis on
personal counseling and rehabilitation of inmates.
Job Outlook:
Job opportunities for correction officers are expected to
be plentiful through the year 2005. The need to replace
correction officers who transfer to other occupations or leave
the labor force, coupled with rising employment demand,
will generate several tens of thousands of job openings each
year. By 2005, there will be approximately 479,000 correction
officers. Correctional institutions have traditionally
experienced some difficulty in attracting qualified applicants, and
this situation is expected to continue, ensuring highly
favorable job prospects.
Sources of Additional Information:
Information about entrance requirements, training,
and career opportunities for correction officers may be
obtained from the Federal Office of Personnel Management,
Federal Bureau of Prisons, state civil service commissions, state
departments of correction, or nearby correctional
institutions and facilities.
Information on corrections careers, as well as
information about schools that offer criminal justice education,
financial assistance, and where to find jobs, is available from:
CEGA Services, Inc.
PO Box 81826
Lincoln, NE 68501-1826
Additional information on careers in corrections is
available from:
The American Correctional Association
8025 Laurel Lakes Ct.
Laurel, MD 20707
The American Probation and Parole Association
PO Box 201
Lexington, KY 40584
The International Association of Correctional Officers
Box 53
1333 South Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
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