* * * This is NOT a job offer * * * The purpose of this occupational guide is to provide you with useful information to help you make career decisions. If you are searching for a job, please go to CalJobs (for jobs in California)     OR      JOBcentral (for jobs nationwide)

More Occupational Guides

Correctional Officers

THE JOB

CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS help maintain the security, custody, discipline and
welfare of adults convicted of felonies and serving a term in one of the 32
State or seven federal correctional facilities.  The primary duty of
Correctional Officers is to maintain custody and supervise the conduct of
inmates in prisons, penitentiaries, conservation camps and community
correctional work centers.  Officers supervise inmates during work, meals,
bathing, recreation and in all other activities, and escort them during
transfers inside and outside of the institution.  For example, they
transport prisoners from one facility to another and accompany them to court
appearances.  Correctional Officers ensure that inmates know, understand and
obey the rules and regulations of the institution; they write reports on
any violations and take appropriate action.  Officers must periodically
count and search inmates and inspect their living quarters.  Officers secure
towers, gates and fences, and if escapes occur, help search for and
recapture escapees.  Officers also admit, instruct and escort authorized
visitors and supervise visits to inmates.

Helping to prepare offenders for return to society is an important part of
the Correctional Officer's job.  Officers strive to build good relationships
with inmates as an aid in promoting socially acceptable attitudes and
behavior. They may sponsor inmate newspapers and self-help groups.


WORKING CONDITIONS

Correctional Officers work in various sized penal institutions, ranging from
tightly controlled, maximum-security prisons to light-security complexes
resembling college campuses.  Some work in small, minimum-security
conservation camps located in forest and brush lands throughout the State.
A few are assigned to "halfway houses" or to community correctional centers,
which are located in several major cities.

There is some potential for personal harm, although the nature and extent of
danger vary with each assignment.  In general, the hazard is minimized by
following  recognized procedures for preventing and controlling violence.

Correctional Officers may join the California Correctional Peace Officers
Association, the organization that represents Correctional Officers in the
State.


EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK

The following information is from the California Projections of Employment
published by the Labor Market Information Division.  The figures represent
the broad occupational group Correction Officers and Jailers which includes
Correctional Officers.

Estimated number of workers in 1993             26,090
Estimated number of workers in 2005             42,590
Projected Growth 1993-2005                         63%
Estimated openings due to separations by 2005    6,620

(These figures do not include self-employment or openings due to turnover.)

Employment of Correctional Officers is projected to increase much faster
than the average for all occupations through 2005.  Several new State
prisons are being planned over the next few years to accommodate an
anticipated increase in the number of convicted felons.  Legislation such as
the "Three Strikes" law is thought to have increased the inmate population,
necessitating an increase in the number of officers.  With the population as
a whole increasing, the steady demand for new officers is likely to continue
well into the next century.

In addition to these new jobs, hiring will also be needed to fill vacancies
resulting from turnover and workers leaving the labor market.  Since
Correctional Officer is an entry-level position, turnover is often high,
with promising job opportunities in facilities having frequent vacancies.

Over 95 percent of Correctional Officers are employed by the State of 
California, while the balance work in federal correctional facilities.


WAGES, HOURS, AND FRINGE BENEFITS

State Correctional Officers start at $2,001 a month during their six-week
training period.  After successful completion of training they receive $2,355
a month with in-grade raises up to $3,835.  The usual work week is forty
hours, but officers may be assigned to any one of three eight-hour shifts.
Overtime, which may be required during emergencies, is compensated at time
and a half.

Federal employees start their careers at the GS-5 level, which offers a pay
range of $1,627 to $2,115 a month.  The top step usually achieved is the
Senior Officer Specialist, GS-8, which ranges from $2,231 to $2,901 per month. 
Shift work and working on Sundays and holidays is common.


ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING

Correctional Officers must be physically fit and emotionally mature.  They
must be able to analyze situations accurately and to react quickly when
necessary.  Human relations skills are also important because officers are
expected to supervise inmates with firmness, impartiality and tact.

Eligibility for employment as a State Correctional Officer is determined by
a three-phase examination which consists of a video and written test, a
medical evaluation including a physical abilities test and a thorough
background investigation.

Applicants need a high school diploma or GED equivalent, or 12 units of
college.  Applications cannot be accepted from persons with felony
convictions or certain drug usage.  Correctional Officers must be at least 21
years old at time of appointment and have a valid California driver's license.

New hires attend a Department of Corrections Training Academy in Galt, near
Sacramento, for six weeks.  During their first nine months of employment
(probationary period), Correctional Officers rotate among various assignments
and different shifts.

Throughout their first year, officers receive on-the-job training in all the
basic custodial skills including cell search, body search, transportation of
prisoners, supervision of inmates and human relations.  To supplement on-the-
job training, officers take formal courses in subjects where their skills
need strengthening.  Experienced employees receive additional training as
part of an ongoing program to improve job performance.

Eligibility for employment in the federal prison system requires three years'
public contact experience or a bachelor's degree plus six months' experience,
high school graduation or GED, and maximum age of 35. Applicants must also
pass an oral and physical exam.  A written test is not required.  Three
weeks of specialized training is given at the residential training center
located at Glynco, Georgia.


ADVANCEMENT

Opportunities are sometimes available for promotion to correctional
sergeant, lieutenant and captain.  Two years of experience at the previous
level is required to take the promotional examination for each of these
positions.


FINDING THE JOB

For employment with the State of California, applications for examinations 
are accepted continuously in person or by mail at the regional testing 
centers (see below).

The written examination is given in various places in California as the
number of candidates and conditions warrant.  An applicant may take the
written exam only once a year, but may take the physical abilities test more
often.  Persons who pass the complete examination will be placed on an
eligible list according to rank. Appointments are made from this list, which
remains in effect for two years. 

Persons interested in a career in the federal corrections system should
contact the Federal Prison System Examining Section at the address below.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Federal Prison System, Examining Section
320 First Street, NW, Room 460
Washington, DC 20534
(202) 514-2000

California Department of Corrections
http://www.cdc.state.ca.us/inside/recruit/recruit.htm

  Northern Selection Center
  2201 Broadway
  Sacramento, CA 95818-2572
  (916) 227-2110

  Southern Selection Center
  9055 Haven Avenue, Suite 104
  Rancho Cucomonga, CA 91730-5428
  (909) 944-6697

  Central Selection Center
  4440 North First Street, Suite 101
  Fresno, CA 93726
  (209) 445-6141

RELATED OCCUPATIONAL GUIDES

Security Guards                      No.  75
Probation Officer and Parole Agents  No. 192
Law Enforcement Occupations          No. 457

OCCUPATIONAL CODE REFERENCES

DOT (Dictionary of Occupational Titles, 4th Ed., 1991)
Jailer                           372.367-014
Correction Officer               372.667-018

OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) System
Correction Officers, Jailers          630170


Source: State of California, Employment Development Department,
        Labor Market Information Division, Information Services Group,
        (916) 262-2162.