Correctional Officers and Jailers
Brig prisoner supervision, cell-block security, searches and prisoner movement directly overlap with civilian correctional custody duties.
How to prepare: Target an agency's recruit-to-academy hiring route and document your prisoner-supervision experience; entry typically requires a high school diploma, academy training and facility-based on-the-job training, with state certification required in some states. Qualifications vary by state and agency, including minimum ages usually between 18 and 21; Federal Bureau of Prisons entry requires a bachelor's degree or several years of counseling, assistance or supervision experience, and federal agencies may impose a maximum entry age.
What the civilian work involves
- Inspect conditions of locks, window bars, grills, doors, and gates at correctional facilities to ensure security and help prevent escapes.
- Monitor conduct of prisoners in housing unit, or during work or recreational activities, according to established policies, regulations, and procedures, to prevent escape or violence.
- Search prisoners and vehicles and conduct shakedowns of cells for valuables and contraband, such as weapons or drugs.