Correctional Officers and Jailers
Afloat confinement security, direct prisoner supervision, and responsibility for prisoner welfare transfer directly to civilian custody work.
How to prepare: Target a corrections agency's recruit intake and plan for academy and facility-based on-the-job training; entry typically requires a high school diploma, many agencies set minimum ages between 18 and 21, and some states require certification. Qualifications vary by state and agency: Federal Bureau of Prisons entry requires a bachelor's degree or several years of experience providing counseling, assistance, or supervision, and federal agencies may impose a maximum entry age.
What the civilian work involves
- Conduct head counts to ensure that each prisoner is present.
- 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.