Getting Started as Correctional Officers

The basic requirements for being a correctional officer at most institutions are to be at least 18 or 21 years of age, have a high school education or its equivalent, have no felony convictions, and be a United States citizen. More and more correctional institutions are looking for officers with education beyond high school, particularly in psychology, criminal justice, criminology, and related fields.

Correctional officers need to be in good health. The federal systems as well as many states require candidates to meet formal standards of physical fitness, eye-sight, and hearing. Other common requirements include a driver's license, work experience, drug testing, written and oral examinations, and a background check.


All correctional officers receive formal on-the-job training for several weeks or months under an experienced officer after formal training. Some attend special academies.

The two keys to advancement are education and experience. Qualified officers can climb the ladder to correctional sergeant or other supervisory or administrative positions. It's even possible to be promoted up to assistant warden. Some officers decide to transfer to related areas, such as law enforcement, probation, and parole.

Arnold is a unit team manager, responsible for three housing units, in a state prison for male offenders located in rural Indiana.

What first attracted you to a career in corrections?

A friend told me that I would do well working with juveniles, so I applied for and secured a job with the Department of Corrections at the Indiana Boys School.

Did you need any special training or schooling?

Most of my training has been on the job. However, I am a graduate of the Indiana Law Enforcement and State Police Academy.

Trace your career path in corrections.

I started at the Indiana Boys School in maximum security as a correctional officer and spent eight years there. During that time, I was promoted to sergeant in charge of a dormitory and then to lieutenant. I transferred to a state prison for male offenders as a lieutenant, was promoted to captain and then lead captain. Today, I am a unit team manager.

Describe your current job responsibilities.

I am responsible for three housing units and report directly to the assistant superintendent of operations. My responsibilities include handling staffing and budget, taking care of the offenders' needs, and supervising security for these units. I hold committee meetings, hear grievances, and write policies and procedures. I supervise two casework managers, six counselors, three team lieutenants, nine sergeants, and twenty-seven officers. I work a rotating shift so I can spend time with the different shifts. I am also a weekend duty officer or acting assistant warden, as needed.

What are some of the challenges and downsides of your job?

You need to be able to do more than one thing well and more than one thing at a time. There is also the challenge of dealing with or understanding the various backgrounds and personalities of the people incarcerated in the facility.

The major downside of my job is the stress. You can burn out if you are not careful. Constant complaining, three and four disciplinary and grievance committee hearings a week, along with inmate and staff problems add up to considerable stress.

What advice would you give young people starting out in corrections?

They should realize that at any given time you can go from a calm routine day to a very intense situation.

One weekend, I was duty officer on call when I received a call from the shift captain informing me there was a hostage situation at the facility. The incident had occurred in one of my housing units, and the staff members held as hostage were part of my team.

After the incident had been resolved, it was very difficult to deal with the mood of the officers, staff, and offenders. Several staff members quit after the incident, including one of my unit team members who had been beaten and cut by the hostage takers. Several offenders had to be transferred out of the institution, and both staff and offenders alike required psychological counseling. It was not business as usual after this incident, and it took several weeks before calm returned to the institution. I remember thinking that had it not been for experienced staff, both administrative and operational, this incident could have had a much worse outcome.

David trains almost every new member of the staff at the state prison where he works besides handling his regular responsibilities.

What special skills do you need to be a good correctional officer?

You definitely need common sense and an ability to talk to people.

Tell me about your first day at work.

I was scared to death.

Describe your current job responsibilities.

I supervise offenders in their work and train new staff in the areas of firearms, personal protection, and restraints (handcuffs and leg shackles). I also transport offenders on trips to the hospital and other prisons.

What are some of the downsides of your job?

You never know if you will be hurt trying to break up fights or if you will be taken hostage during a riot or disturbance. Also, I have to get up quite early as I must be on the job by 7:00 A.M.

Do you feel that you are well suited for your job?

Yes, however, anyone can have a hard time dealing with certain situations without a lot of training. There is never a period when you are not learning.

Describe a typical day.

I enter the prison, empty all my pockets, walk through the metal detector, and then get patted down (searched). Next, I go to roll call, where I receive any special information for the day. From there, I walk back to the control room and get my keys and radio and go to my assigned job area.

I check in each offender who works in food industry, watch the offenders change clothes for their job, and pat search them. If an offender has a pass to go to medical, dental, or any other area, I call the department and check this out. At 10:30 A.M., I pat down all the offenders leaving for early lunch. At 11:00 A.M., there is a security check of the entire institution that requires me to count all the offenders in my area. After the count clears, we get a signal 1000 indicating everything is all right. I then watch the offenders who are finished with their work for the day strip and change clothes, and then pat them down before they leave. After my lunch, I resume watching the prisoners at work. At 3:00 P.M., it is count time again. After the signal 1000 is given, I wait for the next shift to have roll call before returning to control to turn in my radio and keys.