A career as a corrections officer can provide you with a stable career and decent salary with benefits, but it also carries some risks. The BLS states that corrections officers can be injured during confrontations with inmates and they have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses out of all occupations.

Is being a correctional officer hard?

Is the CDCR academy hard? Working as a prison guard is tough, so the training has to be demanding. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Academy in Galt provides California correctional officer training. It is a 12-week course or 16 weeks if you want to work with juveniles in the system.

Do correctional officers make good money?

Average salary for corrections officers. ... The median annual wage for correctional officers and jailers was $47,410 in May 2020. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $32,830, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $81,940. Local correctional officers make an average of $47,290 yearly.

What are the disadvantages of being a correctional officer?

Risks and Drawbacks

Stress and burnout come as part of the job and can affect your mental health. Furthermore, jail guards have a greater risk of chronic injury, high cholesterol, hypertension and heart disease compared to other law enforcement occupations.

What is the average life expectancy of a correctional officer?

A recent study of the consequences of job stress in correctional officers revealed that the life expectancy of a correctional officer is 59 years, compared to 75 years for the national average.

What’s good about being a correctional officer.

23 related questions found

How many correctional officers were killed?

There were 113 correctional officer fatalities reported — the fatality rate was 2.7 per 100,000. On average 11 work-related fatalities were reported per year. Assaults and violent acts accounted for 80 percent of all fatalities.

Are correctional officers respected?

It's almost incredulous that correctional officers are the least honored, least respected and least understood of all public service employees in the United States. According to the U.S Bureau of Prisons, there are roughly 410,950 COs working in federal, state and local facilities.

What is the hardest part of being a correctional officer?

Officers are also responsible for escorting inmates to and from cells, recreation, visiting, and dining areas. ... “The hardest part to this job,” says corrections officer Sherry Lane, “is being able to separate yourself from some of the inhumanities that you see inside of the prison.

Is being a corrections officer boring?

Just like any job, being a correctional officer is good some days and terrible other days. A good day in a prison setting is a boring one. If there's no excitement, then things went smoothly. So most of the time being a correctional officer can be boring.

How much does a correctional officer make?

The average salary for a correctional officer in the United States is around $41,701 per year.

What are the pros and cons of being a correctional officer?

The Pros & Cons of Being a Correctional Officer

• Pro: Pay and Benefits. The average annual salary of a state correctional officer is $38,380 and $53,459 for Federal positions. ...
• Pro: Job Security. ...
• Con: Long Training. ...
• Con: Danger. ...
• Con: Poor Working Conditons. ...
• Con: Working Holidays and Odd Shifts.

What is the biggest problem in corrections today?

Some major contemporary issues resulting from these social, economic and environmental changes facing correctional administrators include the changing trend in prison population, overcrowding in correctional facilities, improvement of prison conditions, increase of drug-related offenders, shortage of effective ...

How do corrections deal with stress?

Look for the upside or the positive in every situation, share your feelings with trusted others, and learn to let go of anger and resentments. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you will be better equipped to handle stress. Try to do something you enjoy every day.

What is the divorce rate for correctional officers?

Supervisors of correctional officers – Similar to dispatchers, first-line supervisors of correctional officers experience a high level of stress, which makes them feel unhappy outside of work, including in their marriages. The divorce rate is 46.9%.

What do correctional officers do at night?

So know your count times, round times and checks — this is a majority of the duties on overnights. Other duties may include medical checks, meal check and preparation for transportation for court or off property events.

What are the pros of being a correctional officer?

In addition to making more than the national average income, correctional officer benefits can include medical and dental insurance, retirement plans, overtime and shift differential pay, and paid military leave. Some business establishments offer police discounts to thank officers for their community service.

What do correctional officers do in a day?

Escort inmates from the jail to outside destinations, such as court or medical facilities. Conduct regular inspections of all doors, locks, and security equipment. Conduct searches of inmates, cells, and visitors to ensure contraband is not present. Conduct regular inspections of cells and common areas.

What do people think of corrections officers?

Although popular portrayals of correctional officers are often highly negative, members of the public appear to take a more sanguine view of prison work. Most respondents felt that the jobs found in prison are not particularly good or bad, but of average quality.

Who makes more money correctional officers or police officers?

As with police officers, there is expected to be growth for correctional officers with nearly 18,000 new jobs available by 2024. The median salary in 2016 was $42,820 with the top ten percent of earners in corrections making more than $74,000 per year.

What is the difference between a detention officer and a correctional officer?

The primary goal for both correctional officers and detention officers is to monitor inmates. ... While detention officers tend to work for a local sheriff's office or county jail, correctional officers often work in state and federal prisons.

Is corrections officer a stressful job?

Correctional officers are exposed to a high degree of stress every day. Working long shifts behind walls day in and day out can and does take a toll. Statistics show that correctional officers have higher rates of divorce, PTSD, severe depression and suicide.

How often do correctional officers get attacked?

If we focus only on assaults and violence, correctional officers are injured by assaults and violent acts at a rate of 254 per 10,000 full-time employees. ... ... If we focus only on assaults and violence, correctional officers are injured by assaults and violent acts at a rate of 254 per 10,000 full-time employees.