Corrections Officer - One Of Many Exceptional Criminal Justice Careers
Of all the careers available in the world of criminal justice, one of the toughest out there is as a prison guard. On a day-in and day-out basis, they must contend with many of the worst of society often without the appreciation they truly are due. At the same time, it's a career field that is growing faster than average to meet our society's needs.
Prison guards, otherwise known as correctional officers, work for either a federal, state or local penitentiary, correctional or police facility or court house. Their responsibility is to keep guard on those who have either been convicted of a crime or who are awaiting trial. The prison population is constantly shifting, primarily due to prisoners either being released or transferred, making the work situation perpetually unstable.
Those interested in becoming a correctional officer need to graduate from high school; and, having some military or police experience is preferred. It should be noted that if you want to work on the federal level, the union requires a bachelors degree and three years of previous experience.
Just about every state and local prison also requires potential candidates take vocational training and certification. This is usually a one to two year course, and can be taken at a training facility or online. A student should also consider taking classes in how to handle weaponry as you never know when you are going to need it. From there it's time to find a job and once hired one should expect about another year of on-the-job training.
There are currently over a half million correctional officers employed in the U.S. today. About 45,000 of them work at a supervisory level. Another 20,000 officers work throughout the U.S. court system as bailiffs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that an additional 48,000 will be needed by 2018, therefore rating growth in the field as favorable.
Income is based a lot on what level of government you work for. Federal correctional officers average about $53,500 a year, compared to $38,000 a year on the state and local level. Salaries for more experienced guards can go up to as much as the mid-50's on the state and local level (depending on the state or municipality) and $86,000 for federal officers.
With advancement and further education, one can go on to become a sergeant amongst the guards. This job usually does require going back to school and taking a few courses. Most guards do so by enrolling in an online college. Anyone interested should consult with their personnel department about procedures, as well as seeing if the local authority will help pay the tuition.
When it comes to criminal justice careers, one thing society demands is either new prisons (and that means personnel) or upgrading a number of correctional facilities already in operation. Because of this, the need for correctional officers is expected to be constant for the indefinite future. As said before, this is not an easy job and advancement may require online college degree classes. What is sure is that society will need those willing to enter this general field for some time to come.
Of all the careers available in the world of criminal justice, one of the toughest out there is as a prison guard. On a day-in and day-out basis, they must contend with many of the worst of society often without the appreciation they truly are due. At the same time, it's a career field that is growing faster than average to meet our society's needs.
Prison guards, otherwise known as correctional officers, work for either a federal, state or local penitentiary, correctional or police facility or court house. Their responsibility is to keep guard on those who have either been convicted of a crime or who are awaiting trial. The prison population is constantly shifting, primarily due to prisoners either being released or transferred, making the work situation perpetually unstable.
Those interested in becoming a correctional officer need to graduate from high school; and, having some military or police experience is preferred. It should be noted that if you want to work on the federal level, the union requires a bachelors degree and three years of previous experience.
Just about every state and local prison also requires potential candidates take vocational training and certification. This is usually a one to two year course, and can be taken at a training facility or online. A student should also consider taking classes in how to handle weaponry as you never know when you are going to need it. From there it's time to find a job and once hired one should expect about another year of on-the-job training.
There are currently over a half million correctional officers employed in the U.S. today. About 45,000 of them work at a supervisory level. Another 20,000 officers work throughout the U.S. court system as bailiffs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that an additional 48,000 will be needed by 2018, therefore rating growth in the field as favorable.
Income is based a lot on what level of government you work for. Federal correctional officers average about $53,500 a year, compared to $38,000 a year on the state and local level. Salaries for more experienced guards can go up to as much as the mid-50's on the state and local level (depending on the state or municipality) and $86,000 for federal officers.
With advancement and further education, one can go on to become a sergeant amongst the guards. This job usually does require going back to school and taking a few courses. Most guards do so by enrolling in an online college. Anyone interested should consult with their personnel department about procedures, as well as seeing if the local authority will help pay the tuition.
When it comes to criminal justice careers, one thing society demands is either new prisons (and that means personnel) or upgrading a number of correctional facilities already in operation. Because of this, the need for correctional officers is expected to be constant for the indefinite future. As said before, this is not an easy job and advancement may require online college degree classes. What is sure is that society will need those willing to enter this general field for some time to come.
Of all the careers available in the world of criminal justice, one of the toughest out there is as a prison guard. On a day-in and day-out basis, they must contend with many of the worst of society often without the appreciation they truly are due. At the same time, it's a career field that is growing faster than average to meet our society's needs.
Prison guards, otherwise known as correctional officers, work for either a federal, state or local penitentiary, correctional or police facility or court house. Their responsibility is to keep guard on those who have either been convicted of a crime or who are awaiting trial. The prison population is constantly shifting, primarily due to prisoners either being released or transferred, making the work situation perpetually unstable.
Those interested in becoming a correctional officer need to graduate from high school; and, having some military or police experience is preferred. It should be noted that if you want to work on the federal level, the union requires a bachelors degree and three years of previous experience.
Just about every state and local prison also requires potential candidates take vocational training and certification. This is usually a one to two year course, and can be taken at a training facility or online. A student should also consider taking classes in how to handle weaponry as you never know when you are going to need it. From there it's time to find a job and once hired one should expect about another year of on-the-job training.
There are currently over a half million correctional officers employed in the U.S. today. About 45,000 of them work at a supervisory level. Another 20,000 officers work throughout the U.S. court system as bailiffs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that an additional 48,000 will be needed by 2018, therefore rating growth in the field as favorable.
Income is based a lot on what level of government you work for. Federal correctional officers average about $53,500 a year, compared to $38,000 a year on the state and local level. Salaries for more experienced guards can go up to as much as the mid-50's on the state and local level (depending on the state or municipality) and $86,000 for federal officers.
With advancement and further education, one can go on to become a sergeant amongst the guards. This job usually does require going back to school and taking a few courses. Most guards do so by enrolling in an online college. Anyone interested should consult with their personnel department about procedures, as well as seeing if the local authority will help pay the tuition.
When it comes to criminal justice careers, one thing society demands is either new prisons (and that means personnel) or upgrading a number of correctional facilities already in operation. Because of this, the need for correctional officers is expected to be constant for the indefinite future. As said before, this is not an easy job and advancement may require online college degree classes. What is sure is that society will need those willing to enter this general field for some time to come.
