About the job
Correctional Officer
Guard inmates in penal or rehabilitative institutions in accordance with established regulations and procedures. May guard prisoners in transit between jail, courtroom, prison, or other point. Includes deputy sheriffs and police who spend the majority of their time guarding prisoners in correctional institutions.
Top activities and tasks for this job:
- 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.
- Search prisoners and vehicles and conduct shakedowns of cells for valuables and contraband, such as weapons or drugs.
- Process or book convicted individuals into prison.
- Maintain records of prisoners' identification and charges.
- Record information, such as prisoner identification, charges, and incidents of inmate disturbance, keeping daily logs of prisoner activities.
- Search for and recapture escapees.
About the test (Full Version)
The Correctional Officer Pre-Employment Assessment was designed to help you hire staff in this role. The test provides a whole-person evaluation by measuring job-relevant cognitive ability, personality, knowledge, skills, and relevant behavioral history.
Each component provides important data for hiring decisions. Cognitive ability has been linked to overall job performance in most jobs and correlates with a candidate's
ability to learn new skills and to solve complex problems. Personality characteristics determine how well the candidate will fit-in with a corporate culture. Knowledge and skills indicate how much training will be needed before a new employee becomes productive. Finally, relevant behavioral history detects counter-productive behaviors that can impact job performance.
The Correctional Officer test includes an animated work simulation in which candidates meet customers, colleagues and supervisors in a job-related context. Post-test surveys indicate the majority of candidates react favorably to these simulations.
The specific attributes measured include:
Cognitive Ability
- Analytical Thinking and Attention to Detail
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Behavioral History
- History Survey - Performance
- History Survey - Tenure
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Personality
- Adaptability
- Drive
- Integrity
- Resilience
- Teamwork
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Emotional Intelligence
- Empathy and Emotional Self-Control
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Following completion, the test produces a Candidate Selection Report that includes an overall score and detailed scores for each attribute. The overall score weighs each of the factors based on research and analysis from the U.S. Government's Occupational Information Network (O*Net). O*Net represents over a decade of dedicated research evaluating the relative importance of various factors that lead to success in almost 1,000 different job roles.
The Candidate Selection Report also provides expert interview questions that help you probe critical or low-scoring areas, along with a guide for noting your evaluation of the candidate's responses. Consistent use of an interview guide is an important part of gaining better candidate insights and making better hiring decisions.
More information about this Job
Annual US Wages (2023) |
Bottom 10%: | | $38,340 or less |
Bottom 25%: | | $44,890 or less |
Median: | | $53,300 (Average) |
Top 25%: | | $68,580 or more |
Top 10%: | | $87,250 or more |
Hourly US Wages (2023) |
Bottom 10%: | | $18.44 or less |
Bottom 25%: | | $21.58 or less |
Median: | | $25.63 (Average) |
Top 25%: | | $32.97 or more |
Top 10%: | | $41.95 or more |
US Employment Statistics |
2023: | | 370,900 |
2033 (projected): | | 346,000 |
Annual U.S. Job Openings: | 29,100 |
Top Knowledge Requirements
- Public Safety and Security
- Law and Government
- English Language
- Administrative
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
- Psychology
- Transportation
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Top Skills
- Social Perceptiveness
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Coordination
- Complex Problem Solving
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Top Abilities
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Speech Clarity
- Problem Sensitivity
- Speech Recognition
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
- Near Vision
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Education Requirements |
High School Diploma: | | 89% |
Post-Secondary Certificate: | | 9% |
This graphic shows the percentage of people in this role who have their highest education in each category. |
Related Work Experience Requirements |
None: | | 79% |
6 Months - 1 Year: | | 5% |
1 - 2 Years: | | 15% |
This graphic shows the percentage of people in this role whose related work experience before they entered this position falls into each category. |
Alternate Titles for this Role: Booking Officer, Certified Detention Deputy, Civilian Jail Officer, Community Corrections Officer, Community Services Officer, Convict Guard, Correctional Captain, Correctional Guard, Correctional Lieutenant, Correctional Monitor, Correctional Officer, Correctional Sergeant, Corrections Corporal, Corrections Lieutenant, Corrections Officer (CO), Corrections Sergeant, Corrections Specialist, Cottage Master, Cottage Parent, Custodial Officer, Deputy Jailer, Detention Deputy, Detention Officer, Gate Guard, Gate Watchman, Guard, Immigration Guard, Immigration Services Officer, Jail Guard, Jail Officer, Jailer, Jailkeeper, Jailor, Juvenile Corrections Officer, Juvenile Detention Officer, Matron, Patrol Conductor, Penal Officer, Police Detention Attendant, Police Matron, Prison Guard, Prison Officer, Protective Services Officer, Reformatory Attendant, Security Officer, Station Jailer, Turnkey, Youth Corrections Officer
Related Jobs based on Skills & Abilities: First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers, Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists, Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers, Bailiffs, First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives, Detectives and Criminal Investigators, Transit and Railroad Police, Security Guards, Private Detectives and Investigators, Social and Community Service Managers, Residential Advisors, Public Safety Telecommunicators, Psychiatric Aides, Court, Municipal, and License Clerks, Child, Family, and School Social Workers, Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary, First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers, Coroners, Rehabilitation Counselors