Correctional Officers and Jailers

What the job really is

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.

At a glance

• Sector: Protective Service
• O*NET-SOC code: 33-3012
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.
• Guard facility entrances to screen visitors.
• Record information, such as prisoner identification, charges, and incidents of inmate disturbance, keeping daily logs of prisoner activities.
• Inspect mail for the presence of contraband.
• Maintain records of prisoners' identification and charges.
• Use weapons, handcuffs, and physical force to maintain discipline and order among prisoners.
• Use nondisciplinary tools and equipment, such as a computer.
• Conduct fire, safety, and sanitation inspections.
• Take prisoners into custody and escort to locations within and outside of facility, such as visiting room, courtroom, or airport.

Tools and technology

Adobe Acrobat, Facebook, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, 3M Electronic Monitoring, Air-supplying respirators, Corrections housing software, Cut resistant gloves

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• 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
• First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
• Transit and Railroad Police

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Correctional Officers and Jailers — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.