Correctional Officer

You'll babysit adults who committed crimes, count heads every hour like a very high-stakes attendance teacher, and get really good at de-escalation because your entire shift depends on it. The sound of metal doors slamming shut becomes your daily soundtrack, and you'll develop a sixth sense for when something's about to go sideways in the yard.

Learn the skills

Courses and certifications to get you job-ready

What you'll actually do

• 01Conduct head counts that never add up on the first try — someone's always in the wrong place
• 02Break up fights over the TV remote, the last pudding cup, or a disrespectful glance
• 03Search cells and common areas for contraband that gets more creative every week
• 04Write incident reports for everything — and 'everything' is not an exaggeration
• 05Work mandatory overtime that's technically optional the way gravity is technically optional
• 06Play chess with inmates who are weirdly, suspiciously good at it
• 07Eat cafeteria food that's somehow worse for staff than it is for the inmates

Career Path

Where this role sits in the bigger picture — and where it can take you.