Correctional service officers
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Correctional service officersprisonersguard offenders and detainees and maintain order in correctional facilities and other places of detention.
People in this occupation:
- Work for federal, provincial and municipal governments
- Must be able to work as part of a team and operate computer systems
- Need to make quick decisions and manage stress
- Must communicate clearly and exercise good judgment
- Must follow procedures and maintain self control
Correctional service officers who are supervisors are included in this unit group.
Duties
Correctional officers may perform some or all of the following duties:
- Observe conduct and behaviour of prisoners in order to prevent disturbances and escapes
- Supervise prisoners during work assignments, meals and recreation periods
- Do physical security checks
- Provide inmate counselling
- Develop and direct program activities
- Patrol assigned area and report any problems to supervisor
- Observe behaviour of prisoners and prepare reports
- Escort prisoners in transit and during temporary leaves
- Prepare admission, program, release, transfer and other reports
- May supervise and coordinate work of other correctional officers
- Explain policies and provide information to inmates
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
3,350% Employed Full Time
74%Correctional officers typically work 35–40 hours per week. Correctional facilities operate 24 hours a day throughout the year, so correctional officers have to work nights, early mornings, weekends and holidays. Overtime is quite common for correctional officers.
Correctional officers may work outdoors when stationed in watch towers, patrolling the prison grounds (federal corrections only) or when supervising work crews. As a result, workers are sometimes exposed to unpleasant weather conditions. In provincial corrections facilities, correctional officers spend most of their work day indoors; however, they also supervise outdoor work crews. Workers may also have to travel while escorting inmates on temporary leaves.
Correctional officers use surveillance equipment to monitor correctional facility activities and use computers to write and file reports, update records and communicate with other staff. Therefore, some workers may spend a large portion of the work day viewing video monitors, which can cause eye strain and fatigue.
According to industry sources, the inmate-to-staff ratio has increased over the past few years, so there are more inmates per correctional officer.
Correctional officers are sometimes faced with tense interpersonal situations while supervising inmates. These workers use their highly developed communication skills in order to handle such situations. In the rare event that problems cannot be solved through talking, these workers may have to use physical force to maintain inmate order. The workplace can be stressful, but teamwork, peer support and stress management training help to keep stress levels down.
Career Pathways
Experienced correctional officers may be promoted to correctional supervisor and management positions. A minimum of seven years experience is typically required before becoming a correctional supervisor.
With additional education, correctional officers in the provincial and federal systems may become probation or parole officers or correctional treatment specialists.
With additional training and education, these workers may also move into law enforcement occupations, such as police officer.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Job Titles
Education, Training and Skills
Completion of secondary school is required. Other requirements include:
- Canadian citizenship
- A clean criminal record
- A class 5 driver's licence
- Being at least 19 years of age
- Achieving at least Level 4 on the Language Proficiency Index test
To work for federal institutions, correctional officer recruits must successfully complete the Corrections Canada training course. To work for provincial/territorial institutions, correctional officer recruits must complete a basic training course, which is offered and paid for by the employer.
In order to work at provincial correctional facilities in B.C., correctional officers must take the Correctional Officer Physical Abilities Test offered by the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC).
In addition, correctional officers must successfully complete Emergency First Aid level 1 (industry).
Other beneficial qualifications for a person in this career include:
- Completion of post-secondary studies in areas such as human behaviour, criminology or conflict resolution
- Preparatory courses offered by the JIBC Corrections and Community Justice Division for individuals interested in working as correctional officers
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Criminology/Criminal Justice
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Convincing others to change their mind or behaviour.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
3,350Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 165 | 4.9% |
| Kootenay | 30 | 0.9% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 2,310 | 69.0% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 20 | 0.6% |
| Northeast | 30 | 0.9% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 370 | 11.0% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 415 | 12.4% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2023-2033)
1,230Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2023-2033)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 40 | -0.1% |
| Kootenay | 20 | 0.7% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 810 | 1.1% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 10 | 1.3% |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 150 | 1.0% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 190 | 1.0% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2023-2033) |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | 1,180 |
| Business, Building And Other Support Services | 30 |
| Health Care And Social Assistance | 10 |
| Repair, Personal And Non-Profit Services | 10 |
Insights from Industry
The majority of job opportunities in the coming years will result from new job creation. In the long term, new facilities are expected to be built, which will increase the number of jobs in this occupation.
Industry sources report correctional facilities in B.C., particularly in the north, are having difficulty attracting a sufficient number of recruits, which is leading to shortages of correctional officers.
The demand will be highest for those who have completed preparatory courses and who may have previous experience working as correctional officers in social services, at youth correctional facilities, as security officers or in law enforcement.
Resources
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B.C. Ministry of Attorney Generalwww.gov.bc.ca/ag
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Correctional Services of Canadawww.csc-scc.gc.ca
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Department of Justice Canadacanada.justice.gc.ca
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Justice Institute of BC – Corrections and Community Justice Divisionwww.jibc.ca/ccjd/adultCorrections.htm
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