For the tough-spirited out there, a career in corrections can be quite a fitting one. The job can get quite stressful at times, requiring officers to handle difficult and often violent situations with inmates of prisons. Therefore, physical strength, self-discipline, interpersonal skills and good judgement are key attributes for people working in this field. What Correctional Officers Do Corrections officers are involved with people who are in various stages of …
For the tough-spirited out there, a career in corrections can be quite a fitting one. The job can get quite stressful at times, requiring officers to handle difficult and often violent situations with inmates of prisons. Therefore, physical strength, self-discipline, interpersonal skills and good judgement are key attributes for people working in this field.
What Correctional Officers Do
Corrections officers are involved with people who are in various stages of the correctional system, mostly inmates in penal institutions. These individuals may be awaiting trial or may be sentenced to serve time in a jail or prison. Corrections Officers not only maintain order in prisons, but also inspect living quarters of the inmates they oversee, supervise their activities and report on inmate conduct.
Degree Options for a Corrections Program
The following Degrees in Corrections can be pursued online:
Associate Degree
Bachelor’s Degree
Master’s Degree
Doctorate Degree
While some schools may offer degrees specifically in corrections, usually a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree In Criminal Justice with a concentration in corrections, or as combination degrees, such as in Correctional and Juvenile Justice.
Typical Courses Taught
As part of an Online Corrections Degree, courses taught to students include:
Criminal Law
Criminal Justice System
Community Corrections
Correctional Systems
Current Issues in Corrections
Juvenile Justice
Industries that Employ Corrections Degree Holders
Corrections officers work in various penal institutions. Examples include state and federal prisons, county jails, and private companies providing correctional services to prisons and jails. The work of correctional officers is quite dangerous and stressful, with many working long shifts.
Careers in the Corrections Field
With a Degree In Corrections, some career choices that students can go for include Corrections Officer, Probation Officer, Parole Officer, Corrections Treatment Specialist, and Correctional Sergeant.
Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median 2010 pay for Correctional Officers was $39,020 per year, while for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists is was $47,200 per year. Payscale.com estimates the typical salary for a Parole Officer in the US at around $34,157 – $53,400 per year.
Are you interested in a career in corrections? Get enrolled for an Online Corrections Degree today!
