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Occupation AtlasCorrectional Officers and Jailers

O*NET · 33-3012.00

Correctional Officers and Jailers

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.

Also called Booking Officer · CCO · Certified Detention Deputy · Civilian Jail Officer · CO · Community Corrections Officer (CCO) · Community Services Officer (CSO) · Confinement Officer
48 more

Convict Guard · Correction Officer · Correctional Guard · Correctional Monitor · Correctional Officer · Correctional Officer Specialist · Correctional Security Officer · Corrections Corporal · Corrections Officer (CO) · Corrections Specialist · Cottage Master · Cottage Parent · Cottage Supervisor · CSO · Custodial Officer · Deputy · Deputy Jailer · Detention Deputy · Detention Officer · Detention Specialist · Gate Guard · Gate Watchman · Guard · Jail Guard · Jail Officer · Jailer · Jailkeeper · Jailor · Juvenile Correctional Officer · Juvenile Corrections Officer · Juvenile Detention Officer · Juvenile Justice Detention Officer · Matron · Patrol Conductor · Penal Officer · Point Guard · Police Detention Attendant · Police Matron · Prison Guard · Prison Officer · Protective Services Officer (PSO) · PSO · Reformatory Attendant · Resident Monitor · Security Officer · Station Jailer · Supervised Visitation Monitor · Youth Corrections Officer

Job Zone 2 — Some Preparation NeededHolland code RCS35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Public Safety Telecommunicators

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 2: Some Preparation Needed

Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma, some previous work-related skill or experience, and a few months to a year of training with experienced workers.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

RCSRealistic · Conventional · Social — the three strongest interests, in order

  • R Realistic5.33
  • C Conventional4.81
  • S Social3.86
  • E Enterprising3.16
  • I Investigative1.69
  • A Artistic1.05

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • High School Diploma or the equivalent92%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree8%
Related work experience
None (51%)
On-site or in-plant training
Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (44%)
On-the-job training
Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (41%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Monitoringbasic4.03.8Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Social Perceptiveness4.03.8Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Active Listeningbasic4.03.5Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Speakingbasic3.93.5Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.83.6Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Coordination3.53.5Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
  • Persuasion3.43.0Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Active Learningbasic3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.33.0Level 2 looks like: Decide how scheduling a break will affect work flow
  • Negotiation3.33.0Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Complex Problem Solving3.32.9Level 2 looks like: Lay out tools to complete a job
Show the other 23
  • Learning Strategiesbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Service Orientation3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Time Management3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Writingbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Write down a guest's order at a restaurant
  • Instructing3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Systems Analysis2.82.6Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Operations Monitoring2.82.3Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Systems Evaluation2.62.1Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.52.5Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Quality Control Analysis2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Operation and Control2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Troubleshooting2.11.6Level 2 looks like: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine
  • Mathematicsbasic2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Equipment Maintenance1.61.0Level 2 looks like: Add oil to an engine as indicated by a warning light
  • Management of Material Resources1.60.9
  • Repairing1.60.9
  • Technology Design1.60.8
  • Equipment Selection1.51.0Level 2 looks like: Select a tool to adjust a loose part on a bicycle
  • Management of Financial Resources1.50.8
  • Programming1.50.6
  • Operations Analysis1.40.5
  • Sciencebasic1.40.4
  • Installation1.0—

Tasks

21 core · 6 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Conduct head counts to ensure that each prisoner is present.4.7
  2. 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.4.6
  3. Inspect conditions of locks, window bars, grills, doors, and gates at correctional facilities to ensure security and help prevent escapes.4.6
  4. Search prisoners and vehicles and conduct shakedowns of cells for valuables and contraband, such as weapons or drugs.4.6
  5. Guard facility entrances to screen visitors.4.5
  6. Record information, such as prisoner identification, charges, and incidents of inmate disturbance, keeping daily logs of prisoner activities.4.5
  7. Inspect mail for the presence of contraband.4.4
  8. Use weapons, handcuffs, and physical force to maintain discipline and order among prisoners.4.4
  9. Maintain records of prisoners' identification and charges.4.4
  10. Use nondisciplinary tools and equipment, such as a computer.4.3
  11. Conduct fire, safety, and sanitation inspections.4.2
  12. Take prisoners into custody and escort to locations within and outside of facility, such as visiting room, courtroom, or airport.4.1
Show the other 15
  1. Provide to supervisors oral and written reports of the quality and quantity of work performed by inmates, inmate disturbances and rule violations, and unusual occurrences.4.1
  2. Settle disputes between inmates.4.1
  3. Participate in required job training.4.1
  4. Serve meals, distribute commissary items, and dispense prescribed medication to prisoners.4.1
  5. Drive passenger vehicles and trucks used to transport inmates to other institutions, courtrooms, hospitals, and work sites.4.0
  6. Counsel inmates and respond to legitimate questions, concerns, and requests.4.0
  7. Assign duties to inmates, providing instructions as needed.3.9
  8. Issue clothing, tools, and other authorized items to inmates.3.6
  9. Arrange daily schedules for prisoners, including library visits, work assignments, family visits, and counseling appointments.3.5
  10. Search for and recapture escapees.4.4
  11. Process or book convicted individuals into prison.4.2
  12. Supervise and coordinate work of other correctional service officers.4.1
  13. Take fingerprints of arrestees, prisoners, or the general public.4.1
  14. Investigate crimes that have occurred within an institution, or assist police in their investigations of crimes and inmates.4.0
  15. Sponsor inmate recreational activities, such as newspapers and self-help groups.3.6

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Public Safety and Security4.13.9Level 4 looks like: Inspect a building site for safety violations
  • English Language4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Law and Government3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Prepare documents and title papers for the purchase of a new house
  • Administration and Management3.53.9Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Customer and Personal Service3.54.2Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Administrative3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Computers and Electronics3.44.3Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Education and Training3.43.8Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
Show all 33
  • Psychology3.44.5Level 4 looks like: Understand the impact of alcohol on human responses
  • Telecommunications3.22.4Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Mathematics2.92.5Level 1 looks like: Add two numbers
  • Sociology and Anthropology2.93.1Level 4 looks like: Write an article about cultural differences
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.83.2Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants for an administrative position
  • Therapy and Counseling2.72.8
  • Communications and Media2.62.6
  • Foreign Language2.51.9Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Medicine and Dentistry2.42.2Level 1 looks like: Use a band-aid
  • Transportation2.42.0Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Philosophy and Theology2.32.5Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
  • Production and Processing2.11.9Level 1 looks like: Put a computer back into its packing materials
  • Economics and Accounting2.01.6Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Food Production2.01.8Level 1 looks like: Grow herbs in the kitchen
  • Mechanical2.01.5Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
  • Engineering and Technology1.91.5Level 1 looks like: Install a door lock
  • Building and Construction1.71.2Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Chemistry1.61.0Level 1 looks like: Use a common household bug spray
  • Geography1.61.1Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • History and Archeology1.60.8Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Biology1.50.8Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Design1.5—
  • Physics1.50.7Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
  • Sales and Marketing1.4—
  • Fine Arts1.2—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Oral Comprehension4.03.9Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression4.03.9Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Problem Sensitivity4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Deductive Reasoning3.83.5Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Inductive Reasoning3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Speech Clarity3.83.6Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Near Vision3.63.5Level 2 looks like: Read indicators on the dashboard of a car
  • Speech Recognition3.63.3Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
Show all 52
  • Selective Attention3.43.8Level 4 looks like: Watch security monitors for intruders throughout the night shift
  • Written Comprehension3.43.0Level 2 looks like: Understand signs on the highway
  • Far Vision3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Read the slides on a presentation from across a room
  • Flexibility of Closure3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Look for a golf ball in tall grass
  • Information Ordering3.33.0Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Stamina3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Climb 6 flights of stairs
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Auditory Attention3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Listen for your flight announcement at a busy airport
  • Dynamic Strength3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Explosive Strength3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Hit a nail with a hammer
  • Extent Flexibility3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Manual Dexterity3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Pack oranges in crates as quickly as possible
  • Multilimb Coordination3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Perceptual Speed3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Reaction Time3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Static Strength3.03.8Level 4 looks like: Pull a 40-pound sack of fertilizer across the lawn
  • Time Sharing3.03.0Level 3 looks like: Watch street signs while driving at 30 miles an hour
  • Trunk Strength3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Shovel snow for half an hour
  • Written Expression3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Category Flexibility2.93.0Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Control Precision2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Finger Dexterity2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Fluency of Ideas2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Response Orientation2.93.0Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Speed of Closure2.92.9Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Visualization2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Gross Body Coordination2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Speed of Limb Movement2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Saw through a thin piece of wood
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.82.4Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Depth Perception2.62.8Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Gross Body Equilibrium2.52.5Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Memorization2.52.4Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Originality2.32.3Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Number Facility2.12.1Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Peripheral Vision2.12.6Level 2 looks like: Keep in step while marching in a band
  • Rate Control2.12.0Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Spatial Orientation2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Use the floor plan to locate a store in a mall
  • Glare Sensitivity2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Drive on a familiar road on a cloudy day
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.01.9Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Night Vision2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Read street signs at dusk (just after sunset)
  • Sound Localization2.02.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to a sound system to determine which speaker is working
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.3—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.44.5Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.24.5Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others4.24.9Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Documenting/Recording Information4.14.5Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Getting Information4.03.8Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Training and Teaching Others4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.94.1Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.94.5Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
Show all 41
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.94.8Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Assisting and Caring for Others3.84.1Level 4 looks like: Help a medical patient find in-home assistance or healthcare
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.84.5Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.84.3Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.84.8Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Working with Computers3.83.7Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.75.0Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.73.5Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.63.4Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Developing and Building Teams3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Processing Information3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Thinking Creatively3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others3.53.6Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Staffing Organizational Units3.53.8Level 4 looks like: Interview candidates for a sales position and make hiring recommendations
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.44.0Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Performing Administrative Activities3.43.7Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources3.33.7Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.23.0Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.23.8Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.23.3Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment3.22.7
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public3.13.4Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment2.92.8
  • Controlling Machines and Processes2.82.9
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information2.82.8
  • Handling and Moving Objects2.73.4Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment2.72.5Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.52.6
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment2.42.3Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9
  • Telephone Conversations4.9
  • Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People4.8
  • Contact With Others4.7
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6
  • E-Mail4.5
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.5
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.5
  • Time Pressure4.5
  • Conflict Situations4.4

Technology

13 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (8)

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Facebook
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
Other tools (5)
  • 3M Electronic Monitoring
  • Corrections housing software
  • Guardian RFID
  • Jail management software
  • Web browser software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
  2. Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
  3. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
  4. Bailiffs
  5. First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
  6. Detectives and Criminal Investigators
  7. First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers
  8. Transit and Railroad Police
  9. Security Guards
  10. Residential Advisors

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.