About This Career

Directly supervises and coordinates activities of correctional officers and jailers.

This career is part of the Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security cluster Correction Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Takes, receives, or checks periodic inmate counts.
• Maintains order, discipline, and security within assigned areas in accordance with relevant rules, regulations, policies, and laws.
• Maintains knowledge of, complies with, and enforces all institutional policies, rules, procedures, and regulations.
• Responds to emergencies, such as escapes.
• Supervises and directs the work of correctional officers to ensure the safe custody, discipline, and welfare of inmates.
• Supervises or performs searches of inmates or their quarters to locate contraband items.
• Restrains, secures, or controls offenders, using chemical agents, firearms, or other weapons of force as necessary.
• Monitors behavior of subordinates to ensure alert, courteous, and professional behavior toward inmates, parolees, fellow employees, visitors, and the public.
• Carries injured offenders or employees to safety and provides emergency first aid when necessary.
• Completes administrative paperwork or supervises the preparation or maintenance of records, forms, or reports.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less.
• Exposed to disease and infections more than once a month through work such as patient care, laboratory work, and sanitation control
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Maintaining a body position that prevents falling when in an unstable position
• Short periods of running, jumping, or throwing
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Exerting oneself physically over long periods of time without getting out of breath
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Rotating shift work
• Weekend work