Work in Corrections: Corrections Officers & Correctional Admin
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Correctional administrators oversee the operations of correctional officers in prisons and provide leadership, supervision and mentoring for other prison staff members.
Senior corrections administrators may be responsible for everything from formulating policies, goals and objectives for corrections officers, to communicating with the press and general public, and representing prison interests in litigation matters.
Once you have experience as a correctional officer, you can get promotions in the correctional system as follows:
- Correctional Officer
- Correctional Sergeant
- Correctional Lieutenant
- Correctional Captain
- Facility Captain
- Associate Warden
- Chief Deputy Warden
- Warden
Where Correctional Administrators Work
Most correctional employees work in state and federal prisons. A relatively small number of correctional officers and administrators work for the US Immigration and Naturalization Service or for correctional institutions that are run by private, for-profit organizations.
Ambitious and qualified correctional officers can be promoted to supervisory or administrative positions all the way up to warden. Promotion prospects may be enhanced by attending college. Corrections officers sometimes transfer to related jobs, such as probation officer, parole officer, and correctional treatment specialist.*
Correctional Officers and Administration Training & Education
At minimum, you'll need a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, business or public administration, or behavioral science, and 5 years of upper-level management experience in a correctional setting. Many administrators start out as corrections officers or sergeants and through hard work, are promoted to the higher ranks in the correctional facility.
Correctional Administrator Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median annual earnings of first-line supervisors/managers of correctional officers were $52,580 in May 2006.*
For more information on being a Corrections Officer, see our website.
*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
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