What are careers in corrections?

Correctional officers, prison wardens, and forensic psychologists are careers in corrections. Here are some details about these careers and others in corrections:

• Correctional officer

Correctional officers are professionals who enforce the rules of a correctional facility. They may work in jails, juvenile correctional facilities, prisons, and maximum security prisons.

The main function of their job is to supervise inmates and keep them safe. To do this effectively, they must know the locations of all inmates and their dynamics with one another. Some other duties include searching prisoners' cells for contraband, transporting inmates, inspecting the facilities for maintenance, and punishing prisoners by revoking privileges.

Correctional officers may also participate in criminal investigations for crimes that occur in prison.

Correctional officers often receive threats of physical harm from inmates and can even be attacked on occasion, so they must be trained in the use of physical combat and firearms.

Since inmates need 24/7 supervision, many correctional officers work nights, weekends, and holidays.

Many prisons also require correctional officers to have and maintain a certain caliber of the physique. While this can also be a benefit of the job, it does exclude some people from it as well.

In addition to physical fitness, most prospects have to go through extensive training to become correctional officers. This may include obtaining a bachelor's degree in corrections and post-education corrections training.

Some correctional officers make decent salaries, and most receive good benefits; however, the average salary for a corrections officer in the United States is $38,938 per year.

• Prison warden

Prison wardens are the chief officials at prisons. They oversee and manage all aspects of running the correctional facility, and this includes prison budgets, inmate programs, prison rules, disciplinary and security procedures, and the recruitment and hiring of qualified correctional personnel.

They also must ensure that their prison complies with local, state, and federal laws concerning correctional facilities. They are also often the public face of prison, talking with the media and collaborating with other local officials.

Prison wardens tend to have at least a bachelor's degree in corrections or an advanced degree in the field or another related area.

The average salary of a prison warden in the United States is $62,007 per year.

Forensic psychologists focus on criminal behavior; this includes criminal and civil law, service in prisons, at-risk youth counseling, and academic research.

Forensic psychology is a broad field that applies the principles of psychology to the criminal justice system and law.

Forensic psychologists consult with law enforcement to integrate psychology into both criminal and civil legal matters. Their responsibilities can include selecting juries, evaluating witnesses, and conducting mental health evaluations.

These professionals need master's degrees or higher in forensic psychology, criminal psychology, or other related disciplines. Most gain clinical experience before entering the forensic psychology realm.

The average salary of a forensic psychologist in the United States is $102,900 per year.

• Criminal psychologist

Criminal psychology seeks to enter the minds of criminals in an attempt to understand their motivations. These efforts are done with the goal of developing criminal psychological profiles that can make it easier for law enforcement to apprehend criminals.

Criminal psychologists often perform work in correctional facilities, such as jails, juvenile correctional facilities, prisons, and maximum security prisons.

Criminal psychologists are also often asked to give expert testimony in court trials. Other duties include counseling individuals who have committed crimes or evaluating their risk of recidivism.

Most criminal psychologists have a master's degree or higher in criminal psychology or another related area.

The average salary of a criminal psychologist in the United States is $90,000 per year.

• Correctional Nurse

Correctional nurses are medical professionals that work in prisons or other similar environments. They have an active role in the physical aspect of an inmate's medical care. They are responsible for taking a prisoner's vitals and gathering other critical information that can then be passed on to a prison doctor if one exists at the facility.

They often treat prisoners for injuries gained in physical conflicts with other inmates, but they also just provide basic medical care. They perform seasonal check-ups on prisoners and may see some more often if they have pre-existing medical conditions.

Correctional nurses may also escort prisoners to hospitals in the event of a medical emergency or if the correctional facility can not provide the proper care or treatment for an inmate's medical issue.

The qualifications of a correctional nurse are graduation from nursing school, passing the NCLEX exam, getting state licensure, and clinical experience in nursing.

The average salary of a correctional nurse in the United States is $98,566 per year.