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How to hire a correction officer

Correction officer hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring correction officers in the United States:

  • There are a total of 312,595 correction officers in the US, and there are currently 103,383 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a correction officer is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per correction officer on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Olympia, WA, has the highest demand for correction officers, with 18 job openings.

How to hire a correction officer, step by step

To hire a correction officer, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a correction officer:

Here's a step-by-step correction officer hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a correction officer job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new correction officer
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a correction officer do?

A correction officer is responsible for monitoring the daily activities of individuals serving time in prison, enforcing the standard rules and regulatory procedures to maintain safety and security within the premises. Correction officers' duties include searching for restricted items, inspecting the facilities' condition, observing unusual and suspicious behaviors, generating incident reports, and providing assistance during counseling and trial schedules. Correction officers must be highly knowledgeable of legal regulations. They must also cooperate with court procedures for any investigations within their place of work.

Learn more about the specifics of what a correction officer does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the correction officer you need to hire. Certain correction officer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a correction officer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a correction officer that fits the bill.

    This list shows salaries for various types of correction officers.

    Type of Correction OfficerDescriptionHourly rate
    Correction OfficerCorrectional officers are responsible for overseeing individuals who have been arrested and are awaiting trial or who have been sentenced to serve time in jail or prison. Bailiffs are law enforcement officers who maintain safety and order in courtrooms.$13-25
    Criminal InvestigatorA criminal investigator is a law enforcement professional who endeavors to solve felony crimes. Criminal investigators may work alone or as a member of an investigative team whose goal is to uncover the certainty of a case and potentially keep suspects to prevent the ensuing criminal activity... Show more$16-40
    DeputyThe duties of a deputy vary on their line of work or place of employment. In law enforcement, a deputy is primarily in charge of conducting investigations on crimes and arresting criminals, performing regular patrols on streets, responding to calls of distress, and assisting citizens in calamities, disasters, accidents, or any forms of threat... Show more$14-43
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Public Safety
    • Correctional Facility
    • Emergency Situations
    • Security Checks
    • Incident Reports
    • CPR
    • Direct Supervision
    • Control Room
    • Head Counts
    • Disciplinary Actions
    • Defensive Tactics
    • Physical Restraint
    • Inmate Counts
    • Security Procedures
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Manage behavior modification and offender restoration rehabilitation.
    • Implement defensive tactics and physical restraints to maintain the safety and security of the general public.
    • Conduct NCIC background reports on all new inmates within the facility.
    • Collect felony DNA enter finger prints into live scan for NCIC.
    • finger prints and background information and placement in to the pod )
    • Feed, book-in inmates, control movement and supervise medical treatment.
    More correction officer duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your correction officer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A correction officer can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, correction officers' average salary in arkansas is 53% less than in hawaii.
    • Seniority. Entry-level correction officers 48% less than senior-level correction officers.
    • Certifications. A correction officer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a correction officer's salary.

    Average correction officer salary

    $39,369yearly

    $18.93 hourly rate

    Entry-level correction officer salary
    $28,000 yearly salary
    Updated January 1, 2026

    Average correction officer salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Hawaii$59,248$28
    2California$52,405$25
    3Washington$52,271$25
    4Illinois$47,445$23
    5Colorado$46,280$22
    6Minnesota$43,920$21
    7Ohio$40,445$19
    8Arizona$36,795$18
    9Kansas$36,516$18
    10North Dakota$35,926$17
    11Idaho$34,388$17
    12South Dakota$33,636$16
    13Texas$33,442$16
    14Indiana$32,474$16
    15Tennessee$31,399$15
    16Florida$31,357$15
    17South Carolina$30,225$15
    18Georgia$29,087$14
    19Missouri$28,958$14
    20Kentucky$28,727$14

    Average correction officer salary by company

  4. Writing a correction officer job description

    A good correction officer job description should include a few things:

    • Summary of the role
    • List of responsibilities
    • Required skills and experience

    Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a correction officer job description:

    Correction officer job description example

    1. Ensures a safe and secure facility by managing the secure in and out processing,

    transportation, care, and behavior of inmates.

    2. Ensures quality inmate activities by preparing, executing, and managing lock downs,

    head counts, recreation, visits, interviews, medical passes and treatment, dining and inmate

    rehabilitation programs.

    3. Ensures inmates court appearance by organizing, preparing, executing, and managing

    transport; maintaining the safety and security of inmates and the public throughout the

    entire process.

    4. Meets all corrections facility standards by supervising the cleaning and disinfecting of

    inmate quarters and provides necessary linen and supplies.

    5. Takes emergency action when necessary by summoning Medical department and

    services as necessary; managing cell assignments and transfers.

    6. In emergency situations, such as fire or bomb threat, ensures inmate safety by

    organizing, preparing, executing and managing the evacuation of sections or the entire

    facility.

    7. Ensures inmates follow required behavior standards by supervising recreation, visiting,

    dining, schools, AA meetings and other activities.

    8. Ensures immediate handling of problems by intervening in inmate altercations and

    escorts unruly inmates into segregation area.

    9. Meets all legal requirements by maintaining accurate logs on all significant activity in the

    housing units.

    10. Ensures inmates abide by facility rules by performing searches of inmates, rooms and

    the entire facility to prevent use and seize any contraband.

    11. Assists staff by working in specialized skill areas as trained and assigned.

    12. Provide for inmate’s needs by organizing, sorting, transporting, delivering and

    collecting mail.

    13. Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops,

    establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies.

    14. Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

    15. Supports the Sheriff’s safety and health policies by attending required safety training

    programs, reporting all accidents and suspected safety hazards to Supervisor.

    16. Fulfills job function by participating as an active member in training, participating on

    Sheriff task forces and performing other responsibilities as assigned.

    Company DescriptionWe are an environment that promotes growth amongst our ranks. We pride ourselves on having a culture of respect for all.
  5. Post your job

    To find correction officers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any correction officers they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level correction officers with the right educational background.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your correction officer job on Zippia to find and recruit correction officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Your first interview with correction officer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new correction officer

    Once you've found the correction officer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new correction officer. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a correction officer?

Hiring a correction officer comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting correction officers involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of correction officer recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $39,369 per year for a correction officer, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for correction officers in the US typically range between $13 and $25 an hour.

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