How to hire a corrections specialist

How to hire a corrections specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step corrections specialist hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a corrections specialist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A corrections specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, corrections specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of corrections specialists.

   Type of Corrections Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Corrections Specialist	Correctional 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.	$12-28
   Custodial Officer	A custodial officer is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of facilities or buildings. They clean areas daily, conduct regular maintenance inspections, replace fixtures, perform basic repairs, rearrange furniture as necessary, and prepare facilities for public or private use... Show more	$14-27
   Detention Officer	The role of detention officers is to supervise inmates in state detention facilities. They are responsible for ensuring the safe imprisonment of detainees, managing conflict between detainees, and reporting inappropriate behavior to the warden... Show more	$13-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Public Safety
   • Criminal Justice
   • Data Entry
   • Correctional Facility
   • Direct Supervision
   • Emergency Situations
   • Law Enforcement Agencies
   • Incident Reports
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Safety Hazards
   • Sex Offenders
   • Outbound Calls
   • Head Counts
   • External Security

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage behavior modification and offender restoration rehabilitation.
   • Certify in first aid, and CPR.
   • Prepare correctional reports and records.
   • Manage behavior modification and offender restoration rehabilitation.
   • Manage behavior modification and offender restoration rehabilitation.

   More corrections specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your corrections specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A corrections specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a corrections specialist in Tennessee may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level corrections specialist usually earns less than a senior-level corrections specialist. Additionally, a corrections specialist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average corrections specialist salary

   $40,653yearly

   $19.54 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level corrections specialist salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average corrections specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$64,353	$31
   2	New York	$58,060	$28
   3	Hawaii	$53,955	$26
   4	New Hampshire	$53,575	$26
   5	Massachusetts	$52,348	$25
   6	Oregon	$50,396	$24
   7	Colorado	$45,687	$22
   8	Michigan	$44,323	$21
   9	Minnesota	$43,769	$21
   10	North Dakota	$41,946	$20
   11	Florida	$40,626	$20
   12	Idaho	$40,351	$19
   13	Kansas	$38,881	$19
   14	Louisiana	$37,829	$18
   15	Virginia	$37,352	$18
   16	South Dakota	$36,871	$18
   17	Texas	$35,643	$17
   18	Indiana	$35,111	$17

   Average corrections specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Washington State University	$56,126	$26.98
   2	Baker Concrete Construction	$55,882	$26.87	4
   3	Mutual of America Financial Group	$50,609	$24.33	1
   4	State of North Dakota	$48,311	$23.23
   5	Pennsylvania State Treasurer	$48,257	$23.20	5
   6	Peoples Services	$47,716	$22.94	2
   7	Oakland County, Michigan Government	$47,653	$22.91
   8	Salt Lake County	$47,010	$22.60	4
   9	Rings Levin A Atty	$43,230	$20.78
   10	My Florida Regional Mls	$42,942	$20.65
   11	Travis County	$41,200	$19.81
   12	Randstad North America, Inc.	$40,933	$19.68	3
   13	City of Hampton	$40,893	$19.66
   14	State Of South Dakota	$39,930	$19.20	6
   15	State of West Virginia	$38,802	$18.65	14
   16	Vitaver and Associates	$38,265	$18.40
   17	Community Resources for Justice	$38,108	$18.32
   18	Maine	$36,028	$17.32
   19	Florida Department of Transportation	$35,899	$17.26
   20	Florida Dept. of Health	$35,897	$17.26

4. Writing a corrections specialist job description

   A job description for a corrections specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a corrections specialist job description:

   Corrections specialist job description example

   Community Resources for Justice (CRJ) is a unique, 140 year old nonprofit organization. Social Justice Services (SJS), a division of CRJ supports men and women leaving incarceration and young adults with complex clinical needs to make positive, and sustainable life transitions. SJS provides residential and non-residential services and programming in addition to staff development opportunities for our workforce.
   Benefits:
   
   Community Resources for Justice offers competitive pay and a full benefits package. For more information visit our website.
   
   The Entry Level Community Corrections Specialist will provide direct care support for program residents and to support the program goal of successful reentry for the residents. Accomplishments of this position include accurate resident tracking and accountability, facility health and safety is maintained, and pro-social role modeling is demonstrated for residents.
   
   Entry Level Community Corrections Specialist Responsibilities:
   
   + Front Desk Duties: general reception, sign residents in and out, take calls, greet and sign in visitors, telephone spot checks, enter documentation in SecurManage, sort and distribute mail
   
   + Security/Accountability Duties: conduct house rounds (life/safety checks) as scheduled, perform nightly bed checks, perform bag, pat, and room searches, monitor resident daily details, enter documentation in SecurManage.
   
   + Take urine samples per schedule and complete documentation, administer alco-sensor tests, enter documentation in SecurManage.
   
   + Serve as pro-social role model to residents to support their behavior change, and to effectively convey information and respond to resident concerns, needs, and complaints.
   
   + Attend training and staff meetings as required. Perform other job related projects and activities as requested or directed.
   
   Entry Level Community Corrections Specialist Minimum Qualifications:
   
   + High School Diploma or GED
   
   + Associate's Degree preferred, but not required
   
   + 1-2 years of security experience preferred, but not required
   
   CRJ provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a protected veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.
   
   ID: 2022-6557
   
   Street: New Bedford Reentry Center

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find corrections specialists 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 corrections specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level corrections specialists 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 corrections specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit corrections specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting corrections specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   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 corrections specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the corrections specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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