We may earn an affiliate commission when you visit our partners.

Correctional Officer

Save
March 29, 2024 Updated May 12, 2025 15 minute read

Correctional Officer: A Comprehensive Career Guide

Correctional Officers play a vital role in the criminal justice system, primarily responsible for the supervision, safety, and security of individuals incarcerated in prisons, jails, and other detention facilities. Their core mission involves maintaining order, preventing disturbances and escapes, and ensuring the well-being of both inmates and staff within the controlled environment of a correctional institution. This career path operates within diverse settings, including federal, state, and local facilities, each with unique operational demands and inmate populations.

Share

Help others find this career page by sharing it with your friends and followers:

Salaries for Correctional Officer

City
Median
New York
$89,000
San Francisco
$97,000
Seattle
$60,000
See all salaries
City
Median
New York
$89,000
San Francisco
$97,000
Seattle
$60,000
Austin
$63,000
Toronto
$60,000
London
£30,000
Paris
€35,100
Berlin
€61,000
Tel Aviv
₪136,000
Singapore
S$12,000
Beijing
¥121,000
Shanghai
¥121,000
Shenzhen
¥84,600
Bengalaru
₹375,000
Delhi
₹232,000
Bars indicate relevance. All salaries presented are estimates. Completion of this course does not guarantee or imply job placement or career outcomes.

Path to Correctional Officer

Take the first step.
We've curated 24 courses to help you on your path to Correctional Officer. Use these to develop your skills, build background knowledge, and put what you learn to practice.
Sorted from most relevant to least relevant:

Reading list

We haven't picked any books for this reading list yet.
This textbook provides a comprehensive overview of the American criminal justice system, from policing to corrections.
This textbook provides an overview of the relationship between race, crime, and justice in the United States.
This comprehensive handbook provides a broad overview of criminology, covering a wide range of topics including theories of crime, criminal behavior, and the criminal justice system.
This textbook provides a sociological perspective on the criminal justice system, focusing on the social and political forces that shape it.
This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the field of corrections, covering topics such as the history of corrections, the different types of correctional institutions, and the challenges faced by offenders.
This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the field of sentencing and corrections.
Edited by one of the leading scholars in criminology, 'Corrections: A Comprehensive Overview' textbook that provides a comprehensive overview of the history, theory, and practice of corrections.
This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the field of policing, covering topics such as the history, theory, and practice of policing. It also includes chapters on specific topics such as community policing, crime prevention, and the use of force.
As an introductory text, it provides a comprehensive overview of Law enforcement and the United States criminal justice system at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as the role that law enforcement plays in society. This is an excellent place to start for most students.
This report provides an overview of the trends in U.S. corrections, including data on the prison population, the use of probation and parole, and the racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
This report examines the collateral consequences of mass incarceration, such as the loss of voting rights, the inability to obtain employment, and the stigma associated with a criminal record.
This report examines the financial burden of the criminal justice system, including the costs of fines, fees, and bail.
Examines the future of punishment in the United States, arguing for a more just and humane system.
Examines the relationship between the criminal justice system and human rights, focusing on the ways in which the criminal justice system can violate human rights.
Examines the relationship between criminology and criminal policy, focusing on the ways in which criminological research can inform criminal policy.
This textbook provides a comprehensive overview of the field of correctional counseling.
Provides a comprehensive history of the American prison system, from its origins in the 18th century to the present day.
Table of Contents
Our mission

OpenCourser helps millions of learners each year. People visit us to learn workspace skills, ace their exams, and nurture their curiosity.

Our extensive catalog contains over 50,000 courses and twice as many books. Browse by search, by topic, or even by career interests. We'll match you to the right resources quickly.

Find this site helpful? Tell a friend about us.

Affiliate disclosure

We're supported by our community of learners. When you purchase or subscribe to courses and programs or purchase books, we may earn a commission from our partners.

Your purchases help us maintain our catalog and keep our servers humming without ads.

Thank you for supporting OpenCourser.

© 2016 - 2025 OpenCourser