If you’ve decided that law enforcement is for you, consider becoming a correctional officer for your state, county or the federal government.
The great thing about government jobs is that it’s a lot more secure than private sector jobs. In some instances, especially jobs at the federal level, the pay and benefits are better in all facets.
Becoming a correctional officer, county jailer or prison guard for your state or county takes a lot of mandatory steps before you are sworn in as a certified CO. To be honest with you the entire application process is a long and tedious one.
REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME A CORRECTIONS OFFICER:
Before you are even allowed to apply for a position in corrections, you must meet the minimum requirements below:
- You must be at least 18 years old (some state require that you be 21)
- You must not have been convicted of a felony
- You must not have been convicted of domestic battery
- You must not have a pending criminal case
- You must pass all pre-employment drug screen
- You must pass the psychological exam
WATCH THE VIDEO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO BECOME A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER:
ADDITIONAL STEPS TO BECOME A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER (JAILER, PRISON GUARD, DETENTION OFFICER):
STEP#1: CIVIL SERVICE EXAM:
You must get a satisfactory score on the correctional officer exam. The higher you score on the exam – the better ( we recommend looking over sample questions and answers at this site)
STEP #2: POLYGRAPH TEST:
You must pass the polygraph test. The polygraph exam is really tricky. Statistics show that 50% of all people who take the polygraph test – fails it. That’s why we recommend reading How To Pass Your Polygraph beforehand.
STEP# 3: CORRECTIONAL PANEL INTERVIEW:
You must pass the correctional officer oral board interview. We recommend reviewing situational interview questions at this site. It’s a very good corrections interview prep book.
STEP #4: PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST:
You must pass the physical fitness test. Some agencies don’t require a fitness test for their applicants. however a great amount of correctional agencies do. We suggest downloading a comprehensive law enforcement specific workout program here.
