• Prospective corrections officers must undergo many hours of training and meet physical requirements.prison image by Albert Lozano from Fotolia.com
  
  Corrections officers are responsible for maintaining peace within a jail or prison while the prisoners eat, work or have recreation breaks. A corrections officer has no law enforcement authority outside the prison. The median salary in 2008 for a correctional officer was $38,380, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  
  

Educational Requirements

• While some prisons only require a high school diploma, more and more are looking for correctional officer trainees with at least community college courses in law enforcement. Some correctional facilities, especially federal ones, now require a Bachelor's degree plus work experience for their new hires. Law enforcement classes prepare candidates to work in a correctional facility and to understand prisoner psychology. Classes in the basics of the justice system are part of the curriculum as well. In some cases, military training may substitute for college coursework.
  
  

Physical Requirements

• Depending on the correctional facility, correctional officers must be 18 years old. In some instances, 21 is the minimum age. In addition to meeting citizenship requirements and not having any previous felony convictions, a correctional officer must be able to pass a physical examination. He must meet or exceed baseline requirements for physical fitness and meet hearing and eyesight requirements. As part of the application process, the candidate must also pass drug tests. In some instances, the prospective candidate must also pass a psychological exam as well as a background check.
  
  

Additional Training

• Once hired, a correctional officer must undergo additional training to work for the penal system. This training includes extensive physical training as well firearms and self-defense training. Coursework on institutional policies, regulations and daily operations is part of the course of study. The length of this additional training varies by employer. To work in the Federal prison system, you can expect to spend at least 200 hours in training at a regional training center before the job begins. An additional 120 hours of work at the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons training center located in Glynco, Georgia are required.
  
  

Job Description

• Working as part of the law enforcement team, the corrections officer escorts inmates between cellblocks and supervises inmates outside the prison on work details and during court appearances. The corrections officer is responsible for keeping records of inmate activities and for filing information in a timely manner. Working in smaller jails puts the correction officer in direct contact with the prisoners. Supervision of prisoners in large, maximum security facilities may consist of monitoring inmates from closed circuit televisions.