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First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of correctional officers and jailers.
Other titles employers use
Correctional Officer Captain · Correctional Supervisor · Chief Jailer · Correctional Officer Sergeant · Corrections Sergeant · Prison Guard Supervisor
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Take, receive, or check periodic inmate counts.
- Maintain order, discipline, and security within assigned areas in accordance with relevant rules, regulations, policies, and laws.
- Maintain knowledge of, comply with, and enforce all institutional policies, rules, procedures, and regulations.
- Respond to emergencies, such as escapes.
- Supervise and direct the work of correctional officers to ensure the safe custody, discipline, and welfare of inmates.
- Supervise or perform searches of inmates or their quarters to locate contraband items.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to persuading, organizing and helping work.
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Speaking
Subjects to know
- Public Safety and Security
- Law and Government
- Administration and Management
- Psychology
- English Language
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Written Comprehension
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.0 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.3 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 2.4 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 59%
- A two-year degree 23%
- A four-year degree 11%
- A certificate or some college 7%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Data base user interface and query software
- Electronic mail software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Presentation software
- Word processing software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 6,300
- Job openings each year
- 480
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- −5.3%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 6,300 | 480 | −5.3% |
| Texas | 4,750 | 380 | 2.6% |
| California | 4,400 | 340 | −2.2% |
| New York | 4,290 | 20 | 5.7% |
| Louisiana | 3,390 | 260 | −2.3% |
| Virginia | 2,500 | 200 | — |
| Georgia | 1,940 | 160 | 2.1% |
| Maryland | 1,790 | 140 | 1.1% |
| North Carolina | 1,490 | 120 | 1.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,390 | 110 | −2.1% |
| New Jersey | 1,270 | 100 | −3.8% |
| Washington | 1,220 | 120 | 9.9% |
| Indiana | 1,210 | 90 | −4.0% |
| Kentucky | 1,200 | 90 | −2.4% |
| Arizona | 1,100 | 90 | 3.8% |
| Tennessee | 1,060 | 90 | 16.5% |
| Kansas | 1,030 | 80 | −1.9% |
| Missouri | 990 | 80 | −5.7% |
| Colorado | 910 | 80 | 9.6% |
| Michigan | 850 | 60 | −6.6% |
| Wisconsin | 830 | 60 | −3.5% |
| Minnesota | 770 | 60 | — |
| Arkansas | 630 | 50 | −1.6% |
| Ohio | 560 | 40 | −3.4% |
| Oklahoma | 560 | 50 | — |
| New Mexico | 530 | 40 | — |
| Connecticut | 490 | 40 | 2.1% |
| South Carolina | 490 | 40 | 4.3% |
| Oregon | 450 | 40 | 4.7% |
| Nebraska | 440 | 40 | — |
| Alabama | 430 | 30 | — |
| Utah | 400 | 40 | 11.1% |
| Mississippi | 360 | 30 | — |
| Idaho | 340 | 30 | — |
| Iowa | 290 | 20 | — |
| Nevada | 260 | 20 | — |
| Delaware | 250 | 20 | −3.8% |
| West Virginia | 190 | 10 | −9.5% |
| Maine | 180 | 10 | — |
| Massachusetts | 170 | 10 | — |
| Montana | 160 | 10 | 6.7% |
| North Dakota | 130 | 10 | — |
| New Hampshire | 120 | 10 | — |
| Wyoming | 90 | 10 | — |
| Alaska | 80 | 10 | — |
| Vermont | 60 | 10 | — |
| South Dakota | 50 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- Degrees each year
- 1,454
- Admit rate
- 57%
- Annual cost after aid
- $7,000
Southern New Hampshire University
- Degrees each year
- 895
- Admit rate
- 96%
- Annual cost after aid
- $37,000
Sam Houston State University
- Degrees each year
- 888
- Admit rate
- 85%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
Liberty University
- Degrees each year
- 572
- Admit rate
- 99%
- Annual cost after aid
- $27,000
Florida State University
- Degrees each year
- 554
- Admit rate
- 25%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
California State University-Sacramento
- Degrees each year
- 539
- Admit rate
- 94%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
Florida International University
- Degrees each year
- 492
- Admit rate
- 59%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- Degrees each year
- 476
- Admit rate
- 85%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000
Compare every college offering criminal justice and corrections