Correctional Service Officers
Job description
These individuals monitor offenders and inmates. They maintain order in correctional facilities and other detention locations. This group includes supervisors.
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
- Vehicle or passenger compartment
- Hazardous workplaces
- Violence
Main tasks
- Supervise the conduct of offenders and inmates during work, meals, and recreation.
- Make rounds in their assigned areas and report problems to their supervisor.
- Observe and report on the behaviour of offenders.
- Escort inmates during travel or temporary absence.
- Supervise and coordinate the work of other officers, as required.
- Intervene with inmates to enforce institutional laws and regulations.
- Maintain order and discipline in their area of responsibility.
- Interact with persons in their custody, individually or in groups, to carry out prevention, inform, educate, and support persons in their progress through prison.
Advancement and mobility
- A few years of experience leads to head of unit positions.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $31.00
- Median
- $38.46
- Maximum
- $48.72
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
All of Québec
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
All of Québec
Gender distribution
All of Québec
- 37.2% Female
- 62.8% Male
- 37.2% Female
- 62.8% Male
Job types
All of Québec
- Full time
- Part time
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- None
All of Québec
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
-
NAICS 9197% of jobs
-
NAICS 55, 563% of jobs
-
NAICS 6240% of jobs
-
NAICS 621, 622, 6230% of jobs
-
NAICS 621, 622, 6230% of jobs
-
Others0% of jobs
All of Québec
-
NAICS 9197% of jobs
-
NAICS 55, 563% of jobs
-
NAICS 6240% of jobs
-
NAICS 621, 622, 6230% of jobs
-
NAICS 621, 622, 6230% of jobs
-
Others0% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
College
ACS in techniques d'intervention en milieu carcéral
Placement rate: 79.2%
13.2% of graduates pursue further studies
ACS in techniques d'intervention en milieu correctionnel
Placement rate: 83.3%
8.3% of graduates pursue further studies
DCS in techniques d’intervention en criminologie
Placement rate: 68%
30.2% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
- Meet the requirements of physical agility, strength, and fitness.
- Have completed two years of post-secondary education that has provided knowledge and skills required for the job, including the use of helping relationship techniques, social intervention, facilitation, observation, and interviewing methods.
Correctional Service Officers
- Successful completion of Correctional Service of Canada training to work in federal institutions.
Correctional Service Officer Supervisors
- Experience as a Correctional Services Officer.
Sometimes required
- Training in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is usually required.
Correctional Service Officers
- Basic training is usually required to work in provincial institutions.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Oral expression
- Social perception
- Active listening
- Result evaluation
- Information processing
- Critical thought
- Reading comprehension
- Coordination
- Persuasion
- Solving complex problems
- Written expression
- Judgment and decision-making
- Negotiation
- Active learning
- Teaching
- Time management
- Learning strategies
- Service oriented
Abilities
- Awareness of issues
- Speech clarity
- Oral comprehension
- Verbal skills
- Speech recognition
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning
- Near vision
- Selective attention
- Written comprehension
- Distance vision
- Written expression
- Information organization
- Core strength
- Explosive strength
- Static muscle power
- Processing flexibility
- Auditory attention
- Limb coordination
- Dynamic strength
- Endurance
- Hearing sensitivity
- Time sharing
- Perception speed
- Reaction time
- Response orientation
Knowledge and attributes
- Capacity to work under pressure
- Diplomacy
- Focussed on results
- Autonomy
- Sense of responsibility
- Capacity to work in a team
- Respect standards and regulations
- Sense of observation
- Knowledge of public safety and security
- Enjoy challenges
Interests
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Watch, defend, and secure
- Assist and advise
- Teach or educate
- Assist or care for people
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Social
- People with this profile prefer to be in contact with others, in particular to entertain, help or teach them.
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
- Conventional
- People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
Official name of the NOC 43201
Correctional service officers
Job titles
- Correctional officer
- Prison officer
- Correctional service officer
- Correctional officers supervisor
- Jail guard
- Head correctional officer
- Escort - correctional services
- Correctional facility guard
- Institution guard - correctional service
- Penal institution guard
- Convict guard
- Reformatory guard
- Primary worker – correctional service
- Primary worker/kimisinaw - correctional service
- Matron - correctional service
- Correctional services unit supervisor
- Correctional institution head matron
Skill type
Education, law and social, community and government services
Last update: January 29, 2026