Federal Correctional Officer BY: Jordan Urick

What does a Federal Correctional Officer do? Federal corrections officers work for the Federal Bureau of Prisons to manage inmates incarcerated in federal facilities that range from minimum-security prisons to penitentiaries, which have high- security perimeters and close control of inmate movement.

What does a Federal Correctional Officer do? They can also work in administrative institutions, which have special missions, such as detaining offenders before trial, or treating inmates with serious medical problems

Duties of a Federal Correctional Officer Their primary mission is to enforce the regulations of their institutions, “serving as both a supervisor and counselor of inmates,”. They prevent disturbances or escapes, supervise daily activities and ensure conditions at their facilities meet standards.

Duties of a Federal Correctional Officer The job can be highly stressful and dangerous, with rates of injury and illness that are higher than the national average, because they can confront aggressive and violent individuals. However, since prisoners stay longer in federal prisons than in county jails, officers get to know with whom they are dealing and how to handle them, making federal prisons safer than county institutions.

Qualifications for Federal Correctional Officers Applicants to the correctional officer position must have either at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, or at least three years of experience counseling individuals, responding to emergencies, supervising or managing, selling products or services, or teaching. Acceptable experience can come from such jobs as probation worker, firefighter, nurse, clergyman, paramedic or security guard. Unpaid or volunteer experience is also acceptable.

Qualifications for Federal Correctional Officers Applicants must be less than 37 years old unless they served in a federal civil law enforcement position with special civil service retirement programs.

Benefits for a Federal Correctional Officers As part of their total compensation, federal correction officers receive the benefits due all government workers. This includes yearly leave ranging from 13 to 26 days for vacation, 13 sick days and 10 paid federal holidays. An awards program that recognizes superior performance can enhance advancement opportunities.

Benefits of a Federal Correctional Officers Officers may buy life and health insurance for themselves and their families, with the government footing most of the cost. After 20 years of service, officers may retire at age 50 under the Federal Employment Retirement System, which provides income

Salary As of January 2012, federal corrections officers are hired at the GS-05 grade level, which ranges from $27,431 to $35,657 annually, reports the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Those with at least 14 quarter hours of graduate study in criminal justice, criminology or related field, or who have at least a year of experienced in law enforcement positions, can be hired at the GS-06 level, which ranges from $30,577 to $39,748 per year.

Salary This increases the GS-05 salary to a range of $34,881 to $45,341 per year, GS-06: $38,882 to $50,544 annually, and GS-15: $126,687 to $155,500 yearly.