Correctional officers are responsible for enforcing rules and regulations in a prison or jail. They oversee individuals who have been arrested and are awaiting trial, or who have been sentenced to serve time in a jail.
What does a Correctional Officer do?
Inside a prison or jail, correctional officers enforce rules and regulations so as to prevent any disturbances. They supervise the daily activities of inmates so that they know where all inmates are in order to prevent escapes.
What is the workplace of a Correctional Officer like?
The vast majority of correctional officers work for the government. Some are employed by private companies that provide correctional services to prisons and jails.
Working in a correctional institution can be stressful and dangerous. Every year, correctional officers are injured in confrontations with inmates, having one of the highest rates of nonfatal on-the-job injuries.
Below is How to Become A Correctional Officer South Africa
The most important part of becoming a correctional officer is the proper training. Here’s how to get there.
Step 1
Obtain a high school diploma or GED
For many correctional officer jobs, a high school diploma or equivalent is all that’s required. However, some employers or work settings might demand higher education, and earning a postsecondary degree can be vitally important for advancement later on.
Step 2
Obtain a bachelor’s degree (if necessary)
For those who want to work at the federal level, a bachelor’s degree is preferred. However, the bachelor’s can sometimes be substituted with three years of applicable correctional or related experience.
Those who have aspirations of obtaining a high ranking position within a prison, such as a warden, a bachelor’s degree or higher may be needed.
Step 3
Pass the entrance exam
Municipalities and jurisdictions will have their own unique requirements for applicants, but many require passage of some sort of entrance exam before being accepted into a correctional officer training program.
These exams often include a physical aspect, ensuring potential officers can handle the rigorous duties that might be required during disturbances or other incidents, as well as a written examination that focuses on legal issues that come into play during incarceration.
Some require a psychological examination as well, to ensure that a potential officer is able to handle the mental and emotional toll that comes along with working with inmates.
Step 4
Enter a training academy
Depending on the job and employer, individuals who intend to work in a jail or prison system and do not have the necessary prior experience will need to obtain relevant training from an academy or training center.
These training programs can last a few weeks to a few months and will provide extensive training such as weapons, self defense, inmate handling, officer safety, crisis management and physical conditioning.
Step 5
Gain experience
Much of the day-to-day work can only be learned through experience and on-the-job training.
After completing a training academy program, correctional officers will start accruing valuable correctional experience that can make them more effective officers and allow for professional advancement later on. It is important to take advantage of every opportunity to learn something new, from firearms training to psychological counseling methods.
Step 6
Advance
Getting additional degrees and credentials can increase a correctional officer’s chances of gaining more responsibility, higher pay and a promotion. Those who focus on management, psychology and communication can prepare themselves for a move into the managerial side of a prison or detention center.
Jumping into training to broaden knowledge and skills is also helpful – for instance, officers could become experts in the use of non-lethal force, or study to lead a riot team.
Types of Correctional Careers and Related Degrees
Corrections Certificate
A certificate is a popular choice for students who are already established in a legal related field but seek additional knowledge about corrections. Depending on the school, the certificate can serve as the first step in an associate degree in corrections.
Skills of Correctional Officer South Africa
Correctional officers deal with stressful and dangerous situations; therefore, they must have a set of skills and tools to allow them to do their job effectively and safely. There are also credentials that correctional officers should look into obtaining to improve their chances of professional advancement:
Good judgment
Correctional officers work in close proximity to inmates every single day. A seemingly normal event can become an emergency situation if the right steps aren’t initially taken. A correctional officer will also need to be able to distinguish a potential threat from innocent behavior.
Good observation skills
Many harmful encounters or serious events that correctional officers will have to face will come without obvious warning. Having keen observational skills can help an officer spot these events before they happen.
Responsibilities of correctional officers in South Africa
Enforce rules and keep order within jails or prisons
Supervise activities of inmates
Aid in rehabilitation and counselling of offenders
Inspect conditions within facilities to ensure that they meet established standards
Search inmates for contraband items
Report on inmate conduct
How long does it take to become a correctional officer in South Africa?
Learners get rehabilitation skills through correction and human development in a secure, safe, and humane detention or under community-based correctional supervision.
The duration of this programme is 12 months. Successful candidates will receive a monthly stipend of R5000 per month during their placement.
Where can I study Correctional Services in South Africa?
Basic training is offered at the Department of Correctional Services’ two training colleges at Kroonstad and Zonderwater near Cullinan, before members are transferred to one of the facilities in the country.
Is it easy to become a correctional officer in South Africa ?
The training is intensive and very demanding. It involves face-to-face program delivery, weapons training and survival training. Correctional centre procedures, managing inmates from minority or special needs groups, weapons use, social issues; and.
Is education free in jail South Africa?
Free education, up to and including grade 12 (including N1-N3 business studies) is provided to all sentenced juveniles and also to adult learners where resources permit or education qualifications can be obtained by means of distance learning in the learners own time and at his/her own expense.
How many points are needed for correctional services?
Selection criteria:
To be considered for this qualification, applicants must have an Admission Point Score (APS) of at least 20.
Is correctional officer Academy difficult in South Africa ?
Is the CDCR academy hard? Working as a prison guard is tough, so the training has to be demanding.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Academy in Galt provides California correctional officer training. It is a 12-week course or 16 weeks if you want to work with juveniles in the system.
Can you have tattoos as a correctional officer in South Africa ?
But the NSW Sheriff was swayed by the Australian Federal Police directive that visible tattoos are to be covered. the Tattoo Direction is to be enforced. the only concession is if long sleeve shirts are worn a tie is not required.
Do correctional officers have to cut their hair?
Bill Sessa, a spokesperson for the in South Africa Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, said the policy was clear: Men must cut their hair above the collar; women are allowed longer hair, but only if it’s placed in a bun. “An officer cannot have long hair that goes beyond the shirt collar.”