Written Response

After finishing the careers class I thought a lot about what I want to do about my future job. I decided that I wanted to be come a correctional officer. I want to become a correctional officer because I am a people person, I do not like to put up with rube behavior towards everyone. I found a job that fits me very well, I can not wait until my future. I love working with people I am out going, determined, responsible. I have always been around people since I was little, my mom worked at the ORC. Now she looks after kids, I got the drive to become a correctional officer after highschool after talking to one of my friends mom, as she is a correctional officer. I have many different interest and hobbies. I love playing sports from soccer to tennis. I have volunteered with the Special Olympic at College Avenue Secondary School. Some of my hobbies are hanging out with friends and family. I like to shop also. With becoming a correctional officer it is good to be physically fit, all the sports I play help me become physically fit. With volunteering with the Special Olympics I knew I wanted to work with kids or adults. In corrections I do get to work with adults inside the cells or co-workers. My brightest colour is blue, with the colour blue that mean that I relate well with other, supportive, dedicated, motivating. With the strengths from blue it helps me in my job that I have so many different strengths. With the strength’s of a person there always comes weaknesses, with the colour blue potential weaknesses are goal-setting, time management, can’t say no, take on too much. Everyone has different learning styles, my highest learning style is interpersonal. Interpersonal is being interactive with people. You work well with other are good with people and public speaking.


My Future
I can not tell my future because whatever happens, happens you can not change the future. But for my future I would like to work for enough to buy a 4 bedroom house with my husband that has a good stable job. I would have a stable job because I will never know what will happen between my husband and I, but I pray that nothing with happen. That I can support myself and my children and stay in my house where my children grow up in. I want to have twins a boy and a girl. The boy’s name is going to be Bentley, the girl’s name is going to be Kragen. During everything that is going to happen in the future, I want to keep my close friends apart of my life. People come into your life for a reason, people leave for a reason. I can just take one day at a time, I will not try to plan anything for my future. I will love whatever happens because I feel that god makes things happen for a reason.

Trends

Demographics: With the large population of "baby boomers" getting older and not committing crimes there is not going to be a lot of the baby boomers in the jails. With the young generation there is going to be more crimes committed by murder or technology crimes.

Technology: With the technology growing, there is going to be more crimes committed with technology. In the jails there is going to be more people in the cells because of technology. The young generation is about technology. Technology is taking a place in everyday lives. Technology is going to be helpful in a correctional job because when the inmates get into a fight, officers had to write is done by hand but, now with the computer officers just type it into the computer.

Globalization: Begin in a jail with inmates that have committed dangerous crimes. The technology is able the officers to keep informed by the other jails around the world. Globalization is helpful to officers because of the rules or information has changed in the world globalization is able to contact every jail around the world at the same time.

Information Age: Technology is growing and becoming fast. With the technology becoming fast it is going to take longer and harder to get the criminals. It is going to become hard for the officers to get the ciber life because everyone is using technology, it will take longer to track down what is going on the internet.

Environment: Society is growing fast and the population is going up. There is going to be more crimes committed by the younger generation. With the baby boomers getting older, they are not going to committe crimes. The young generation is going to committe more crimes when they get older. Technology is going to be a big part of crimes in the future. Everyone uses technology, you can do anything on the internet.

Programs for Corrections

Career Opportunities

The Community and Justice Services Program prepares you for an exciting career in the criminal justice system.

Graduates of this program find positions as:

• Youth workers or counsellors (open and secure custody)
• Correctional officers (detention centres, correctional centres and penitentiaries)
• Program facilitators (anger management, addictions counselling)
• Life skills counselors
• Bail officers
• Attendence counselors
• Treatment counselors
• Probation and parole supervisors (with a university degree)
• Case managers
• Outreach workers
• Victim services workers
• Community service order co-ordinators
• Crisis centre counselors
• Community residential counselors (halfway house)

Canadian Military Police Careers

The Canadian Military Police have made Community and Justice Services (Correctional Worker) a mandatory pre-requisite for MP hiring. Military Police regularly recruit our students.

MP recruiters have attended and conducted recruiting sessions for our students - year one and two, on a number of occasions. Niagara College is proud of the remarkable recruiting partnership.

To get hired by the Military Police, an applicant must be a Police Foundations, Law and Security Administration, or Community and Justice Services (Correctional Worker) graduate or its equivalent.

Additionally, this boosts entry-level salary from 30K to 53K. The Military Police attended graduation in Spring 2008 and hired 7 Police Foundation students. There is an unprecedented volume of jobs available nationally.

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The Niagara College Difference

• Program Outline mirrors industry standards and incorporates case management theory and practice
• Program emphasizes interpersonal communication, problem-solving, professional ethics and knowledge of relevant legislation
• Through 450 hours of work experience students gain industry skills and knowledge and have the opportunity to showcase these skills to prospective employers
• Work experience placements are available throughout the Niagara Region, Hamilton, Toronto and beyond
• Program Advisory Committee composed of a wide range of dedicated Justice Service industry leaders

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Testimonials and Profiles

“The quality of this program can be measured by the consistently high number of graduating students who successfully obtain employment in the corrections field.”

Barry McDonnell, superintendent,
Niagara Detention Centre, Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services

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Admission Requirements

Minimum Admission Requirements for 2010-11 (OSS):

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), or equivalent, or 19 years of age or older as of the first day of classes, with no OSSD or equivalent (Mature Student) including the following required courses:
• English – any Grade 12 (C) or (U), or equivalent.

Recommended Courses and/or Recommended Skills (Not Required for Admission):

• Understanding Canadian Law–Grade 11 (M).
• Canadian Politics and Citizenship–Grade 11 (O).
• Aboriginal Beliefs, Values, and Aspirations in Contemporary Society–Grade 11 (C).
• Introduction to Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology–Grade 11 (M).
• Challenge and Change in Society–Grade 12 (M).

Selection & Ranking Process:

• For competitive programs (the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of available places), selection will be based on the most senior level final grade available at the time of ranking. Mid-term grades are not used for ranking purposes.
• Testing or other supplemental evaluation may be required.

Note:

• Mature Student applicants, or applicants who have an OSSD that includes Workplace (E) level learning, may be considered for admission after meeting with a staff member to review academic needs, interests and possible career directions. Academic testing and/or upgrading may be required.
• Secondary School grades from co-op courses and half credit courses are not considered.

Program Requirements:

• Criminal Records Check:
  Prior to third term all agencies require that a criminal records check be done as a requirement for field placement. Students with criminal charges or convictions may be severely limited in securing both employment and field placement opportunities in the criminal justice field. Field placement must be completed in order to graduate.
  
  All costs associated with the criminal records check are the responsibility of the student.
• Health Requirement:
  The confidential Communicable Disease Surveillance form must be completed and mailed, faxed or emailed to Niagara College Health Services prior to the first day of Term 1 . Requirements include proof of immunity to varicella, measles, mumps, rubella (2 doses), hepatitis B and tetanus diptheria. Students also must provide date of last pertussis immunization. Influenza vaccination is recommended. Documentation of a 2 step TB test is required prior to start of program.
  
  Some placement sites require current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and/or First Aid certification.
  
  All costs associated with CPR/First Aid, vaccinations, and/or verification, are the responsibility of the student.
  
  For most placements, students must be able to engage in moderate physical activity.
  
  All health requirements must be met one month prior to the start of the placement term or placement will be denied.
• Transportation:
  Students are responsible for their own transportation in order to complete field placement requirements. Niagara cannot guarantee placements that are readily accessible by public transportation. Students are responsible for all costs connected with such transportation. Therefore, provision of transportation for work placements will require access to a private vehicle. A valid driver’s licence is required.

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Educational Pathways

Niagara College has articulated agreements providing students with degree completion and credit transfer opportunities with many other colleges and universities.

• View Degree Opportunities for this Program
• View Degree Opportunities by Institution
• View Degree Opportunities by Subject

For a complete listing of articulation agreements, please consult theNiagara College Transfer Guide.

Working Conditions

Begin a correctional officer can be scary at time's when you are new at the job and a fight breaks out between the inmates. Officers have to take charge for the inmates and break up the fight. Officer's can be working outside or inside, depending in their specific duties. Indoor areas are well-lit, heated and ventilated, but others are crowded, hot and often noisy. Outdoor working can be miserable depending on the weather. if you are standing out on the guard tower it can be cold, wet weather. Standing out on the tower for several hours can get tiring. Officers work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week with rotating shifts. You can work different shifts from early morning, night, weekends sometime even holidays. Officers may be required to work overtime. Officers can often feel a great deal of stress while working in the jails. Beign in charge with dangerous men and women that have committed unbelieveable crimes. Officers have been injured an a few have been killed from the job. If you like working with people, but the people are on the other side of the bars, this is a job for you. It care be dangerous sometime, you can get a good experience for working as a correctional officer.

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages

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  You will have a good paying job that will support your family.



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  Can work in the indoor or outdoor environment with the inmates.



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  Correctional Officer's work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week



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  Must have good leadership skills and good problem-solving.



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  It will help if a correctional officer has a good scence of humor.



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  Can develop many different skills from beign a correctional officer that can be used in other occupations this can include good communication, supervisory, problem-solving and good writing skills.



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  Can travel throughout career.



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  This field can lead you into a high correction facilities

Disadvantages

• Officer's can get a great deal of stress.


• Rotating shifts with working night, early morning, weekends and even holiday shifts.


• Some offices have in injured or a few have been killed by the dangerous inmates.


• Outdoor conditions can be miserbale, by watching in a guard tower in the cold or wet weather for several hours.

Earings

Salary for a Correctional Officer.

Profession range from approximately $37,000 a year for new recruits with little or no experience, to $70,000 a year for senior officers with many years of experience. The national average salary is likely somewhere between $45,000 and $55,000 a year. Earnings also depend on the level of government, or the province, that the officer works for. Federal correctional officers usually make more than provincial officers, and salaries in some provinces are higher than others. Overtime work may sometimes be necessary, offering the opportunity to earn extra money. In addition to their salaries, full-time officers also receive benefits, such as paid vacation time, sick leave, and pension benefits equal to a percentage of their salaries. Many correctional officers are unionized. Benefits and salary levels for these officers are negotiated on their behalf by union representatives.

Education

Education you need for a correctional officers is;
4 English 4 Math 3 Science 4Social Studies 1Creative Arts 4Computers/ Technology 4French 1Personal & Career Development 4Health & Physical Education

Job Description

Are you interested in keeping the peace and working with peoplpe serving time? Then here is a great career for you, correctional officer. What is a correction officer? A correctional officer is responsible for the supervision, control and custody of criminal offenders who are either serving jail time or waiting for a court trial.

Officers monitor all of the inmates' activities, including working, exercising, eating, and even bathing. You will have to search inmates and their cells for any weapons, drugs, or IV needles. May have to settle disputes between inmates, and enforce discipline. To make sure the institution is secure, some officers are required to inspect locks, window bars, grille doors, and gates for signs of tampering. NO inmate can be allowed to escape. Correctional officers also guard towers, gates, fences, and buildings. In modern jails and prisons, officers also monitor inmates using security cameras installed throughout the building. Officers write reports on the behaviour of the inmates. They often keep a daily record of the inmates' activities and are required to report any inmate who disobeys the rules. Some officers are responsible for escorting inmates to and from cells. They may also take inmates to courtrooms or medical facilities. Inmates frequently do some kind of community work; officers also report on the inmates' efforts at that work. Officers are expected to act as role models for offenders. This is especially important for those who work with teenagers in young offender institutions. Helping prepare prisoners for their return to the outside community is an important part of the correctional officer's job.