Corrections Officers: Changing Educational Requirements Essay

They also point out the relatively low pay compared scale with other law enforcement professionals, and the fact that officers have no law enforcement responsibilities outside of the institution where they work, unlike police officers who have a responsibility to protect the community, even when they are technically off-duty. The median annual salary of correctional officers was $35,760 in May 2006. The median annual earnings in the public sector was $47,750 for federal government officers compared with officers employed in state government institutions whose median income was $36,140 and $34,820 for local government institutions ("Corrections officers," BLS, 2009). This may reflect the higher educational requirements of the federal system and the more extensive duties of corrections officers on a federal level.

However, the types of critical thinking required in a prison environment go beyond mere technical capabilities provided by on-the-job raining.Some form of college degree can be helpful and even necessary to deal with virtually any type of prison environment. AB.A. In criminal justice provides a background in psychology, sociology, counseling, and other aspects of law enforcement that might be useful on a daily basis within the prison system. As prisoners are phased back into the community through a gradual houses, through 'halfway' houses or work and educational opportunities, the counseling experience provided by a B.A. In criminology or psychology might prove useful to aid prisoners in the transition. Thus, an individual contemplating a career in corrections today would be well-advised to seek out additional education, as even it is not a requirement at present, it is likely to be necessary or at minimum, extremely useful in the future to those in the field.

Works Cited

"Correctional officers." Bureau of Labor.....