Job description Correctional Officer in the North Central Region

Find out what work is like for a correctional officer in Canada. This work description is applicable to all Correctional service officers (NOC 43201).

Correctional service officers

Description

Correctional service officers guard offenders and detainees and maintain order in correctional institutions and other places of detention. Primary workers develop women offender’s correctional plan and work with other service officers in the correctional team. They are employed by federal, provincial and municipal governments. Correctional service officers who are supervisors are included in this unit group.

Work week duration

Correctional service officers usually work between 35 to 40 hours per week.
Between 35 to 40 hours

Job duties

Here are some of the main activities and tasks that Correctional service officers have to perform, and some of the physical demands they involve:

  • Observe conduct and behaviour of offenders and detainees to prevent disturbances and escapes
  • Supervise offenders during work assignments, meals and recreation periods
  • Patrol assigned area and report any problems to supervisor
  • Conduct security checks and scanning of visitors, inmates and their cells, working areas and recreational activity areas
  • Observe behaviour of offenders and prepare reports
  • Escort detainees in transit and during temporary leaves
  • Prepare admission, program, release, transfer and other reports
  • May supervise and coordinate work of other correctional service officers.
  • May develop offenders’ correctional plan and facilitate their participation in reintegration programs in collaboration with psychologists, behavioral counsellors, parole officers and others.

Physical demands Help - Physical Demands

  • Standing
  • Making repetitive motions
  • Handling material manually
  • Walking and running
  • Sitting

Physical demands

Physical demands are the physical activities that the job requires the worker to do. Physical demands are selected according to the likeliness that workers will have to perform them for at least half of the time they spend at work.

Workplaces and employers

Here are the typical workplaces where Correctional service officers are employed and some of their main characteristics:

  • Municipal governments
  • Federal government
  • Provincial governments

Work environment Help - Physical Work Environment

  • Indoors, environmentally controlled
  • Biological agents
  • Sound and noise

Physical proximity from others Help - Physical proximity from others

  • Close (at arm’s length)

Work environment

The work environment refers to the physical setting in which people work. The characteristics and conditions of the work environment are selected according to the likeliness that workers will be exposed to them at least once a week.

Physical proximity from others

Physical proximity from others refers to the physical distance between individuals in the workplace. The likeliness that the job requires to perform tasks while being physically close to other people is rated on a scale with 3 levels: "Somewhat close", "Close" and "Very close".

Related job titles

Here are some other related job titles that are found in the same occupational category (NOC 43201), and a list of similar occupations:

  • correctional facility guard
  • correctional officers supervisor
  • correctional service officer
  • primary worker – correctional service
  • primary worker/kimisinaw - correctional service
  • prison guard

Similar occupations Help - Similar occupations

Similar occupations

This section lists other occupations that are part of the same broad occupational category as Correctional service officers in the National Occupational Classification (NOC). These occupations involve similar core qualifications but involve different responsibilities. To see more similar occupations, use the Job Transition Tool.

Sources Occupational and Skills Information System & National Occupational Classification

Labour Market Information Survey
Date modified: