Enroll In Criminal Justice or Corrections Programs

Why enroll in a criminal corrections program?

The officers who work at corrections facilities, jails and prisons have an important role in ensuring our judicial system works correctly, and that individuals are being treated humanely and within their rights while waiting for a trial or serving out a sentence. There is some risk associated with the career field, but for many people, knowing they’re helping to protect their communities and potentially help rehabilitate people, the risk is worth taking. If you are detail-oriented, have good interpersonal skills and decision-making skills, a calm demeanor and physical strength, a career in criminal corrections might be right for you.

How to choose a criminal corrections certificate program

Schools around the country offer online and on-campus criminal corrections certificate programs can increase your chances of getting a job as a corrections officer or jailer. Usually, these programs can be completed quickly – often in just a few months. To make earning your criminal corrections certificate even easier, many schools offer the option to enroll in an online criminal corrections program, which means you’ll be able to study and take exams on your own time, from wherever you are. Whether you complete your criminal corrections training online or on campus, you’ll probably need to attend a training academy before you start your first job. The length of these training programs varies by state, but typically lasts several months.

It’s common for prisons, jails and correctional facilities to have relationships with schools that offer criminal corrections training programs. If there’s a local facility where you’d like to work, it might be a good idea to reach out and see if this is the case. Often, graduates of a facility’s preferred criminal corrections program will be first in line when a new position opens up.