What You'll Do

  • Take, receive, or check periodic inmate counts.
  • Maintain order, discipline, and security within assigned areas in accordance with relevant rules, regulations, policies, and laws.
  • Respond to emergencies, such as escapes.
  • Maintain knowledge of, comply with, and enforce all institutional policies, rules, procedures, and regulations.
  • Supervise and direct the work of correctional officers to ensure the safe custody, discipline, and welfare of inmates.
  • Restrain, secure, or control offenders, using chemical agents, firearms, or other weapons of force as necessary.
  • Supervise or perform searches of inmates or their quarters to locate contraband items.
  • Monitor behavior of subordinates to ensure alert, courteous, and professional behavior toward inmates, parolees, fellow employees, visitors, and the public.
  • Complete administrative paperwork or supervise the preparation or maintenance of records, forms, or reports.
  • Instruct employees or provide on-the-job training.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 4.0/5
Critical Thinking 4.0/5
Monitoring 4.0/5
Social Perceptiveness 4.0/5
Coordination 4.0/5
Speaking 3.88/5
Reading Comprehension 3.75/5
Management of Personnel Resources 3.75/5
Writing 3.5/5
Persuasion 3.5/5
Negotiation 3.5/5
Active Learning 3.25/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Leader: Taking charge and moving ideas forward motivates you.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Helper: Supporting people and making a difference matters to you.

Common styles

Stress Tolerance, Dependability, Integrity, Self-Control, Cautiousness

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Comprehension 4.0/5
Oral Expression 4.0/5
Problem Sensitivity 4.0/5
Deductive Reasoning 4.0/5
Written Comprehension 3.88/5
Written Expression 3.75/5
Inductive Reasoning 3.75/5
Speech Clarity 3.62/5

Technologies & Tools

3M Electronic Monitoring Email software Guardian RFID Jail management software Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Word

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Stress Tolerance (High importance: 5.0/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.95/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.95/5)
  • Self-Control (High importance: 4.75/5)
  • Cautiousness (High importance: 4.75/5)

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How to Become One

This career typically requires vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some specialized training or certification may also be required.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Correction Officer Supervisor Correction Warden Correctional Case Records Supervisor Correctional Officer Captain Correctional Supervisor Detention Director Detention Supervisor Guard Chief Guard Supervisor Juvenile Justice Supervisor Prison Guard Supervisor Shift Supervisor Ward Supervisor

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.