NCJ Number
127350
Journal
Corrections Compendium Volume: 11 Issue: 7 Dated: (January 1987) Pages: 9-13
Date Published
1987
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This report on a recent Contact Center survey of more than 100,000 correctional officers presents findings on salary, qualifications, turnover rates, and job openings.
Abstract
Approximately 86 percent of those surveyed are men with an average salary of $19,039. Starting salaries for officers average $15,644. Starting salaries for correctional officers are highest in the West, especially in the Pacific West; officers start at $25,668 in California. The average annual salary of all correctional officers is highest in the Mid-Atlantic States, where the average in three States is over $24,000. More than half of the responding States are able to attract officers with qualifications exceeding those required for entry. A significant number of officers have post-high school education; previous related work experience is common among the officers. Officer turnover rates ranged from less than 1 percent annually in Alabama to 45 percent in Massachusetts. The national average is approximately 17 percent. Women compose only about 14 percent of the correctional officer force nationwide, but almost one-third of the women officers represented in the survey (14,250) work in institutions housing male inmates. Two-thirds of the responding correctional systems expect to increase their correctional officer force during 1987. A chart provides survey information by State, in a regional format, on the number of officers, inmate-to-officer ratios, and salaries. Another chart indicates general officer entry requirements for each State and whether they expect to increase their officer staff and by how much during 1987.