Getting a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field will also help you understand the work of a correctional officer, which can include a prison officer, prison jailer, and prison warden. Having a better sense of what this position entails, will help you see if this is a career path you truly want to pursue.
Money management skills. One of your main jobs will be to use public funds to house, feed, and clothe prisoners adequately, as well as to provide crucial services such as education and health care to the prisoners. You’ll need to know how to manage money to make sure you can strike the best balance. Critical thinking skills. Your prison will be filled with problems, and it will often take creativity and hard thinking to find a way to solve it. Interpersonal skills. You’ll need to know how to not only interact and communicate with the inmates, but you’ll also need to know how to speak to your staff to communicate your needs. Physical strength. Though you’ll be doing much of your work from being a desk, you will also be interacting with prisoners, and you should stay strong in case you find yourself in a dangerous situation. Writing skills. You will need to have strong writing skills to work with other administrators in the federal system to communicate the needs of your prison effectively.
Start working as a correctional officer and work your way into being a lower-level administrator at the prison. Work in a position of management or administration in another relevant, or somewhat relevant field. Work in business management or other fields that require strong money management skills. Work in increasingly challenging roles as a supervisor. This will give you the experience you need to manage staff and inmates. Work as a police officer or an investigator. This will give you a different perspective into the field of criminal justice.
There is no one key way to get “hands on” experience. However, you will need something to point to when you apply to be a prison warden so you can say that you understand human psychology, the needs of the prisoners, and so on.
To enter this field, the Federal Bureau of Prisons will require you to have not only a bachelor’s degree, but also 3 years of full-time experience providing counseling, assistance, or supervision to individuals or a combination of the two. Before you can become a correctional officer, you will need at least 200 hours of training, as well as to meet the qualifications for the position you seek.
When you’re a prison warden, dozens or even hundreds of people may be under your watch, so you have to prove that you have what it takes to have this level of authority. The important thing is that you demonstrate your leadership skills. You can even work in a management-level position in the business field. Though having criminal justice experience in some form is important, so is being business savvy.
A panel interview may be a part of the hiring process, so be prepared to articulate your qualifications for the position. Most prisoners have several wardens that report to the chief warden. You may apply to one of these positions first, before working your way up to the position of chief warden.
Since the prison is patrolled 24 hours a day, you’ll have to meet with several rotations of your staff to know exactly what is going on. You shouldn’t be best friends with the staff, but you should command their respect so they give you the information you need.
You’ll also meet with prisoners who had major problems or got involved in altercations. You will need to enforce their punishment while making them see the errors of their ways.
The quality of the inmate’s food and clothing Mental stimulation for the inmates, from extra-curricular activities to upkeeping the prison library Health care for the prisoners Physical stimulation for the inmates, such as the maintenance of an outdoor track or exercise equipment
These duties will be difficult, especially if you have known the inmate for a while, but you will have to stay calm and mature as you carry out these difficult tasks.
You will be acting as a representative of your institution, so you will have to conduct yourself as respectably as possible.
You will have to be knowledgeable not only in what makes a prison run in general, but about which policies are best for your prison and your population of inmates.
One of your jobs will be to make sure the staff is not taking advantage of the prisoners. You will also be in charge of the response during a crisis, such as a riot, a major fight, a suicide, or a natural disaster.
