Correctional Officer – Group & Level CX-01

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Job Profile

Correctional Officers (COs) are essential to fulfilling the Correctional Service of Canada's (CSC's) mission of enhancing public safety by actively encouraging and assisting offenders to become law-abiding citizens, while exercising reasonable, safe, secure, and humane control.

Every day, COs maintain the safety and security of federal penitentiaries by monitoring, supervising and interacting with incarcerated offenders. Correctional Officers also engage inmates to assess their behaviour and attitude for increased risk, taking appropriate security measures when necessary.

As a CO with CSC, you will conduct routine patrols and inmate counts to ensure the safety and well-being of inmates within institutions. You will supervise inmate movement, escort inmates both inside and outside the institution and, as required, search cells, offenders, visitors, vehicles, living units, and surrounding areas. You will also conduct security checks and if necessary, extract inmates from their cells.

Other Correctional Officer duties include verifying safety equipment, drafting daily logs, submitting reports, and briefing visitors, volunteers, and other criminal justice professionals entering the institution.

Work Environment

CSC has a presence from coast to coast -- from large urban centres with diverse populations, to remote communities across the North.

CSC operates under three levels of management: National, Regional and Institutional/Parole Offices. The National Headquarters in Ottawa performs overall planning and policy development for the Service, while each of the five regional offices implements CSC activities within the Pacific, Prairie, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic regions.

CSC operations include 57 penitentiaries at minimum, medium, maximum and multi-level security classifications. These institutions include facilities for women offenders, Healing Lodges designed to address the needs of Aboriginal offenders and Regional Treatment Centres that provide mental health interventions to offenders.

CSC also operates 16 community correctional centres and partners with 175 Community-Based Residential Facilities for offenders on some form of conditional release into the community. As well, CSC operates 84 parole offices and sub-offices in every region of Canada.

CSC institutions operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As a result, COs work shifts, weekends and statutory holidays. You may also be required to work overtime.

Diversity

CSC is committed to building a skilled, diverse workforce that is reflective of Canadian society. We encourage all ethnicities, cultures, visible minorities, Aboriginal people, and people with disabilities to seek employment as a Correctional Officer.

Career Development

CSC is a large government agency with a wide variety of occupations. Depending on your interest and skill set, career opportunities exist in a variety of positions in the organization, both within an institutional and community setting, as well as at regional or national headquarters.

About the selection process

CSC job opportunities are posted on www.jobs.gc.ca. Applicants are screened according to essential education and experience listed on the advertisement. Applicants must also provide pertinent documentation including a driver's licence, citizenship, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), automated external defibrillator (AED) and First Aid certification.

Applicants will be assessed through written exams, interview and reference checks. Those qualifying will be invited to attend CSC's Correctional Training Program (CTP).

Before you apply

We strongly encourage you to complete this Self-Assessment Questionnaire which will give you a better idea of the role, requirements, skills and expectations related to a Correctional Officer's position.

Pre-Employment Questionnaire

Candidates who are selected for further assessment will be required to complete and return the Pre-Employment Questionnaire. Prior to applying we strongly encourage you to review the questionnaire.

Training

Initial Correctional Officer training takes place before a job offer is made and is conducted in a variety of settings including classrooms, gymnasiums, and exercise fields. As a Correctional Officer, you will be trained to handle a variety of weapons. You must be in good physical condition to participate in self-defence and other physical aspects of Correctional Officer training.

CSC conducts training at its five Regional Correctional Staff Colleges located in Memramcook, New Brunswick; Laval, Quebec; Kingston, Ontario; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Abbotsford, British Columbia and also at the RCMP Training Academy "Depot" in Regina, Saskatchewan. You must be willing to undertake your training in any of our Regional Staff Colleges including Depot.

As part of the Correctional Training Program (CTP), you will not be charged a tuition fee, nor will you be provided with an allowance; however, you may be provided with meals and accommodation depending upon the distance between your place of residence and the training facility.

The Correctional Training Program (CTP) includes four phases:

• Phase 1: On-line training requiring four to eight weeks to complete.
• Phase 2: Workbook assignments requiring approximately two to four weeks to complete.
• Phase 3: Regional Staff College with training in security policies and practices, use of firearms, chemical agents, fire safety, self-defence and arrest and control techniques. Conflict management and defusing crisis situations are also addressed. This phase of training lasts eight weeks.
• Phase 4: On the job training at a CSC institution will assess various skills. This phase lasts two weeks.

Ready to Apply?

Please visit www.jobs.gc.ca to learn about the job opportunities currently available at CSC and how to apply.