PLANNING FOR A CAREER IN CORRECTIONS
This is a guide for seeking a career in Minnesota corrections. Careers in corrections
include, but are not limited
to: probation/parole agent, caseworker, correctional officers (guard), adult
or juvenile work service crewleaders
(STS), group home and residential facility counselors, therapist, and electronic
supervision monitors. In
Minnesota there are four governmental correctional delivery systems operating
within the state: Department of
Corrections (DOC), Community Corrections Act Counties, (CCA), County Probation
Offices (CPO), and the
Federal Correctional System. There is also a wide range of private correctional
vendors, which provide and
operate a variety of services such as, group homes, residential facilities,
shelter homes, detention centers, work
camps, treatment centers, halfway houses, electronic monitoring companies, and
privately operated correctional
facilities.
The hiring practices, pay scales, and benefits among the governmental delivery
systems and the private vendors
vary based upon the level of the position and the experience level of the individual.
Entry level positions among
governmental delivery systems are going to be real similar in pay scales with
an approximate starting salary of
$25,000-$27,000. Private vendor’s pay scales for entry-level positions
may be less, often starting at about $8-10
per hour. Benefit packages among the delivery systems will vary as well, and
most will offer a health and life
insurance package, but dental is not always included.
MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS:
In the field of probation, the DOC has established a minimum selection process,
which requires the individual to
choose between an Option “A” and an Option “B”. College
students should pick Option “A”, which requires an
internship. Option “B” requires the applicant to take a test and
does not give credit for degrees, internships, or
allow for extra credits for volunteer service and contract writing of reports.
Students will need to pick up a State
of MN job application at any local Job Service Center and fully complete it
with the information requested.
Further information can be obtained through the MN Dept. of Employee Relations.
at http://www.doer.state.mn.us/)
CPO delivery systems generally follows the same hiring practices as the DOC,
requiring that you are on the State
eligibility list. CCA Counties may have issue their own test, use the State
eligibility list, or have their own
eligibility list. You should contact the Personnel or Human Resource Departments
in individual counties to find
out specifics for each agency.
The main difference between probation/parole agent positions and correctional
counselor positions is the
education requirement. Agent positions in DOC, CCA, and CPO delivery systems
will require a Bachelors
degree in either Corrections, Criminal Justice, Criminology, Counseling, Psychology,
Social Work, or Sociology.
Many of the private correctional facilities/programs will also require a college
degree. Correctional Counselors
(guard) positions require a minimum of a high school diploma, but a BA degree
in any of the above-cited fields
would be preferred.
The Federal correctional system for pre-trial and probation officers will require
a BA degree in criminal justice or
other related fields. There is no testing requirement, but selected applicants
will have to undergo an extensive
background investigation conducted by the FBI. Additionally, there is an age
requirement that applicants cannot
be over the age of 37, because of the mandatory retirement policy, which occurs
at the age of 57. Individuals
considering careers in the federal system should be aware that Masters degrees
are PREFERRED in addition to
having BA degrees. Also having previous work experience is preferred, but these
are not requirements.
There are several Federal correctional facilities located within the State of
Minnesota. The minimum
requirements for correctional counselor and officer positions, is a high school
diploma plus previous work
experience in a related correctional field. College degrees in related fields
are required for case manager
positions. College degrees are preferred for any of the positions offered within
the federal correctional system.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
There are other requirements you can complete to help you gain access into the
correctional system: internships,
Rule 25 certification, contract PSI writing, and volunteer work.
Internships regardless of the discipline are paramount. Internships provide
day to day hands on experience
working with clients, and also provide a “network” with corrections
professionals already working in the field.
Most internships are unpaid positions, and not all agencies or facilities accept
interns. MCA Student Services
Committee has put together an Internship listing for all probation agencies,
adult and juvenile correctional
facilities in MN. Beware! Not all agencies will allow interns to supervise caseloads.
Inquire during your
interview if you will be able to supervise a caseload or not. If you have the
luxury of choosing an internship site,
choose the one that will allow you the most freedom. In order to receive points
under the option A plan for the
State eligibility, internships must be within a probation or correctional office,
and must be at least 440 hours in
length. Internships of 600 hours will receive extra credit points towards the
final score for State List.
Rule 25 certification allows you to conduct chemical dependency evaluations
and make recommendations.
Many probation agencies will require you have this certification to apply for
a probation position. Not all agents,
case managers, correctional officers will have to conduct Rule 25 assessments,
but the training will be helpful
since many offenders have or had serious alcohol and drug problems. Eden’s
Group (Tracy ….link to
http://www.edensgroup.com/) is the primary Rule 25 Certification Training in
the State. If you are not Rule 25
Certified, don’t let this stop you from applying for a job, even if they
ask for it in the job announcement. Many
Counties will hire you and then send you to this training.
Contract writing PSI’s for probation agents is very helpful in obtaining
employment in any of the delivery
systems. Contract writers have regular contacts with clients, perform background
investigations, and make
recommendations for sentencing. Writers are paid per PSI, and may be also reimbursed
for typing and mileage.
It is advised you contact a probation/parole agency in your area to determine
if contract writing is a possibility.
Internships usually are required as a prerequisite to Contract writing.
Volunteer work is not a typical hiring requirement, but any volunteer work history
is good to have on your
resume. The volunteer work should be related in some way to your career of choice.
Volunteering your time
shows commitment, and responsibility, and will help set you apart from other
individuals applying for the same
job.
WHERE TO FIND JOB EXPERIENCE:
Graduating college will not automatically get you a job in corrections. Correctional
professionals typically spend
between six months and two years working for private correctional vendors before
they gain enough work
experience to transition into County, State, or Federal Government positions.
However, this is not to say that
private correctional vendors are not “professional” correctional
workers. Private vendors are dedicated
correctional professionals and deserve the same respect as any governmental
corrections employee. The private
vendors work with the same populations and are regulated by local, State, and
Federal guidelines.
Group homes, detention centers, residential facilities, electronic monitoring
programs, halfway houses, and
treatment programs are spread all over the state, and they usually have a greater
turn over among staff. Many of
these facilities also offer volunteer opportunities, which is often considered
as work experience.
WHERE TO FIND CURRENT JOB LISTINGS:
The are many places to start looking for correctional job listings. Check these
out:
Association of Minnesota Counties Employment Listings
MACCAC (http://www.maccac.org/Employment.htm)
Minnesota Department of Corrections
Minnesota Department of Employee Relations
Residential Resources (http://www.intech.mnsu.edu/davisj/resource_list.htm)
The Hotline (http://www.doc.state.mn.us/publications/hotline.htm)
Other information regarding jobs comes from networking within corrections circles.
If all else fails, keep
watching for ads in the local newspapers.
Additional Resources:
How To Speak Corrections
Resume Writing Tips
Interviewing Skills
Good luck from all of us at Minnesota Corrections Association Student Services
Committee!