Job opportunities are expected to be plentiful due to much faster than average employment growth coupled with high turnover.
Most jobs are in large regional jails or prisons located in rural areas.
The work can be stressful because of concerns about personal safety. Nature of the Work Correctional officers are responsible for overseeing individuals who have been arrested, are awaiting trial or other hearing, or who have been convicted of a crime and sentenced to serve time in a jail, reformatory, or penitentiary. They maintain security and observe inmate conduct and behavior to prevent disturbances and escapes. Correctional officers' duties differ with the setting in which they are performed. The majority of the approximately 3,300 jails in the United States are operated by county governments, with about three-quarters of all jails under the jurisdiction of an elected sheriff.