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Online Corrections Degrees

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Correctional officers can be found in jails and prisons at the local, state, and federal level. They are responsible for maintaining order and preventing and handling inmate disturbances according to the requirements of the given institution. Correctional officers must be physically fit and are generally required to undergo formal training to prepare them for the task. The median annual salary for these professionals is around $38,000 to $57,000, dependent on role, type of institution, and educational and experience background.

Aside from monitoring inmates, corrections officers are required to perform many other duties such as logging of activities, observing inmates through surveillance cameras, conducting random checks of cells and shared spaces, and reporting to supervisors. General skills required include awareness, physical strength, social skills, and integrity. Upper-level positions, especially in the federal department, require a bachelor's or a graduate degree in a related field. At times, experience can be used as a substitute for education, with members of the Armed Forces and other types of governmental workers able to make an easy transition into the field. Job seekers should be able to find a job relatively easily. Relocation is an option for those looking for bigger salaries. The private sector is also expanding, providing more options for new degree holders.


*Law enforcement agencies may require additional training.
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Accredited Schools Offering Online Corrections Degrees

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Ask An Expert: Real Questions, Expert Answers

I am a lieutenant with TDCJ-ID and would like to know if i can use work experance and classes taken through the state to use towards a degree?
Submitted on: April 3, 2012

Here is our list of accredited schools that offer degrees in corrections. About whether the classes you have already taken somewhere else, you will have to contact the schools you are interested in attending to see if they will accept them as credit towards a degree.

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Is Penn Foster bachelors in Criminal Justice a good program?
Submitted on: February 2, 2012

The curriculum covered by the Penn Foster program (Juveniles and the Legal Process, Crime Scene Investigation, etc.) certainly seems essential to the criminal justice field. However, we have no data on job placement from this program or on its ranking within the field, since for-profit online colleges are usually left out of national rankings.

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