correctional officer

building maintenance

clinical psychologist

program specialist

hvac mechanic

Arizona Department of Corrections

Build and maintain appropriate rapport with inmates. 
Defuse disruptive behavior by verbal interventions. 
Control disruptive behavior by appropriate verbal orders and appropriate use of physical force. 
Use verbal and listening skills to determine potential inmate problems, such as suicide risk, intoxication, drug usage, assaultive behavior, etc. 
Disaster Intervention with employees and families of DOC. Inform and explain institutional rules to inmates. 
Communicate information regarding security, safety and operations through the chain of command. 
Monitor inmates, watching closely for unusual behavior, improper conduct or signs of conflict. 
Monitor visits between inmates and personal visitors. 
Supervise periods of recreational activity. 
Search inmates, by pat or strip method, to detect and confiscate contraband or unapproved items. 
Search cells or living quarters, recreational areas, visiting areas and other areas in buildings or on the grounds for contraband or unapproved items. 
Search the perimeter of an area by making checks on foot, by car, or from a watchtower to ensure there are no security breaches or contraband. 
Conduct security checks of locks, doors, bars & windows, etc. Prepare inmates for transport through search and application of appropriate restraining devices, depending on security level, and ensures all related materials to be transported with inmate are ready and in order. 
Transport inmates outside the facility to and from court, lawyer's office, medical appointments, work sites, other facilities, etc. Communicate with other staff and main control to inform about inmate behaviors, incidents and to request assistance. 
Perform head counts to visually ensure the presence of all inmates.
Coordinate unit head counts to confirm total population. 
Check IDs to ensure only authorized persons enter or leave facility. Process new admissions and transfers. 
Respond to emergency situations according to facility procedures, such as medical, fire, security, etc. 
Write narrative reports describing events that have happened, such as confidential reports, incident reports, disciplinary reports, special observations reports, etc. 
Read and write short notes in a log book as a means of passing information about daily events from one shift to another, such as inventory logs, post logs, narrative logs, etc. 
Use portable two-way radio. 
Open and close gates or doors to restricted areas to allow vehicles/people to enter and exit. Issue logs and inventories facility keys. 
Attend and participate in required training.

The job can be a 'feast or famine' depending on where you're posted.  It's a good job for younger people wanting to use it as a stepping stone for other law enforcement jobs or for folks transitioning from a different career.

If you can adjust into the environment, be willing to make some sacrifices and pay your dues, and show some maturity then it's a great job and you're doing meaningful work that benefits the Public.

Like any job, the quality of the people you work with varies.  Some of your co-workers are the best you've ever worked with and some of them are the worst.  The same applies to dealing with convicted felons:  some are easy to work with and others not so much.

It's easy to advance and promote if you want which is great if you're competent, but the tradeoff is that less qualified individuals can advance just as easily and make everyone's job harder.  Over the years I've seen the mid-level supervision ranks (sergeants, lieutenants) increasingly suffer from a lack of quality candidates, and that has an effect on officer performance.  

Administration has also changed and become more heavy-handed in implementing policies and procedures without seriously considering the feedback from those who have to enforce it.  There needs to be a serious rebalance in roles and decision-making powers between mid-level supervision and administration.  It's too heavy on the top.  There are several factors that can be attributed to this dysfunctional cycle, and AZDOC needs to get out of it.

Despite the appearance of a military-style command structure it's messier in practice and resembles a stereotypical office environment.

Overall, I'd recommend working there for starters and give it at least five years.  It's not the perfect career but what is?  If you have people skills, a solid work ethic, and can keep an eye on the bigger picture then you'll do good there.

You can also be introverted and work in a prison long as you show that you have a backbone and maturity.

I truly enjoyed what I did, my duties and responsibilities.  The job, regardless of location, can be very rewarding and satisfying. However, one must keep it in perspective.  Like any large, state run agency, there are sometimes disparities between what policy says and how it's implemented in practice. The higher in rank, the more politics must be played. I chose to promote only enough to better my pay,benefits and to provide me adequate authority to do my job with relatively little or moderate oversight.  Working with inmates regularly takes a very special, very strong, yet patient and firm, personality. It is definitely not a job for everyone. Or even a job for most. Days can be long, monotonous, tedious, almost boring. But all that can change in the blink of an eye. The job is stressful, hard,  extremely taxing both mentally and physically. It requires one to be observant, patient, calm, consistent, detailed, specific, diligent, honest and open. You must be able to think quickly, yet rationally, respond firmly, yet respectfully, be approachable but not gullible. The job will make you use every sense you have, sight, hearing, smell, touch......You will have 80hrs worth of work to do but only 24hrs to do it. You'll be hot, miserable, cold, freezing, overworked, overwhelmed, under-appreciated and definitely underpaid.  You'll risk your life each and every day and go home with nothing, not even a 'thank you', to show for all your hard work. But, if you can learn to handle all the craziness from both staff, superiors and inmates, you'll find the job can be one of the most rewarding, most engaging careers. Rarely do job or careers give you the opportunity to make a true difference in a person's life.  Rarely, do you find yourself at a pivotal point in another's journey to salvation, or forgiveness. But in this job, there's definitely more than a chance to do both. And so much more...

I worked there for almost 15 years and the changes that Isaw during this time were not good. Too start off it is a very depressing place to work at unless you like the colors of blue and grey sometimes yellow and having to argue with grown men about why they can't be in your housing area to "just talk to my buddy" they know the rules, you know the rules, but it is a constant battle to get them to comply. Then there is the other staff members some of which are great people and others you wish would just leave the job ( including some supervisors). And then there is the administration( deep sigh) just like the other employees some good some very bad it seemed like the good ones left quickly and the bad ones had found a forever home at your unit, if you liked one administrator they were quickly replaced with someone who appeared to be  bent on correcting some problem that only they saw. Attendance was a big issue most of them like to harp on and even if you were a decent employee if you missed 3 days in  6 months you were given a verbal  notice of an N.T.I (necessity to improve) which means you sat down with a supervisor and they told you don't miss anymore days, you missed 4 days it went in your file that they spoke with you, 5 days required a doctors note and you were put on attendance watch, 6 times in 6 months you were disciplined ie time off anywhere from 8 to 80 hours depending on the person, not to mention that depending on the supervisor you spoke to about this policy and how it was interpreted would change every time. Then after awhile it seemed that the inmates were getting things you shouldn't see in a prison like microwaves, CD players, towels and blankets from outside retailers and god knows what else. I have a lot of friends that still work there and we had some good times together but with the administrators and some very weak supervisors wondering if they were going to get fired for any reason.I decided that it was time to leave.

Shift would start in a daily briefing room where we would be advised on any policy changes or current events and updates, for our safety as well as simple communication. Then one would report to their post, where, if stationed in a cellblock, an immediate count of the inmates would commence. Inventory would be checked prior to the count before relieving the previous officer. Hourly security checks would be done as well. All would be documented in a daily journal. Shift would end by being relieved by the next officer while they did their inventory check.
I learned more from this job than any other. Accountability of not only others but of oneself, supervison and management skills, observation skills, accessing situations, professionalism, ethics and values, discipline, and firearms training.
Management was far above average. Every now and then one or two members of management did not meet my expectations. But, for the most part, management themselves taught me so much.
Some of my best friends to this date are former Correctional Officers and some are still employed there. We worked great together and our lives depended on one another.
The hardest part of the job was when an inmate with nothing to lose started an incident. In reality, all ended up secure and the hardest part was an extremely large amount of paperwork to document the situation.
The most enjoyable part of the job was doing new things. Every once in awhile transports were needed, sometimes in a helicopter, sometimes by vehicle. Other things that were enjoyable were the situations which I learned new skills daily.

     I write this from my viewpoints and my COC; I acknowledge that things may have been different had I worked for someone else. 
     
     Until this agency comes out of the mindset that people should be happy to have a job and not complain, they will continue to have higher-than-normal turnover ratings. This agency has not adapted to the new social working structure, as It would appear that the thought process is "it's easier to higher new people rather than deal with problem management."

     They tout an "open door policy," but every door of upper management is closed, and you can't express your feelings or thoughts without backlash. The current Director is a decent guy, but unless you are "friendly" with him, he doesn't talk to you much, which is sad because if he would take the time to go and talk with people from top to bottom, maybe he can fix some of the consistent issues with that place. 

     All and all, had I known it would have been problematic as it was, I would not have taken that job when I did. Take my words as they are, and I'm just one person, but if you're going to work there unless you "fit a mold," you will leave just like myself and the four who came before me...yet the common denominator is still employed, see my point?

     One positive thing occurred from working there, furthering certain skill sets; that's about it. If you have a Type A personality, don't take this job as they don't like people who actively speak up when they see something, push back, or ask questions. They want you to go into the job as a drone who will only do things their way, again, not open to change.  

A typical day at work for the Az. Department of Corrections, could be stressful, energetic, or layed back. very busy, continuous movement. always something going at work as far as security wise. 
What I learned working with inmates, is always be alert, courteous, and respectful. firm, fair and consistent. I learned how to supervise inmates while working as an officer in the health unit. I was the health unit porter and the wheel chair porters supervisor. where i did interviews and timesheets. I learned filing numerically by inmate D.O.C numbers, sorting incoming and outgoing mail, audits, scanning, copying, legal mail, and data entry while working as the property officer. 
Co-workers, we work as a team, to make sure our job is done by the end of shift. to make sure everyone goes home safely, and safety for the inmates as well as the public. 
The hardest part of the job, would be inmate deaths, staff assaults, working lockdown, with mental inmates, or very violent inmates. 
The most enjoyable part of the job is working with each other, planning potlucks, laughing and enjoying our jobs. making the best out of stressful situations. learning alot about working with offenders, and their behaviors, and their families. 
Management it varies, you have very good management as well as those who are not people oriented. You work with different people, who are all unique or different in their own way. different attitudes, mood swings, it just depends on the person. but when things happen we still work as a team.

Morning Briefing with Unit Staff. Weekly Briefing with Senior Staff. Talk to Uniform Staff about problems or issues and try to resolve. Talk to inmates regarding problems or issues and try to resolve.  Inspect work areas at the Unit to be sure there are no discrepancies or violations. Check on assigned staff members to make sure they have no problems or issues.  Although there was much more to the jobs, this should suffice.

I chose to go to my staff instead of waiting for them to come to me.  I believe they appreciated it.  I would periodically go to inmates' cells to check on their wellbeing.  Again, they appreciated being able to talk to Senior Staff occasionally to get another viewpoint.


The hardest thing was when there was an incident which required all staff be present to assist or an inmate who decided to take out all his anger out on you when you were just minding your own business.  I did not let the vulgarity and insults go unchecked. I used the opportunity to try to diffuse the anger and try to get to the real reason for the outburst.  If that didn't work, I would leave the area and allow them time to cool off.  More times than not, the inmate would apologize for their actions and we then could try to resolve the issue.

The most enjoyable part of the job was the "aha" moment!  When you see that lightbulb switch on in the other person's eyes!  Also, the lifelong friendships I made with my fellow co-workers.

Teachers teach multiple programs and multiple subjects to students at multiple academic levels while the central office relentlessly pushes a new fad teaching methodology that is designed to be implemented in a single program, single subject environment where students are close to the same academic level (aka a real school).  The administrators are experts at this so called "evidence based methodology" (that taxpayers have shelled out a fortune on btw), but they never model exactly how it's supposed to be done in a prison environment.   Any questions are met with a condescending attitude, which is their typical communication style.  Add on that they are now rotating program test levels which all contain very different subject matter, but they won't tell the teachers what level the test will be month to month so teachers have no idea what to teach.   It's impossible to succeed in that position.  Given all the stress of admin pushing for completions without knowing exactly what to teach, they then make teachers teach 6 hours a day year round with little development or support.  It makes for a pretty awful place to work.  The teacher turnover is so high and the environment toxic.  It's not coming from the local managers, it's coming from Phoenix.  They are in desperate need of leadership training at ADCRR. party in the education department. 

I am required to enroll inmates in either a Mandatory Literacy or GED classroom.  I am required to create lesson plans, manage the classroom, track enrollments and attendance as well as student progress.  I am to create a learning plan for each individual student and help them make progress towards completing their goals.  I am to give them guidance in their academics and progress towards passing their GED test.   The department expects accurate reporting and tracking of lesson plans and student work as well as managing  the classroom according to department policies.  

One of the biggest lessons I have learned is how to mix the management of a classroom with the ability to motivate and inspire the inmates to bettering themselves and making the correct decisions.  

The hardest part of my job varies, sometimes it's working with a specific inmate and other times it's meeting the strict requirements of administration.  However, there always seems to be a way to get it done.

The most enjoyable part of my job is working with such a unique and interesting groups of individuals.  I work with individuals with a multitude of back stories.  Who have made the worse decision of their life.  Finding ways to give them hope and show them they can still improve upon their life, despite their background, is the most enjoyable part of my job.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Correctional officer 42 salaries reported	$47,274 per year
Building maintenance 5 salaries reported	$18.26 per hour
Clinical psychologist 16 salaries reported	$79,000 per year
Program specialist 1 salary reported	$41,207 per year
Hvac mechanic 4 salaries reported	$48,000 per year

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