correctional officer

senior probation officer

licensed practical nurse

administrative assistant

registered nurse

Oklahoma Department Of Corrections

Worked for this agency in the capacity of Probation and Parole Officer, retiring after 20 years.  Severely underpaid for a position that requires a 4 year degree, peace officer certification and continued exposure to hazardous work conditions.  Daily possibility of injury or death resulting from attack in the workplace or while doing home visits, and possible exposure to diseases while interacting with offenders and testing their urine in unsanitary conditions (in my office testing occured in the workspace on carpeted floors in the employee break room!)  Complete lack of support or advocacy from all levels of supervisors, even though they understand that you are being asked to accomplish standards of supervision that are impossible with the complete lack of resources available to you.  A consistent trend during the last few years is to increase expectations of employees, increase paperwork to the point of needing forms to keep track of forms, and a persistent lack of empowerment to do the job expected of you.  Additionally, you can expect extreme micromanagement with a near zero tolerance for independent thought or bottom up input based on your many years of experience doing this very job.  This micromanagement, or adversarial overmanagement, is becoming more reinforced with the creation of numerous new Team Supervisor and District Supervisor positions in order to increase the level of oversight and scrutiny on individual officers.  Also, be prepared for an underserved feeling of disdain from supervisors and management who obviously place little value on you as a human being, much less as an employee.  These trends will likely continue, as bed space in the prisons is freed up to save money, and more and more offenders are placed on community supervision while no additional resources make their way to officers to accomodate the increasingly more difficult types of offenders that are displaced from incarceration and placed on community supervision.  After working there for 20 years I ended up with a retirement that is 1,800.00 per month before taxes, and will never increase for cost of living without a vote of the state legislature, which will never happen. Additionally, when you retire you will no longer have affordable insurance, so you will have to find alternative emplyment, and it cannot be with the state or county because they are on the same retirement system.   Also, the opportunities for promotion are limited if you are not part of the crony crowd, so be prepared to max out as a PPOIII, in about 5 years.  When I started this job it was a great job and paid well.  Over the course of 20 years it became something that I was trapped in until I could get out of it with a (low paying) pension.  In all fairness, it did provide me with a stable paycheck for 20 years, but I am not sure that level of stability is present currently due to the amount of officers who have been driven to resign or been fired recently.   I would not recommend this job as a long term career these days, and would only recommend this job to someone who is a recent graduate who will use it to obtain CLEET certification and then move on in 12 to 24 months to a better paying job with a future.  If you are considering this as a career I would encourage you to speak with an officer (not a supervisor) who has been on the job at least 5 years, and ask them to tell you their take on it.

There is no typical day in probation and parole. The job requires so much of the employees that it is mind boggling. You have to work 60 hours in a 40 hour week, and if you need a few days off, you will make up for it later when you return, because neither the work nor the expectations stop during your absence. You will be answering phones from angry people, explaining why the criminals don't get punished - or why they get punished too harshly. Sometimes you get a thank you. You will be arresting someone on your lunch hour and then seeing three people that came in off schedule when you get back from the jail, instead of eating your lunch. You will be writing endless reports about violations, knowing that nothing, or very little consequence will be applied. You will be working with treatment providers, practically begging offenders to follow the rules, going to their homes for surprise visits in the evenings, rather than going to be with your own family. You will drive two hours to court only to have the date passed, or the offender stipulate once you arrive. You will watch offenders throw their lives away, then every now and then watch one blossom and turn away from their criminal lifestyle to become productive members of society. You will see broken families and watch them heal sometimes too. You will worry about some until they finally get locked away long enough to make the effort worthwhile. You will work with people who are like you, and others who are not, but they are typically very good people in DOC who get into the field because they want to make a difference with their lives, to make the world a better and safer place. It is both the best and the worst job you can have, all at the same time. It requires tremendous sacrifice, and if you go into it thinking you will fly to the top, you are in the wrong place. If you think you will get rich, you are in the wrong place. If you think it's 8-5, you have the wrong idea. If you are satisfied with every now and then smiling and feeling like a million bucks over somebody who made it out, this is the job for you. If you are willing to give up your own time to help with public safety, if you like the chess match games that offenders play, if you like risk and adventure, this is the job for you. If you like writing, come to DOC.     

The most incompetent and corrupt supervisors and managers that I have experienced after 26 years of working in prisons. Supervisors routinely aid and protect inmates in the violation of agency policies and state laws. Specifically, staff from the rank of lieutenant all the way up to warden 'authorize' inmates to give other inmates tattoos. Tattooing without a license is a violation of state law for anyone and is always a policy violation for inmates in any prison. The reason for it is that unsanitary tattooing spreads HIV, Hepatitis C and MRSA. Which then must be treated at taxpayer expense.

The staff restrooms located in areas where inmates are not allowed never get cleaned or stocked with soap or toilet paper. That's because the supervisors are too lazy to inspect the areas they are required to inspect. There are staff restrooms that literally haven't been cleaned in years if not decades.

A large percentage of cell locks have been jammed with metal polish to the point that they can't be opened with the cell door keys. Not only are they never fixed, inmates are actively encouraged to continue to jam them with metal polish because the locks' brass faces are so much prettier when they are polished to a high shine. Consequently, the lone officer is unable to conduct proper counts because he is unable to see in the cells well enough to see that there are living inmates present and can't open the cell doors to go in and see either. So, officers fake the counts. They count which inmates whom they think should be present rather than those who actually are alive and present. Everyone from the warden down knows it, no one cares enough to fix it or to take disciplinary action against the inmates who jam the locks in spite of digital cameras recording everything that goes on. 

The people in leadership positions tend to be unprincipled and lack the courage and even the energy to turn the place around. Most are more interested in gossiping like junior high students rather than doing their jobs. The only salvation I can see for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections is to place all of its inmates into federal custody and then scrap the entire agency. Then perhaps it could be rebuilt into something worthwhile. But, in order for that to work no one who was ever associated with the agency who held a rank above Sergeant, and precious few of those, should ever be hired to work in the new agency.

My job satisfaction comes from the public service aspect of working with the inmates. This is the only positive that I can find regarding my daily responsibilities, but it is the reason I am still employed here. Paid time off does acrue quickly which is the only other positive. My biggest complaint is lack of clear communication which often results in chaos for the entire day and sometimes the week. For instance, my role depends heavily on the movement of inmates; however, they will restrict movement for a planned event without communicating that to staff (i.e. to administer Covid-19 vaccines, something that's planned well in advance). They don't provide advance notice so that work task plans can be adjusted; they simply halt movement, then leadership gets upset when staff can't get their tasks completed. This adds an unnecessary stress to an already stressful environment. 

They do not provide adequate accountability to underperforming staff, especially for attendance issues, which leaves the bulk of the work on the shoulders of staff without performance issues. Leadership recognizes the issue but simply won't address it. One of the reasons we have so many underperforming staff is lack of adequate training. Staff get the overall ODOC orientation training but very little training in their role. Support staff are basically tossed into a sink-or-swim situation. This may be different for correction officers.

The only way to increase your pay is to apply for other positions within the ODOC. Pay raises rarely happen because state legislation must be passed to implement them. Most of the pay rates do not meet fair market salary rates, which leads to staff shortages.

Provides security and supervision to inmates in a variety of situations and activities; maintain security of an assigned area or post. Provides security and supervision over inmate work crews; escorts inmates to work sites; inventories and controls all equipment, weapons, tools and keys. Patrols yards, grounds, cell houses, corridors, dormitories and work areas on an assigned shift; observes activities and movements of inmates; manages inmate conduct, work and discipline. Maintains order and discipline in programs and during meals and recreation periods; inspects living areas, facilities and work locations for unauthorized objects or materials; makes reports on incidents. Operates manually or electronically controlled security equipment maintaining controlled movement of inmates, staff and the public. Conducts inmate counts; performs searches of inmates and living quarters for contraband; enforces institutional rules and regulations. Prepares written documentation and reports concerning inmate behavior, status and movement. Participates on escape and apprehension teams; responds to riots and fires.

I what i learned is time management, team-based environment, leadership skills, attention to detail.

Management challenge me to make quick accurate decisions under pressure.

The co-workers are there to help others, some of the co-workers make the work environment challenging, and there is co-workers that make the work environment hard.

The hardest part of the job is the long hours at work. and when the inmates don't cooperate makes the job little more difficult.

The co-workers, and free food.

I worked at ODOC for 17 years. I was a Correctional Security Officer IV(Sergeant), Case Manager, Unit Manager, and Psychological Clinician, so I feel I can give a fairly accurate description. 

*If you have heard any "horror stories" from former employees, please note they most likely have been disciplined or terminated from the Department.

Working for the ODOC has its ups and downs as any other job. Positions in Security are very difficult due to staff shortages and may affect families. Non-Security staff positions are much easier for those with families. The benefits are excellent and if you want to advance in Corrections, you must have an open mind and be willing to learn, most times hands-on. Working for ODOC creates a family environment among staff members. Cross-training, on your own time, is also encouraged. It takes a special individual to work with offenders and remain non-bias, so if you feel you cannot be non-bias, you may want to work elsewhere. Security is only as secure as the weakest link. If you are weak and think you may bring in contraband, do not work here as you are putting others' lives at risk. You MUST have healthy boundaries with others! You will be a first responder and expected to be able to react in fast-paced emergency situations and make quick decisions. You will sometimes be expected to follow directives without questioning.

Some Administration do not usually take subordinate's opinions on how positions can be made more efficient, even though most of them have not worked "on the ground". Everyone must adhere to Policy & Procedures, no exceptions. 

*** I MISS MY DOC FAMILY! ***

Working in the medical department at OSP is a joke. The management does not have the knowledge, nor ambition to run a professional, work oriented department. More time is spent following drama and making fake promises then anything. Overtime is mandatory because they are constantly short staff due to the fact the management is so poor, and immature to ever bring up work related issues to the person in question. They do give you 9 hrs. Of annual leave each month, but good luck ever being able to request time off because you'll continuously be denied due to staffing issues! Dont come to OSP medical department with the intention of an internal job transfer because the medical administrator will block any advancement you ever try to make because she cant keep help in her department. If you dont care about seeing your kids on a regular basis this is the perfect job for you. If your a brown noser this is also the perfect job for you! If you are one to be complacent in you work performance you should fit in just fine!  This job is fit for nurses who have burned all there other bridges locally but still possess a nursing license to work in the state. I never knew what bad management was until i worked at OSP! If you like spending your days walking by huge roaches, urine, and feces  water, lack of leadership,  having a boss, and administrator that lie to your face and always do the exact opposite come work for OSP. If you have no problem working in a department that has a bad local stigma OSP is the place for you!

A typical workday is a "hurry up and wait" pace.  I often found myself doing mundane work and suddenly being hit with an emergency, or walking in to an emergency first thing in the morning with the afternoon being slow and boring.  You really never knew what to expect.  I had five direct bosses to answer to, with two bosses over them, two bosses over them, and one boss over them; however, being an assistant I seemed to answer to basically everyone.  The workplace culture felt very homey and family friendly for me; however, many others felt it was very oppressive to their needs.  You will find that every person has the job they are hired for, and then are made to do the work of two or three other positions they were not hired for due to the lack of personnel, this can make the job stressful.  There is no demand of respect between the coworkers, meaning that each person is responsible for how they treat each other.  Being in the south, it wasn't a very big problem; however, there were some people, mostly the higher-ups, that would be extremely rude, one in particular who looked down on women very badly.

Not the best place to work.  People keep saying good benefits, but they are not really that good.  Pay is horrible for P&P Officers.  Flexible work hours are the only reason to stay.  Probation and Parole should be separated from the Department of Corrections and be placed under DPS or under the courts from each county.  ODOC is run and managed horribly, and the State doesn't want to support it as an entity because society complains about crime, but then complains about over incarceration and justice reform.  You can easily find a job with better pay (paid monthly even though you work based on a 160 hour cycle, which allows them to fluctuate you hourly pay from paycheck to paycheck essentially making your a salaried employ, but you not) or better benefits, especially if you have a degree (which is required for P&P).  P&P would be a great job for people who have already retired from other careers.  Don't waste your good years with this agency.  One of the only state agencies that doesn't abide by the step raise.  Find something better. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
It was my experience that everyone you work with is pleasant and the inmates are very appreciative of the care they received. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I walked in wheels up ready to save lives. If I allowed it to be stressful, a nurse refusing to go in an emergency run, but I didn’t mind doing all the ER runs. It’s  busy from the time you walk in until you leave. But you always get your 30 minute lunch. You choose your stressors. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Everyone works together and you always have medical assistance to go on runs with you. You have four minutes to get there, so you can’t ignore an emergency or not. This is not a county jail. This is so serious and ethical working for the state. The inmates are wards of the state, so you cannot have a relationship with any of them. So don’t go in there thinking you can have a relationship with an inmate or carry any contraband in there. It’s not gonna end well for you. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
You never know what a typical day is going to be. It’s like an ER room, a clinic, medication pass.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Correctional officer 1 salary reported	$2,885 per month
Senior probation officer 176 salaries reported	$3,658 per month
Licensed practical nurse 1 salary reported	$30.00 per hour
Administrative assistant 2 salaries reported	$3,194 per month
Registered nurse 42 salaries reported	$76,672 per year

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