probation officer

registered nurse

correctional officer

licensed practical nurse

sergeant

Virginia Department of Corrections

Men want people to percieve them as being tough and trustwhorthy. All men want this, no man wants to be percieved as being weak. If you live in the southwest part of Virginia you grow up with this stadard of expectation. I am a Former Marine, now retired and having spent my last year in the Corps at Special Operations Training Group. I have worked in the D.O.C for many years and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, remember when applying for these jobs that you CANNOT count on the people working with you to make sure you make it home alive every time you go to work because they WILL NOT! this is the reality. Remember there is a difference between how tough people percieve you are and how tough and brave you actually know you are in your own heart. All this talking like "i wouldve done this or i wouldve done that" is just talk. Inside prison there are killers. They ARE the real deal. Like me they know they can commit horrible acts of violence on other human beings and sleep like a baby. So, before applying & accepting a job as a Corrections Officer you might wanna take stock of your personal and honest capabilities, physical strength and conditioning, maturity, mental health and ability to comparmentalize horrible scenes. You will have to fight, you will see dead bodies, serious physical injuries, contact with blood born pathogens auch ad hep a,b,c , HIV, TB, AIDS, ETC..... you will not always recieve help when fighting. Expect to fight more than one person at a time and persons with homemade edged weapons... although communication is the most valuable tool you will use everyday. Being ignorant to other cultures and religions will drstically impair your ability to work.with offenders. So in short taje honest stock of the person you are and your personal capabilities before accepting a job with the DOC, lives are at stake everyday you ho to work you DO NOT wanna be responsible and have the Department file charges against you because you THOUGHT you were brave cause you are a killing machine on Call of Duty, but in real life you laid down in the floor and started crying when you walked into the housing unit and 5 crips are stabbing a blood to death and you have a mental breakdown right there and cannot react. 

The best work experience in my entire life since you deal with individuals (human beings), who need guidance, mentorship, counseling, and lots of redirections in order to not get caught in what seems to be a constant, imprisonment and recidivism. The people who work there are, USUALLY, people who care and go above and beyond to change peoples' lives. However, the turnover is also a constant in DOC and, unfortunately, the best people, Probation Officers, tend to get hired, learn all the beautiful skills, trainings they need in other jobs or agencies, and finally leave for good. It is so normal to walk on that path that even the new hires already know and have no shame to say that their plan is to learn, get the experience they need, and leave. The workload is horrendous, tasks and requirements are overwhelming and insane, and convoluted. Moreover, useless meetings are squeezed in an already super crazy PO's schedule, who barely has the time to even eat lunch or use the restroom. Side effects of a typical PO working for this agency is developing a wrong coping mechanism which, most of the time, leads to substance abuse and alcholism, to mention a few. Finally, this is a good career start, but you've got to start working on a plan B as soon as you start working there. Deputy chiefs and seniors try very hard to make your life bearable so you don't leave, but they can' help it, unfortunately. This leads to constant under staff times where who still works there is extra overwhelmed for having to do extra things due to understaffing. The pay is miserable and another reason why people leave as soon as they can. The trend is 1-2 years working there. If you pass that threshold and survive, you are good to go with, trust me, A LOT of knowledge. Sorry DOC but employees are more important than you and your greedy and explotative vision of life.  

A typical day involved teaching GED students at very different academic levels and helping them prepare for the four GED subject tests. I worked with students individually and in groups, taught lessons, tracked progress, and adjusted instruction based on what each student needed.

I learned a great deal about teaching adult learners and about how much education can matter to someone who is trying to change the direction of his life. Many students had experienced little success in school before coming to class, so helping them discover that they were capable of learning was an important part of the job.

Management could be challenging, and working in a correctional environment comes with rules, restrictions, and bureaucracy that sometimes make teaching more difficult than it needs to be. The workplace culture depends heavily on the facility and the people you work with.

The hardest part of the job was dealing with the limitations of the correctional environment while trying to meet students' educational needs. The most enjoyable part was seeing students make progress, pass GED tests, and realize they were capable of accomplishing something they may never have believed they could do.

Outpatient, ambulatory care of adult male felons report to "sick call" with a myriad of health complaints. Assessing the signs and symptoms, triageing the severity and reality of the complaint, follow-up on treatments and chronic illnesses and health education for inmates and staff was challenging and fun. Solving staff problems and motivating staff to care for the inmates as people was more difficult. Interacting with other nurses in other institutions was invigorating and refreshing. I learned to recognize heart attacks and seizures by symptoms not mentioned in books and to act on my convictions, it was rewarding that the physicians who were there on a part-time basis seldom disagreed with my assessments and often asked for my opinion, while requiring much more hard facts from other staff.
The only person who questioned my nursing knowledge or medical judgment was the Warden. He also discontinued medications ordered by non-corrections physicians who had been consulted if he thought they were too expensive, might not be effective, or might be abused. I quit when the Warden told my hand surgeon that I only needed 3 days off before returning to work after carpal tunnel surgery.. The surgeon was angry at me for the Warden's interference..

A typical day at the DOC involves ensuring all policies concerning case management have been met and documented in a timely manner.  One works with the Department's computer system and enters data continuously throughout the day.  That data is scrutinized by one's direct manager, up through the chain of command, on a daily basis.  Officers have direct communication with clients via face-to-face meetings, telephonic/electronic means, community contact, and job contacts.  All contacts must be logged appropriately within the system.
Management styles differ greatly from office to office.  Some managers are very open and welcoming, while others do not operate quite as freely.  Upper management is not always aware of how line officers operate or the daily challenges officers face.  Because of this, frequently policies are implemented that create challenges in maintaining compliance.  Policies change sometimes daily.  If you like constant change, you'll love the DOC!
The best part of this job is knowing when you've helped change someone's perspective of life.  That moment when you "see the light bulb" above their head and the look that falls on their face when they finally realize what they need to do to make their lives right.  This moment makes the job worth everything else.
Officers generally get along very well with each other.  In most offices, line staff form deep, lasting friendships with one another.  We rely heavily on our comaraderie, and frequently enjoy one another's company outside of the office.

I have found my work both challenging and rewarding. A typical day involves collaborating with colleagues, managing multiple priorities, and working with stakeholders to achieve meaningful outcomes. Throughout my career, I have learned the importance of leadership, adaptability, communication, and building strong partnerships. Management has been supportive of teamwork, professional growth, and shared responsibility. The workplace culture is professional, mission-driven, and centered on serving others while fostering collaboration and respect among employees. The most difficult aspect of the job is balancing complex issues and competing priorities with limited resources, but those challenges have strengthened my problem-solving abilities. The most enjoyable part of the job is knowing that the work positively impacts individuals and communities. Working alongside dedicated colleagues and community partners and seeing meaningful results make the work fulfilling and provide a strong sense of purpose and accomplishment.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The staff was the best part. Some of bonds I made and friends I made are some of the best people I’ve ever known. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Low staff numbers, unable to run institution safely. Additional work load added daily/weekly/monthly. Policies change without knowing numbers of facility, expecting to have policies perfected when the facility cannot run properly daily. Inmates dictate your work day and operate the prison. Staff no longer do. Unsafe environment. Cannot do routine cell inspections due to not having enough staff. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Toxic. Unsafe. I do not see many institutions running full capacity with how low the numbers are state wide. 5-10 years and there will be no one willing to work for the state institutions. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Overwhelming. Not enough staff. Cannot operate properly/safely. Don’t have enough individuals to be able to give proper breaks, and to do so, will have to pull staff from other areas, shutting down operations to get through the breaks of all staff. Often times I did not take breaks due to falling behind in work if I did or being called back early from break to handle situations. Not worth possibly getting hurt more than I did for an inmate who has nothing to lose.

A typical day at VADOC: Catering to the department head's personal whims and projects. Not impressed with the management, or how they continuously talk about this 'healing environment.'  Meanwhile, they refuse to improve their educational resources for the inmates (so they are less tempted to reoffend).  There was some sort of a big 'network intrusion about 5 months ago.  Actually, no it was a small network intrusion where apparently an outside hacker managed to get into the VADOC router (because the default password had never been changed).  It's been scramble mode ever since, and all about the server security versus taking care of the teaching staff and inmate educational needs.  The IT department is very concerned they will be absorbed by VITA.  Well, VITA may not be setting the world on fire, but they'd probably do a better job then what is currently going on at the VADOC.  It takes weeks sometimes to have technical issues addressed, because the technicians are under all this pressure to deal with the servers and IT Security all the time. 

I worked 3 days on 2 days off on the night shift at a women's maximum corrections facility for almost 7 years. Working with offenders is something that can't be taught except through experience. When meeting an offender for the first time would explain to them that I start with the "Golden Rule." The facility itself was built in 1999. It was very clean and had the ambiance of a community college. The long hours were difficult due to walking an average of 6 miles per shift due to having to monitor and manage 240 offenders in a 4 Wing building. I worked well with the offenders because I was fair, consistent, respectful. I treated them like people regardless of their crime. The hardest parts were breaking up physical conflicts, biased offenders, and management's high demand for excellent performance at all times. Night shifts were usually understaffed. The best part of the shift was helping offenders when needed, laughing with other officers and leaving at the end of my shift.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The state benefits and the opportunities for career development trainings available on the learning center that you can take with you to another job.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The administration that does not care about staff. It does not matter the position, you will always be under appreciated through salary discrepancies, poor work culture, and doing work that goes beyond your EWP. Don’t use “your authentic voice” to express to anyone what is happening because everyone knows everyone and they will black ball you on promotion for something you expressed in confidence.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The prisons are all understaffed and so is probation. The culture is very toxic and crab in a barrel mentality. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Hearing drama and gossip discussed. Typical day is avoiding getting consumed by the drama and gossip while trying to be a team player with snakes. Then when you stay out the drama, they talk about you and make you feel out casted.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Probation officer 223 salaries reported	$60,065 per year
Registered nurse 181 salaries reported	$45.09 per hour
Correctional officer 160 salaries reported	$51,786 per year
Licensed practical nurse 162 salaries reported	$35.30 per hour
Sergeant 93 salaries reported	$73,693 per year

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