Correctional Officer

Correctional Officer

Oklahoma Department of Corrections is recruiting for Correctional Security Officers for multiple positions located across the State of Oklahoma.

Applicants must be willing to attend an 8-week live-in academy in Oklahoma City from Sunday 6:00 PM through Thursday 6:00 PM and return home on the weekends.

Applicants will work at their selected facility with a Field Training Officer until the academy begins.

Academy Start Date: January 4, 2027

Lodging and meals are provided.

Facility assignments are determined based on the facility or county preferences listed in your initial application.

Basic Purpose

Positions in this job family are assigned responsibilities related to maintaining the security, control and custody of inmates in a state adult correctional facility.

Typical Functions

• 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.

Level Descriptors

Correctional Officer: This is the basic level where employees are assigned as correctional officer cadets and receive formal and on-the-job training in security and custody duties and various policies and procedures relating to control and management of inmates. Correctional Officers are also assigned responsibilities involving routine duties as a first level trained security officer in the security, control and custody of inmates in a state adult correctional center after completion of all statutory training requirements and job orientation. This will include the supervision of inmates in a wide variety of situations and activities, which may include supervising inmate work crews at work sites as well as patrolling yards, cell houses, grounds and other areas to control the movements, conduct, work and discipline of inmates. Employees at this level are responsible for interpreting and executing post orders.

Corporal: This is the career level where employees are assigned responsibilities at the full performance level as a correctional security corporal, for providing security and control of inmates. Assignments are related to maintaining discipline and security among inmates, both within and outside the facility. Incumbents interpret and execute post orders.

Education and Experience

Correctional Officer: Education and Experience requirements at this level consist of the statutory requirements contained in Title 57 O.S., Section 510.A.2: "a. The minimum age for service shall be twenty (20) years of age. The Director shall have the authority to establish the maximum age for correctional officers entering service and b. possession of thirty (30) semester hours from an accredited college or university; or possession of a high school diploma acquired from an accredited high school or GED equivalent testing program and graduation from a training course conducted by or approved by the Department and certified by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training either prior to employment or during the first six (6) months of employment.

Note: Successful completion of the GED test is based upon standards established by the Oklahoma Department of Education.

Corporal: Those identified for Correctional Officer plus 12 months of experience in correctional or security work for a governmental agency or private corrections agency.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Competencies

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required at this level include knowledge of the fundamentals of English usage; of basic math; of reporting writing; of the use and care of firearms; of proper restraint methods and techniques; of self-defense methods; of the methods and objectives of discipline required for inmates under restraint; and of the psychology of inmate behavior. Ability is required to evaluate situations and adopt effective courses of action; to exercise alertness and be able to act quickly and effectively in an emergency situation; to follow oral and written instructions; to gather and organize facts and complete clear, concise reports; to communicate effectively; to establish and maintain effective working relationships; to maintain proficiency with firearms; and to assess and manage conflicts within the inmate population.

Special Requirements

Applicants/employees in this job family shall be subject to the following additional requirements:

Satisfactory completion of minimum testing or professional evaluation through Human Capital Management to determine the fitness of the individual to serve in the position with written evaluations submitted to the Department of Corrections.

Satisfactory completion of pre-employment and annual physical examination that is consistent with and indicative of the conditions required to perform the job based upon the guidelines established by the Department of Corrections.

Applicants must possess a valid driver's license at the time of appointment in order to perform necessary travel.

Applicants will be subject to drug testing.

Applicants must be willing and able to work any assigned shift or day of the week, and additional shifts as required.

NOTE: Employees in this job classification may be designated as peace officers by the Director pursuant to 57 O.S. § 510 and required to meet the training and screening requirements conducted by the Department and certified by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training to include any psychological or physical testing required for eligibility to complete a basic police course or be certified as a peace officer. Training will include physical conditioning, self-defense tactics, and receipt of an application of oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray. (70 O.S. § 3311).

No person who has been found guilty of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to any offense requiring registration under the Sex Offenders Registration Act is eligible for employment as a peace officer. (57 O.S. § 589 (C)).

No person who has been convicted of a crime of moral turpitude who has not received a full pardon from the proper agency is eligible for employment as a peace officer. (70 O.S. § 3311).

No person who has been convicted of a nonviolent felony and who has not received a full pardon from the proper authority, or who has been convicted of any other felony offense, is eligible for employment in this job classification. (21 O.S. § 1283(B)).

No person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, who has not been pardoned for, or had the conviction expunged or set aside, or is subject to a court order that restrains the person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or the partners' child or engaging in other conduct that would place an intimate partner or the partners' child in reasonable fear of bodily injury and includes a finding that the person is a credible threat; or who has been dishonorably discharged from any branch of the armed services is eligible for employment in this job classification. (18 U.S.C. § 922).

The Department of Corrections has determined that some positions in this job family are safety sensitive as defined by 63 O.S. § 427.8.

Additional Job Description

Joseph Harp Correctional Center

Facility assignments are determined based on the facility or county preferences listed in your initial application.

Equal Opportunity Employment

The State of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of genetic information, race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, or disability.