NCJ Number
106597
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 29 Issue: 2 Dated: (April 1987) Pages: 172-175
Date Published
1987
Length
4 pages
Annotation
A survey was conducted of 145 (80-percent response rate) correctional officers (CO's) in 4 Ohio institutions to examine their training and its relation to occupational duties.
Abstract
About 48 percent had some college education. A third had 1 to 5 years' correctional experience, and about half had more than 6 years'. Economic necessity was the major reason given for entering the field by 59 percent, and only 13 percent listed corrections as their first job choice. Of respondents, 85 percent had received 40 hours training before starting their jobs, and 60 percent had received 120 hours of training during their first year. Of 36 specific areas of training, a majority of CO's had received formal training in 17. The most frequently cited subjects included firearms, housing and body searches, hunting for contraband, report writing, institutional rules and regulations, self-defense, and key and tool control (all reported by over 75 percent of CO's). A comparison of actual training with that recommended by the American Correctional Association indicates that only 42 percent of the CO's met these standards. 3 references.