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Correctional Services Worker

Correctional services workers provide case planning, supervision, security, and support services for individuals staying in correctional centres. They also run a variety of correctional programs to guide clients in reducing their interactions with the criminal justice system.

Also Known As

Correctional Centre Caseworker, Living Unit Officer, Youth Justice Worker

NOC Codes

In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.

The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.

Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.

2006 NOC

  • 4155.2: Classification Officers, Correctional Institutions

2006 NOC-S

  • E025: Probation and Parole Officers and Related Occupations

2011 NOC

  • 4155: Probation and parole officers and related occupations

2016 NOC

  • 4155: Probation and parole officers and related occupations

2021 NOC

  • 42201: Social and community service workers

2023 OaSIS

  • 42201.00: Social and community service workers
Duties
Updated Mar 23, 2023

Correctional services workers are responsible for the supervision, case planning, and programming for individuals in residential correctional facilities such as correctional, remand, or young offender centres.

Correctional services workers:

  • Complete records and update casework documentation
  • Respond to questions, concerns, and complaints
  • Monitor and respond to situations on the living unit and in the centre
  • Role model appropriate ways to interact and resolve conflicts with others
  • Promote recreational activities
  • Prepare reports for in-centre and court use
  • Initiate program and service referrals to community programs for support
  • Collaborate with the various supports in an individual’s life such as centre staff, family, and justice or community partners
  • Prepare release plans including referrals
Working Conditions
Updated Mar 23, 2023
  • Strength Required Lift up to 10 kg

Work hours and settings vary widely depending on the role. For example, correctional services workers who escort individuals on day parole may take them to visit parents in hospital. Some correctional services workers may need to work shifts in a 24-hour period. This can include working on weekends and holidays. Others work regular business hours.

Physical requirements also vary. Correctional services workers may sometimes need to help other workers physically control individuals engaged in dangerous behaviour. Some clients may be unpredictable or hostile so workers must be ready to respond if a dangerous situation arises. This may happen during security checks or when orienting new offenders.

Interests & Abilities

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Classification Officers, Correctional Institutions

2006 NOC: 4155.2

Interest Codes

Interest Codes for This NOC Group
SOCIAL

Interest in mentoring in order to plan rehabilitation programs with offenders by identifying needs and setting goals and objectives; and in advising and counselling inmates regarding their problems

METHODICAL

Interest in co-ordinating information to prepare classification reports

INNOVATIVE

Interest in recommending types of incarceration and interventions considered most beneficial for the rehabilitation of inmates, and in developing suitable rehabilitation programs

Your Interest Codes

To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.

Reading Interest Codes
A Quick Guide

The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation. 

It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.

Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.

A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.

A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.

Learn About Interests

Abilities

Typical ability expectations for this NOC group
Your abilities

To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.

Mental Abilities

General Learning Ability

Verbal Ability

Numerical Ability

Visual Abilities

Spatial Perception

Form Perception

Clerical Perception

Physical Abilities

Motor Coordination

Finger Dexterity

Manual Dexterity

Understanding Abilities

A Quick Guide

You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.

The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.

The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.

Learn About Abilities

Traits & Skills
Updated Mar 23, 2023

Correctional services workers need:

  • Maturity and good judgment
  • Independence
  • Time-management skills
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Verbal and written communication skills
  • Investigation and interviewing skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Decision-making skills
  • The ability to prioritize work demands
  • The ability to work in a team
  • The ability to cope with stressful, risky, and unexpected situations
  • The ability to multitask and switch quickly from one task to another
  • Cultural and diversity awareness

They should enjoy:

  • Supervising others
  • Helping people
  • Assessing levels of offender risk and recommending interventions
  • Working with clearly defined rules and organized methods
Educational Requirements
Updated Mar 23, 2023
  • Minimum Education 2 years post-secondary

Entry-level correctional services workers in Government of Alberta positions require 1 of the following:

  • A university degree in a related field
  • A 2-year diploma in a related field plus 2 years related experience

Correctional services workers in Government of Canada positions must be Level 1 correctional peace officers first. For more information, see the Correctional Peace Officer occupational profile.


Related Education

The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.

To expand or narrow your search for programs related to this occupation, visit Post-Secondary Programs.

Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.

Certification Requirements
Updated Mar 23, 2023
  • Certification Not Regulated

There is currently no provincial legislation regulating this occupation in Alberta.

Employment & Advancement
Updated Mar 23, 2023

Correctional services workers mainly work in correctional centres and young offender centres.

They work for the Government of Alberta in provincial facilities or for the Government of Canada in federal facilities.

In the Government of Alberta, advancement beyond an entry-level position requires 1 of the following:

  • A university degree in a related field plus 2 years related experience
  • A 2-year diploma in a related field plus 4 years related experience

Experienced correctional services workers may advance to supervisory positions. The skills and competencies of a correctional service worker are transferable to other government jobs and opportunities within related fields.

Industry Concentration

This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.

In the 4155: Probation and parole officers and related occupations occupational group, 96.2% of people work in:

Employment Outlook

Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

  • Time of year (for seasonal jobs)
  • Location in Alberta
  • Employment turnover (when people leave existing positions)
  • Occupational growth (when new positions are created)
  • Size of the occupation
  • Trends and events that affect overall employment, especially in the industry or industries from the previous list

In Alberta, the 4155: Probation and parole officers and related occupations occupational group is expected to have a below-average annual growth of 0% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 0 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.

Note
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For example, only some of the new positions to be created will be for this occupation. It also applies to other data for the NOC group such as number of people employed.

Source: 2019-2023 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.

Wage & Salary
Updated Mar 23, 2023

Correctional services worker salaries in the Government of Alberta range from $59,744 to $84,097 (Source: Government of Alberta, 2023 estimates).

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Probation and parole officers and related occupations

2016 NOC: 4155
Average Wage
$43.68
Per Hour
Average Salary
$82,032.00
Per Year
Average Hours
36.1
Per Week
Average Months on Payroll
12
Survey Methodology Survey Analysis

Source
2021 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey

NOC 4155 Wage Profile

Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.

All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.

To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.

Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.

A: High Reliability
Data Reliability Code Definition

High Reliability, represents a CV of less than or equal to 6.00% and 30 survey observations and/or represents 50% or more of all estimated employment for the occupation.


Hourly Wage

For full-time and part-time employees
  • Low
  • High
  • Average
  • Median
Starting
Overall
Top

Hourly Wage

For full-time and part-time employees
Wages* Low (5th percentile) High (95th percentile) Average Median
Starting $31.18 $42.06 $34.68 $33.95
Overall $37.47 $51.31 $43.68 $43.62
Top $40.31 $53.44 $45.13 $43.89

Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.

* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.

Pay brackets for hourly wages

  • Starting pay: average pay offered for entry-level positions
  • Overall pay: average pay across all employees in this occupation
  • Top pay: average pay offered to top-paid employees

Industry Information

ALL INDUSTRIES
Public Administration

Skills Shortage

Employers that Recruited in the Last 2 Years
N/A
Recruiting Employers that Experienced Hiring Difficulties
N/A
Employers with Unfilled Vacancies of over 4 Months
N/A
Vacancy Rate
N/A
Related Post-Secondary Field of Study
  • Social Sciences, Law and Religious Studies
  • Social, Community and Protective Services
Other Sources of Information
Updated Mar 23, 2023

Correctional Service of Canada website: www.csc-scc.gc.ca/index-en.shtml

Government of Alberta, Public Safety and Emergency Services website:  www.alberta.ca/public-safety-and-emergency-services.aspx

Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.

Updated Mar 23, 2023. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.

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