The criminal justice industry has undergone rapid growth and development in the recent past. This can be ascribed to the high rate of crime being evidenced in most parts of the world as well as the advancement in crime technology. Criminals have resorted to the use of sophisticated methods of committing crimes thus calling for an upgrade in the criminal justice industry. As a result, many careers have been created ranging from police officers and detectives to constables among others (My Colleges and Careers 1).
Among the different careers in the area of criminal justice, being a correctional officer at North Carolina is what I would like to pursue. Correctional officers are in most cases situated in government prisons and jails. Working as a correctional officer is a risky venture since you deal with criminals. However, despite this fact, I would still be interested in pursuing this career.
The duty of a correctional officer is to oversee and keep watch of the arrested criminals during their terms in jail (O.Net 1). Owing to the constant changing population of criminal offenders in the jail caused by the release, conviction, or transfer of criminals, a correctional officer could process about 13 million criminals each year. This means interacting with many people each year, something that I would love to do. In addition to this, I have always advocated for maintenance of law and orders in our state, therefore, a career as a correctional officer will enable me execute this duty effectively. This is because a correctional officer is responsible for maintaining security in prisons and jails by ensuring that criminals do not cause disturbances (Correctional Service Canada 1).
The work environment of correctional officers is normally hazardous and stressful. This is because they are normally at the risk of being injured or confronted by the inmates. As such, correctional officers have recorded one of the highest rates of injuries at work. Therefore, for one to become a correctional officer, they have to be risk takers and bold enough to survive in the jails and prisons. This position best suits me because of my character of taking up challenges. I normally feel contended when I take up a challenge and emerging a conqueror.
Another reason as to why this career is of great interest to me is the high remuneration package that it comes with. The average remuneration of correctional officers in the United States is $38,380 (B.L.S 1). In addition to the high earnings, the job vacancies for correctional officers are many, such that it is difficult to find an unemployed correctional officer due to their high demand. For instance in 2008, the rate of employment of correctional officers in the United States grew by about nine percent.
The job as a correctional officer also comes in hand with job security. This is so because; correctional officers are employed by the state government, which is one of the best employers. The government offers training and education on free on top of other benefits such as leaves, bonuses, and retreats. This again makes me want to pursue the career of a correctional officer more than any other career.
There are various reasons as to why I would specifically want to be a correctional officer in North Carolina. For one, the region depicts the highest median salaries for correctional officers with the Metro areas being in the lead (Salary.com 1). The region also has a high population, which in turn causes a high demand for correctional officers.
Works Cited
Bureau of Labor Statistics (B.L.S). Correctional Officers. 2011. Web.
Correctional Service Canada. Correctional Officer- Group & Level CX-01. 2010. Web.
My Colleges and Careers. Careers in Criminal Justice Field. 2011. Web.
O.Net. Summary Report for: Correctional Officers and Jailers. 2010. Web.
Salary.com. North Carolina Correctional Officer Salaries. 2011. Web.