Top 12 Correctional Officer Skills and Qualifications for Resume

Updated on: January 6, 2021

Skills are essential on many levels, primarily if you’re working in a position such as that of a correctional officer.

Some of the main skills that you need to possess to work as a correctional officer include the ability to manage and restrain inmates who may be unruly, knowledge of facility law and order, and the ability to maintain order within an assigned area.

If you have a particular skills set that you can boast of in any capacity relevant to what the hiring manager is looking for, you will have covered a lot of ground.

Being considered eligible for a position, you need to be able to give a broad view of your capabilities and qualifications in that regard. Any information that is not spot on with the company’s requirements needs to be trashed, and not made part of the document – the resume.

It is imperative that your resume is prepared wholesome by the mention of skills and qualifications so that the hiring manager can quickly pick you out from the lot.

It is also important to remember that skills tell hiring managers what we are capable of doing once hired. And when a hiring manager is presented with this information, he or she automatically becomes inclined to engage you. Speaking of correctional officer skills, here is a list to help you:

Sample Skills and Qualifications for Correctional Officer Resume
  1. Highly experienced in enforcing rules and keeping order within jails and correctional facilities.
  2. Exceptionally talented in supervising the activities of inmates, to ensure their security and that of the staff.
  3. Deep familiarity with assisting in the rehabilitation and counseling of offenders.
  4. Demonstrated expertise in inspecting facilities to ensure that they meet the set standards for security, cleanliness, and maintenance.
  5. Effectively able to search inmates for contraband items, and report on their conduct.
  6. Proven ability to supervise inmates in segregated for administrative or punitive measures.
  7. Adept at instructing inmates in housekeeping and sanitation procedures to ensure that their cells are properly maintained.
  8. Documented success in maintaining a periodic patrol internally and externally, and ensure the security and integrity of the correctional facility.
  9. Adept at monitoring, supervising, and screening inmate visitor traffic.
  10. Ability to effectively instruct inmates and maintain control in areas such as dining rooms and auditoriums.
  11. Competent in maintaining master inmate location counts, and handling operations of the control room.
  12. Able to maintain proper security of inmates being transported to ensure that there are no untoward incidents.