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First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of correctional officers and jailers.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Supervise or perform searches of inmates or their quarters to locate contraband items.
    • Examine incoming or outgoing mail to ensure conformance with regulations.
    • Supervise or perform searches of inmates or their quarters to locate contraband items.
    • Develop work or security procedures.
    • Instruct employees or provide on-the-job training.
    • Convey correctional officers' or inmates' complaints to superiors.
    • Restrain, secure, or control offenders, using chemical agents, firearms, or other weapons of force as necessary.
    • Carry injured offenders or employees to safety and provide emergency first aid when necessary.
    • Complete administrative paperwork or supervise the preparation or maintenance of records, forms, or reports.
    • Complete administrative paperwork or supervise the preparation or maintenance of records, forms, or reports.
    • Supervise or provide security for offenders performing tasks, such as construction, maintenance, laundry, food service, or other industrial or agricultural operations.
    • Review offender information to identify issues that require special attention.
    • Set up employee work schedules.
    • Carry injured offenders or employees to safety and provide emergency first aid when necessary.
    • Take, receive, or check periodic inmate counts.
    • Supervise activities, such as searches, shakedowns, riot control, or institutional tours.
    • Conduct roll calls of correctional officers.
    • Rate behavior of inmates, promoting acceptable attitudes and behaviors to those with low ratings.
    • Resolve problems between inmates.
    • Supervise and direct the work of correctional officers to ensure the safe custody, discipline, and welfare of inmates.
    • Maintain knowledge of, comply with, and enforce all institutional policies, rules, procedures, and regulations.
    • Transfer or transport offenders on foot or by driving vehicles, such as trailers, vans, or buses.
    • Maintain order, discipline, and security within assigned areas in accordance with relevant rules, regulations, policies, and laws.
    • Transfer or transport offenders on foot or by driving vehicles, such as trailers, vans, or buses.
    • Conduct evaluations of employees' performance.
    • Monitor behavior of subordinates to ensure alert, courteous, and professional behavior toward inmates, parolees, fellow employees, visitors, and the public.
    • Respond to emergencies, such as escapes.

    Skills

    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.

    Abilities

    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    Knowledge

    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    Less than 5 years work experience
    Training
    No on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    94070/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    45.23/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    1,220
    Yearly Projected Openings
    120

    Personality

    Enterprising: People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Integrity
    • Self Control
    • Dependability
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Attention to Detail
    • Cooperation

    Tools

    • Anti cut gloves
    • Automobiles or cars
    • Body armour
    • Closed circuit television CCTV system
    • Desktop computers
    • Fire alarm systems
    • Fire blankets
    • Fire extinguishers
    • Flashlight
    • Gas masks
    • Handcuffs
    • Handguns
    • Minivans or vans
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers
    • Radio frequency identification devices
    • Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories
    • Riot batons
    • Riot helmets
    • Riot shields
    • Safety vests
    • Security cameras
    • Security metal detector
    • Security or access control systems
    • Special purpose telephones
    • Tablet computers
    • Torso and belt restraints
    • Two way radios
    • Utility knives

    Technology

    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software