Juvenile correctional officer
Also known as: young offenders detention officer, youth detention worker, detention officer, youth detention counselor, young offenders officer, correctional youth security officer
About this occupation
Juvenile correctional officers monitor and provide security to juvenile offenders. They ensure the safety of the facility compliant with rules and regulations, compile reports on the daily activities as well as in the case of incidents, and report unusual activity. They also supervise rehabilitation procedures of the offenders.
Essential skills and knowledge
- oversee rehabilitation process
- identify security threats
- patrol areas
- escort defendants
- mentor individuals
- correctional procedures
- restrain individuals
- apply knowledge of human behaviour
- law enforcement
- legal use-of-force
- handle conflicts
- undertake inspections
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists (O*NET 21-1092.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
- Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
- Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
- Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
- Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school.
- Investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure.
- Typical education (US)
- Bachelor's Degree
- Preparation
- Job Zone 4 of 5
- Interests
- Social, Conventional, Enterprising
Top skills: Active Listening, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Writing
US median pay: US$66,270 a year (2025), 89,390 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- Government and PoliticsO*NET: Law and GovernmentVery important (4.4)
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageVery important (4.1)
- PsychologyO*NET: PsychologyVery important (4.1)
- SociologyO*NET: Sociology and AnthropologyVery important (3.6)
- Computer StudiesO*NET: Computers and ElectronicsImportant (3.1)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- Bachelor's Degree
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Correctional Officers and Jailers
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
- Rehabilitation Counselors
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
- Social and Human Service Assistants
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
- Healthcare Social Workers
- Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
- Mental Health Counselors
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.