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First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers

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

  • Details

  • Work Activities

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

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

    Abilities

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

    Knowledge

    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • 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.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • 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.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    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:
    • Self-Confidence
    • Leadership Orientation
    • Perseverance
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control
    • Cautiousness

    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