correctional officer

BC Corrections

BC Corrections is a lifelong career opportunity that requires high levels of professionalism and strong interpersonal skills. The job duties and work environment are unique, challenging at times and rewarding when you see meaningful change in offenders.  The relationships you build and the team of staff you have an opportunity to work with is unparalleled in any other work environment. 

With this career comes many amazing benefits. The staff are incredibly supportive and the interactions with your peers is truly like a second family. Pay for hours worked on a per hour basis is standard for the field. However, recent bargaining is expected to see that increase to one of the top in the country. The non-monetary benefits often forgotten are top notch medical and dental benefits, a defined pension plan, incredible work life balance, paid holidays, paid training, a formal mentoring program for new officers to name a few. 

Officers interested in advancement are given fair opportunity for promotion and professional growth through a fair and transparent competition process. 

BC Corrections is one of the safest careers a person could choose. I have past work experience in the forest industry and the injuries in that field of work were hands down more violent or dangerous than anything I have ever seen in BC Corrections.

BC Corrections has supported me and my family very well through my career. Don’t get me wrong I have had trying times, but that is no different than any other job. The difference is this a career and not just a job. There is every opportunity to exceed even when times get tough and amazing supports when they do if you’re willing to accept them. 

I would recommend this career to anyone with great interpersonal skills, a positive attitude, good moral compass and a genuine desire to make changes in people’s lives. I could simply leave my comments but I also want to share actual comments other staff have shared with me about what they appreciate about their career -

I love shift work, it's a great balance between work and rest

I learn something every day, faced with challenges that force me to think on my feet. 

Integrity, and to work with high functioning people. To be part of an organization that is respectable something to be proud of. 

A good group of employees and staff. 

I love the flexibility with personal life and career. Love the different aspects of the job which makes you think on your toes and is never a dull moment when coming to work. Most of all I love the comradery that comes with it. 

I feel Corrections is a government sector that will never be folded or cease to be and therefore has considerable job security. The real 'keep it' factors are: it's not a complex job, it's full-time and pays well considering and lastly, I only really have to work half the days of the year with the shift work schedule. 

My career with corrections have given me the chance to find the work-life balance.  It has given me the satisfaction I was looking from a career .The teamwork and the relations I have developed with my peers are very valuable to me. 

It has provided for me and my family. The paychecks are always consistent and reliable every 2 weeks whether I am at work or not. The time off is great, the benefits are very beneficial and there is a pension at the end of the road. 

Everyone has been very supportive and the workplace is an enjoyable place to be. 

The Benefits, the 4 on 4 off pattern, you have 4 days to do whatever you want to do, and almost 5 days when you are going into night shifts. For the amount of work we do in a day at the jail, these seem like my days off. With kids, house work and life stuff, when I come to work here it seems like these are my days off away from everything. My 4 days off gives me time to work on a side business. This time off allows me to do what “I” want to do. This is a job I can do well into retirement ages or even more. If you do your job correctly and professionally you will gain respect from all inmates and other officers. 

Reliable work, hours have been accommodated since I'm a single mom, and the pension. 

KRCC has already been developing in a different direction in my short time here. What direction I am uncertain of as of yet, however, it has been looking like a positive direction thus far. With plenty of new staff being hired full time and a greater feeling of support/safety in the facility this has been progress for more officer retention. Looking forward to the future. 

The challenge of learning different aspects of the job 

I enjoy the work. 

The benefits, and the pension plan. 

WORK LIFE BALANCE!!! Can't beat the time off here. So good for people with families, and the benefits are awesome! 

Working for the government is extremely beneficial in my life. Not only with what benefits/ pay it has to offer, but the fact that it’s a great, controlled environment with lots of areas to grow in. I would recommend this career to anyone. 

Excellent atmosphere. 

Location of employment. 

Time off, benefits and job security 

Full time, Job stability, 4 on 4 off schedule. 

Stable employment through good times and bad.  

I am nearing the end of my career in corrections and have enjoyed the challenges and opportunities throughout my career. I think this is a business that is changing for the better and I look forward to mentoring the new up and coming leadership team and line staff. 

Despite coming and going TWICE; I haven't found a career that supports growth, fairness, teamwork and support like I have in corrections. 

Every day is something new, I enjoy the variety and changes that take place in my work environment. Awesome benefits

I have been in the business nearly 30 years and looking back, I can only say that it has been very rewarding, interesting and has allowed me to experience many different roles and opportunities.  I have absolutely no regrets and through my commitment and personal vision, I was able to succeed and grow as a person and as an officer.  I learned much about humans, both from an officer perspective but also how decisions individuals make that in turn  change their futures.  That goes for people on both sides of the fence.  The culture is very different, the unexpected and challenging all at the same time.  I certainly couldn't be a flag person or work for many of the other mundane occupations out there; there is a  requirement for you to think outside the box and solve some of the most difficult situations using all of your personal values and skill-sets.  That is what I think management always asked us to do. To not only identify concerns/issues but to be leaders and come up with some ideas for resolve. This was key to keeping things as positive as they could be in an environment that can be difficult at times while empowering others to develop. Corrections continues to be a rewarding career and I recommend this occupation to those that have a positive outlook on life, can see things from different perspectives and are leaders not followers; and those that genuinely want to help others become better people.

With a career spanning 20 + years, I have no regrets with my choice to join BC Corrections.
BC Corrections has continually provided multiple opportunities for job enjoyment and satisfaction. These opportunities are a large factor that demonstrate the possibility for a lengthy career without becoming stagnant. In addition to the variety of different positions available from initial entry as Correctional Officer, the further promotional opportunities provide enough incentives for even the most driven career seekers.
The medical, dental, extended benefits and pension package received with this career are extremely beneficial for any lifestyle and  in conjunction with the variety of shift patterns available have definitely made a positive contribution providing a comfortable lifestyle while raising my family. The shift-work was a big contributor, well recognized by schools, allowing my constant involvement in my children's activities and events making for a positive work life balance.
If you are considering this line of work for a career I would definitely recommend contacting one of the centers for further information on current opportunities, to make an informed decision based on experienced information. The decision is ultimately yours with nothing to lose and great possibilities for gain.

Working with BC Corrections means you would be learning something new every day. It could be about people or about best organizational practices or maybe managing change, and for me that's the most enjoyable part of working with BC Corrections. There are numerous opportunities available for people with right mindset and willing to go that extra mile. 

The workplace culture is supportive and encourages teamwork. It's not difficult to find mentors; people are willing to share their experience and help you achieve great results. The management is open minded to change, willing to try out new approaches and listen to people. 

It's all about people - when you are working with people and want to help them to change their lives you must be open to changing your approach and have immense patience. This means trying new approaches and learning from feedback, but it’s not always easy as change is sometimes inherently uncomfortable. However, the results are rewarding and each day there is a sense of achievement. People with high integrity, excellent communication skills and empathy would be a great fit for this career.

Overall BC Corrections is a good job if you intend to use it as a stepping stone for something better such as policing, federal corrections, CBSA, etc. The pay is extremely low for the amount of responsibility and risk that comes with the job, such as running a unit of anywhere from 10-60 inmates all by yourself. Other work stressors include other tasks that are required during your shift (on top of running a living unit) which include cell inspections; writing daily reports; serving meals; reading up and following new SOP's and dealing with needy inmates. BC Corrections has yet to adopt the 40-hour work week schedule so you are only paid 35 hours per week. Starting pay is in the mid-twenties. Unless your doing OT (which isn't as abundant as it once was), your not making that much and probably not making over 50k for your first two years. On top of that union dues and pension deduction eat a lot of your paycheck.

Great experience for those wanting a career in policing but a horrible long term career. High turn over rate makes for a very inexperienced staff which can quickly escalate already dangerous working conditions. Management is unsupportive and will throw staff under the bus in a heart beat to save face with the provincial directors in Victoria. As a result staff morale is very low and sometimes toxic depending on who you’re working with. As it stands now BC Corrections is a miserable place with all competent staff rushing to find employment elsewhere. 

A good job to gain experience but not for a long term career.  High turnover of staff resulting in lack of experienced personnel and shortage.  Very difficult to schedule time off.  A challenging, stressful career that does not have a supportive environment.   Most managers are not interested in mentoring new recruits  and are  only interested in furthering their own careers.  When things go wrong management is quick to point fingers and distribute blame.   Corrections operates in a reactive rather than a proactive manner when it comes to operations and making changes.  If you like doing overtime though, it is there for the taking due to staff shortages.  

Terrible place to work, zero support from management. Staff is left to support each other. Management consistently take the inmates side and throw officers under the bus to protect themselves from the directors in Victoria. Charges you write against inmates a lot of times will be thrown out because the officers word means nothing, leaving you without credibility to the inmates and they will and do laugh at you for it. Inmates are constantly given handouts (ice cream, cookies, PlayStation, TVs) and act entitled because of it. If you value your sanity, avoid working in Corrections. One thing I will say, inmates were easier to deal with than the managers. 

Management does not care about their employees in any way. They blame staff for the “toxic culture.” True leaders take responsibility and accountability, whereas in Corrections, the Centre’s “leaders” answer to no one and can treat staff as they wish. A truly disappointing experience working in Corrections, as I had high hopes for a long lasting career. Working with inmates is the easiest part of the job; dealing with being belittled, harassed, and ostracized by Corrections' management team is something that could not be stomached or tolerated.

The abnormal work environment is structured to pit employees against each other. Workplace moral is subzero because only the worst bullies and evil persons are allowed into management. The recruit their own kind. There is no hope for change. Employees usually become ill before or shortly after retirement. High turn over, therefore it is dangerous to work there when no one is experienced.

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