The Massachusetts Department of Corrections states that as of January 2013, some 11,000 inmates were housed in the commonwealth’s correctional institutions. This does not include the Federal Medical Center located in Devens, which also houses prisoners. In Massachusetts, correctional officer jobs may be found in any of the state’s correctional institutions as well as in the Federal Medical Center in Devens. Becoming a Correctional Officer in MassachusettsEducational Prerequisite. Federal. At the entry (GS 5) level, candidates need at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Alternatively, they may substitute experience as listed below.

1. Massachusetts Probation Office

At the next (GS6) level, candidates must have taken at least nine graduate college semester hours in criminal justice, criminology, criminal justice, law, social science, or a related discipline. Alternatively, they may substitute experience as listed below. State. Experience is preferred, but the following educational accomplishments will substitute for experience:. A bachelor’s degree in sociology, social work, psychology, law enforcement, criminology, criminal justice or counseling may be substituted.

Two years of this education equals one year of experience at this level. A bachelor’s degree in another field may be substituted for one year of experience, with two years of education equaling six months of experience. A graduate degree in sociology, social work, psychology, law enforcement, criminology, criminal justice or counseling equals one year of experience and may be substituted for this. Education towards a degree will be prorated if substituted for experience.

Massachusetts Probation Office

55070Boston, Massachusetts Corrections Officer Job DescriptionThe violent crime rate in Boston in 2010 was higher than that of the rest of Massachusetts by over 93%. There were over 5,800 violent crimes reported in the city during that year. To deal with the number of offenders in Massachusetts, over 6100 correctional officers were employed in the state in 2012.A federal prison is located about 39 miles west of Boston. Federal Medical Center (FMC) Devens specializes in long term medical and psychiatric care for male federal inmates. They also provide forensic evaluation of defendants who have been referred by the courts.

There are more than 400 jobs supported by this facility, most of which are correctional officer jobs.The Boston area is also home to a number of other correctional facilities, including:. Boston Pre-Release Center. Lemuel Shattuck Hospital Correctional Unit. House of Correction—South Bay. Norfolk County Jail. Nashua Street Jail.

Massachusetts Correctional Institution–Cedar Junction. Bay State Correctional CenterSteps to Become a Correctional Officer in BostonEducation – Federal correctional officer careers in Boston require a bachelor’s degree. To achieve a GL-6 level, correctional officers must possess an additional graduate coursework. This requires nine hours of graduate study in the field of criminal justice or a related field. Requirements include having full time work experience.

Applicants can possess three years of general experience or one year of specialized experience such as law enforcement, park ranger, or mental health facility worker.To become a correction officer with the Massachusetts Department of Corrections (MDOC), applicants must have a high school diploma or GED certificate issued by the Massachusetts Department of Education. Exceptions can be made for applicants who have served three or more years in the U.S. Armed Forces and have been honorably discharged.Training – The MDOC requires ten weeks of training for recruits to learn how to become correctional officers. This training takes place at the Shirley Correctional Complex-Training Academy that is located in Shirley, MA. They are trained in the following areas:.

Polices and procedures. Using firearms. Self-defense.

Techniques of using handcuffs and restraining individuals. Physical trainingFederal correctional officers train for three weeks at the Staff Training Academy in Glynco, GA. The Federal Bureau of Prisons requires that its correction officers receive annual training: from 16 to 40 hours a year.The Inmates of FMC DevensFMC Devens has capacity for over 1,000 inmates. The specialized medical care for inmates with chronic medical conditions includes treatment for HIV, kidney failure, cancer, and paralysis. This facility was the first one of those administered by the Bureau of Prisons to provide services for donor transplants.As a dedicated psychiatric facility, correctional officers at FMC Devens tend to both acutely ill and chronic psychiatric patients.

There are two unlocked and two locked units for their treatment. The Mental Health Unit also includes inmates who have been deemed mentally ill and dangerous by civil courts. About 40% of the inmates are sex offenders who receive specialized treatment.Bridgewater, Massachusetts Corrections Officer Job DescriptionOperating out of Bridgewater, the Massachusetts Department of Correction has one state prison and one hospital for those declared criminally insane in this town that is considered a suburb of not only Boston, but also Providence, Rhode Island.