Corrections Officer Hiring Process
1. Educational Requirements. You must have an educational background that includes at least 15 semester (or 23 term) college credit hours in Corrections, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Sociology, Educational Psychology, Family Relations, Guidance and Counseling, Pastoral Counseling, Social Work or Law Enforcement. These credits must be earned prior to submitting an application.
OR
Possession of 30 semester (or 45 term) college credit hours in any academic or degree prerequisite area meets the educational requirements. These credits must be earned prior to submitting an application.
OR
Any bachelor’s degree or two years of satisfactory Corrections Officer employment at the state or federal level fulfills the educational requirement. These credits must be earned prior to submitting an application.
OR
Two years of satisfactory Corrections Officer employment at the state or federal level will fulfill the educational requirement.
2. Criminal History Check. An applicant must provide criminal history information by completing a Department of Corrections Release of Information form and must pass the criminal history check prior to consideration for employment. Falsification of information will result in elimination from consideration for hire. An individual who has been convicted of a felony or domestic violence cannot be hired. Consideration cannot be given to an applicant who is on misdemeanor probation, has outstanding warrants, or has a controlled substance (drug) related conviction in any jurisdiction, including drug-related military discharges. In addition, an applicant who has been convicted of any other misdemeanor shall not be eligible for employment until one year after satisfactory completion of any sentence imposed, including payment of fines and probation.
3. Interview. The Department of Corrections will notify an applicant by email to advise him/her of a scheduled date and time for a structured interview. Interviews are conducted in a panel format consisting of Corrections supervisors and/or Recruitment personnel. An applicant will have two chances to pass the structured interview. Employer reference forms are sent with the interview information to be completed which will enable the Department of Corrections to verify employment history.
4. Physical Fitness Test. A physical fitness test is administered prior to consideration for employment. The test includes push-ups, sit-ups, and a step test to measure cardiovascular fitness. An applicant will have two chances to pass the physical fitness test.
5. Physical Exam. Applicants passing Steps 1 through 5 will then receive notification regarding a medical physical, pulmonary function test and two step tuberculosis tests. Applicants will pay for their own medical screenings. An applicant must be able to wear a gas mask and a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) to be hired. Applicants with medical restrictions which would keep them from performing all essential job functions of the Corrections Officer’s job cannot be hired.
6. Once an applicant has successfully completed all of the above steps, they will receive a Certificate of Eligibility that will allow them to apply for acceptance to an approved corrections officer training program at a participating college or university.
7. Once accepted into a college or university corrections officer training program, applicants must pass a MDOC pre-employment drug screen.
8. Training. Training consists of attending a corrections officer training program at a participating college (6 weeks in length). The training program is unpaid. Once you pass the initial 6 weeks of the training program (including a physical fitness test), you will be eligible to be hired by the MDOC for additional two weeks of paid training (still at the college). Once individuals complete the 8 weeks of training, they will begin on-the-job training at their assigned facilities. There will be a cost involved to attend the college training program.
Any questions regarding this process should be directed to the Michigan Department of Corrections, Recruitment Section, P.O. Box 30003, Lansing, MI 48909, Phone (517) 335-6711 or toll free (888) 820-7129.
The Michigan Department of Corrections is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer