Correctional Services

The Correctional Services industry plays a major role in the management and supervision of offenders in prisons, juvenile and immigration detention and parole services.

Within the correctional services sector there is the aim to reduce the risk of re-offending through offering education programs, transition programs and supporting offenders physical and mental health wellbeing to assist in successful reintegration.

What does this industry cover?

There are currently over 110 Custodial Facilities in operation in Australia.

There has been a 50% increase in prison population over the past decade which has seen some changes in legislation to enable electronic monitoring in home detention to reduce overcrowding and imprisonment costs.

Passive Alert Detection Dogs (PADD) are now being used to assist with detection of smuggled goods and help to control bad behaviour in prisons.

Digital and ICT communication including emails and videoconferencing, application of cloud-based technologies, GPS, radio frequency and drone operation are all new technologies that are being utilised within the correctional services.

Job hunting preparation

Occupations in demand in the Correctional Services are: Correction Officers, Correctional Management, Youth Workers (Justice and Custodial Officers), Clinicians and Case Managers.

Skills in demand in the Correctional Services are: Cultural Competence, Health and Safety, Security, Digital Literacy and Trauma Informed Care.

People working in this industry should be prepared to work shifts, day and night including weekends and public holidays. You will not be employed if you have a criminal record or criminal history.

Typically training commences once you have been employed. The GEO Group Australia, one of the largest employers in this industry, has some handy videos on what it takes to secure employment.

Information for further research

Industry information is published by peak level associations, government and major employers.  Accessing industry association sites, including member lists, is a good way of building up an understanding of an industry.  Visiting employer websites and looking for careers or employment menus helps identify how employers recruit and the skills they are recruiting.

Employment and wage data for this industry

Apprenticeships Employment Size

This is a small to medium industry for Australian Apprenticeship commencements. In the year to September 2022, commencements were: 620

Source: VOCSTATS, extracted on 11/4/2023AATIS analysis.

Commencements Change

Commencements in the year to September 2022 in this industry have remained stable, compared with the previous year.

Source: VOCSTATS, extracted on 11/4/2023AATIS analysis.

Apprentice Employment Outcomes

No Apprentice Employment Outcome data for this industry is available.

Source: NCVER National Student Outcomes Survey, 2020, unpublished. AATIS analysis.

Industry Employment Size

This is a medium sized industry compared with other Australian industries.

Source: National Skills Commission, 2022. AATIS analysis.

Industry Employment Change

In the next 5 years, change in employment in this industry is predicted to increase.

Source: National Skills Commission, 2022. AATIS analysis.

Industry Wage

The average wage of all employees in this industry is medium to high.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022. AATIS analysis.

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