Becoming a Correctional Officer in Kentucky

The state of Kentucky has county, state, and federal jails and prisons that all fall under state jurisdiction. Currently, there are 12 penitentiaries and complexes located throughout the state whose mandate is to protect the citizens and communities of the state by providing secure environments for inmates and officers. Arranging state facilities in this manner allows services to be clustered for best management of the offenders who may need services directed toward juvenile offenders, women, health needs, or community transition. Some, like Bell Country Forestry Camp house offenders who can work on outside release. Others, like the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women have gender segregated cells and dormitories. Kentucky currently has 3,247 correctional officers working with over 20,000 incarcerated offenders. In the next decade, state predictions show that the number of correctional officers is going to grow by 5% or to 3409 roles. This growth, coupled with retirement and career moves, means that the Kentucky Department of Corrections is actively recruiting new hires. For more information about the field of corrections in Kentucky, keep reading.

27
Schools Analyzed
10
Schools Ranked

Top Schools Supporting Careers in Criminal Justice & Corrections

The following rankings are based on student data, published surveys, and other school and career data collected from several sources which include the following government agencies:

Data Sources

  • National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

By obtaining our base data set from the above data sources, schools were ranked using the criteria below:

  • Schools with less than 10 total graduates per year were omitted in order to maintain statistical integrity
  • Schools must have at least 1 graduate in the field of criminal justice
  • Only 4-year, 2-year, and technical public and private non-profit schools were included

Schools were sorted in order of the highest percentage of total students graduating with a degree in the field of criminal justice (CIPCODES: 43.0102, 43.0110, 43.0113, 43.0103, 43.0104, 43.0107, 43.0109, 43.0111, 43.0112, 43.0199).

1

Kentucky Wesleyan College

3000 Frederica Street, Owensboro, KY 42301

Kentucky Wesleyan College ranks 1st in our latest rankings with sixteen students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 294 graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 5.44%
  • Program Graduates: 16
  • Total Graduates: 294

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: kwc.edu
  • School Size: Less than 1,000
2

Eastern Kentucky University

521 Lancaster Ave, Richmond, KY 40475-3102

Located in Richmond, Kentucky and founded in 1906, Eastern Kentucky University is a teaching and research university with over 15,000 students enrolled annually. The university has three campuses to better serve its student body. Students interested in the field of corrections are advised to contact EKU's Corrections & Juvenile Justice Studies faculty in order to learn more about this unique program, as well as required prerequisites and employment statistics.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 4.91%
  • Program Graduates: 341
  • Total Graduates: 6,952
  • Programs:
    • Corrections
    • Law Enforcement Administration
    • Police Science
    • Security And Loss Prevention Services

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 4-year
  • Website: programs.eku.edu
  • School Size: 10,000 - 20,000
3

Saint Catharine College

2735 Bardstown Road, Saint Catharine, KY 40061

Saint Catharine College ranks 3rd in our latest rankings with eleven students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 306 graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 3.59%
  • Program Graduates: 11
  • Total Graduates: 306

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: sccky.edu
  • School Size: Less than 1,000
4

University of Pikeville

147 Sycamore St, Pikeville, KY 41501

University of Pikeville ranks 4th in our rankings with 18 students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total 546 graduates.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 3.30%
  • Program Graduates: 18
  • Total Graduates: 546

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: upike.edu
  • School Size: 1,000 - 5,000
5

Lindsey Wilson College

210 Lindsey Wilson St, Columbia, KY 42728-1223

Lindsey Wilson College ranks fifth in our rankings with thirty-eight students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total 1,292 graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.94%
  • Program Graduates: 38
  • Total Graduates: 1,292

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: lindsey.edu
  • School Size: 1,000 - 5,000
6

University of Louisville

2301 S 3rd St, Louisville, KY 40292-0001

University of Louisville ranks sixth in our rankings with 267 students completing programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 9,754 graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.74%
  • Program Graduates: 267
  • Total Graduates: 9,754

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 4-year
  • Website: louisville.edu
  • School Size: More than 20,000
7

Gateway Community and Technical College

500 Technology Way, Florence, KY 41042

Gateway Community and Technical College ranks 7th in our rankings with 72 students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration out of a total two thousand students in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.70%
  • Program Graduates: 72
  • Total Graduates: 2,662

School Details

8

Hopkinsville Community College

720 North Dr., Hopkinsville, KY 42240

Hopkinsville Community College ranks 8th in our latest rankings with 67 students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration out of a total two thousand graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.64%
  • Program Graduates: 67
  • Total Graduates: 2,534

School Details

9

Kentucky State University

400 East Main Street, Frankfort, KY 40601-2355

Kentucky State University ranks 9th in our rankings with sixteen students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 608 students.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.63%
  • Program Graduates: 16
  • Total Graduates: 608

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 4-year
  • Website: kysu.edu
  • School Size: 1,000 - 5,000
10

Campbellsville University

1 University Dr, Campbellsville, KY 42718-2799

Campbellsville University ranks 10th in our rankings with twenty-eight students completing programs in criminal justice and law enforcement administration out of a total 1,288 students in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.17%
  • Program Graduates: 28
  • Total Graduates: 1,288
  • Programs:
    • Law Enforcement Administration
    • Criminal Justice

School Details

Continued List of All Criminal Jusitice Programs in Kentucky

ProgramWebsite

Northern Kentucky University

Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY 41099
Phone: (859) 572-5100

Union College

310 College St, Barbourville, KY 40906-1499
Phone: (606) 546-4151

Somerset Community College

808 Monticello Street, Somerset, KY 42501-2973
Phone: (877) 629-9722

Ashland Community and Technical College

1400 College Drive, Ashland, KY 41101-3683
Phone: (606) 326-2000

Big Sandy Community and Technical College

One Bert Combs Dr, Prestonsburg, KY 41653
Phone: (606) 886-3863 x0

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

600 College Street Rd, Elizabethtown, KY 42701-3081
Phone: (270) 769-2371

University of the Cumberlands

6191 College Station Drive, Williamsburg, KY 40769
Phone: (606) 549-2200

Jefferson Community and Technical College

109 E Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202-2005
Phone: (502) 213-4000

Madisonville Community College

2000 College Drive, Madisonville, KY 42431
Phone: (270) 821-2250

Murray State University

218 Wells Hall, Murray, KY 42071-3318
Phone: (270) 809-3011

Thomas More College

333 Thomas More Parkway, Crestview Hills, KY 41017-3495
Phone: (859) 341-5800

Owensboro Community and Technical College

4800 New Hartford Rd, Owensboro, KY 42303
Phone: (270) 686-4400

West Kentucky Community and Technical College

4810 Alben Barkley Drive, Paducah, KY 42002-7380
Phone: (270) 554-9200 x0

Bellarmine University

2001 Newburg Rd, Louisville, KY 40205-0671
Phone: (502) 272-8263

Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College

700 College Rd, Cumberland, KY 40823
Phone: (606) 589-2145

Bluegrass Community and Technical College

470 Cooper Drive, Lexington, KY 40506
Phone: (859) 246-6200

Hazard Community and Technical College

One Community College Drive, Hazard, KY 41701-2402
Phone: (606) 487-3503

Kentucky Correctional Officer Certification Requirements

The State Department of Corrections in Kentucky continually seeks professional and motivated men and women to fill their front-line roles for correctional officer. The role of correctional officer is a challenging and therefore applicants must meet the all the eligibility and aptitude requirements that the state sets forth in order to be considered qualified for hire. There are a number of requirements for this job as outlined on the state DOC webpage which include:

  • Proof of age and U.S. citizenship
  • High School Graduate or GED Certificate
  • Valid Driver's License for the state of Kentucky
  • No Felony or domestic violence convictions
  • If applicable, military discharge "Under Honorable Conditions"

Applicants who have submitted the following proof become eligible to complete the following tests:

  • Written examination
  • Fingerprinting and extensive background check
  • Drug screening
  • Medical examination
  • Mental health assessment
  • Physical Ability Test based on gender and age

Having met all the above qualifications, along with successful interviews proving the candidate to be of good moral character, applicants will have a probationary hiring period as a trainee. Trainee corrections officers will continue their specialized training at a state facility. Upon successful completion of the final training portion, he or she will be awarded the status of correctional officer and be assigned a duty location.

Kentucky Department of Corrections

275 East Main Street, P.O. Box 2400
Frankfort, KY 40602-2400
Phone: (502) 564-4726
http://corrections.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Kentucky Correctional Officer Employment & Outlook

Correctional Officer Salary: Kentucky vs National Salary Comparison

Source: BLS State Cross-Industry Estimates 2011

One of the ways that the state of Kentucky serves and supports correctional officers is through strong growth and salary opportunities throughout the state. As such, the median income for front-line correctional officers throughout the state is currently lower at $27,800 than the national median income at $39,800. However, and according to the occupational profile for the state of Kentucky found at http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?next=occ_rep&Level=&optstatus=011000000&jobfam=33&id=1&nodeid=2&soccode=333012&menuMode=&stfips=21&x=48&y=13 and published by CareerInfoNet.org, state and national trends predict a 25% and 5% increase in correctional officer jobs by 2022 respectively, indicating that state growth is very rapid. For residents of Kentucky this rate translates into 380 job openings per year.

Occupational Employment Statistics for Correctional Officers (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes333012.htm)

Kentucky Correctional Officer Salaries By Area

The table below lists career information obtained from the BLS for correctional officers in Kentucky. The table is sorted by total employment, with the largest metropolitan areas listed first.

AreaTotal EmploymentAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Louisville, Jefferson County1,820$15.03$31,270
Lexington, Fayette820$17.85$37,130