The Department of Corrections in Indiana has 20 adult prison facilities on a tiered system within the state. Designed to separate and incarcerate offenders based on violence of offense, rehabilitative opportunities, and length of sentence, each tier requires professional and accredited correctional officers to fill roles within the system. In Tier One facilities such as Chain O’ Lakes Correctional Facility and Edinburgh Correctional Facility, officers enforce living conditions for offenders who are transitioning to life in the community. In Tier Four (Maximum Security) facilities like Wabash Valley Correctional Facility and Indiana Women's Prison, officers enforce very restrictive security measures and inmates are confined to celled space. BLS.gov reports steady growth in the corrections industry over the next decade. While Indiana currently employs 6,303 front line correctional officers, that number is expected to increase by 5% to approximately 6,619 to account for new positions. There will be additional vacancies as officers retire, pursue other career paths, or advance to supervisory roles. For more information regarding this career in Indiana, read on.
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).
Calumet College of Saint Joseph
Calumet College of Saint Joseph ranks 1st in our latest rankings with 117 students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 544 graduates.
Trine University
Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses ranks 2nd in our latest rankings with forty students completing programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 398 students in the 2012-2013 school year.
Martin University
Martin University ranks third in our latest rankings with 9 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 106 students in the 2012-2013 school year.
Ancilla College
Ancilla College ranks fourth in our rankings with ten students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 168 graduates.
Indiana University-Northwest
Indiana University-Northwest ranks fifth in our rankings with seventy students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 1,690 students from the 2012-2013 school year.
Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana Institute of Technology ranks 6th in our latest rankings with seventy-one students completing programs in criminalistics and criminal science, law enforcement administration, and corrections out of a total a thousand students in the 2012-2013 school year.
Indiana University-Kokomo
Indiana University-Kokomo ranks seventh in our latest rankings with thirty-six students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 982 students.
Saint Josephs College
Saint Josephs College ranks eighth in our rankings with 12 students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total 420 students from the 2012-2013 school year.
Vincennes University
Vincennes University ranks 9th in our latest rankings with 110 students completing programs in corrections and securities services administration and management out of a total 3,950 graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.
Ranking Details
- Percent of Graduates: 2.78%
- Program Graduates: 110
- Total Graduates: 3,950
- Programs:
- Corrections
- Police Science
- Security And Loss Prevention Services
- Securities Services Administration and management
Indiana University-East
Indiana University-East ranks 10th in our latest rankings with twenty-seven students completing programs in law enforcement administration out of a total a thousand graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.
Continued List of All Criminal Jusitice Programs in Indiana
| Program | Website |
|---|---|
Indiana University-Southeast 4201 Grant Line Rd, New Albany, IN 47150 Phone: (812) 941-2000 | ius.edu |
Ball State University 2000 University Ave, Muncie, IN 47306 Phone: (765) 289-1241 | cms.bsu.edu |
Ivy Tech Community College 50 W. Fall Creek Parkway N. Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46208-5752 Phone: (317) 921-4800 | ivytech.edu |
Indiana University-South Bend 1700 Mishawaka Ave, South Bend, IN 46634-7111 Phone: (574) 520-4872 | iusb.edu |
Indiana Wesleyan University 4201 S Washington St, Marion, IN 46953-4974 Phone: (765) 674-6901 | indwes.edu |
Indiana University-Bloomington 107 South Indiana Ave., Bloomington, IN 47405-7000 Phone: (812) 855-4848 | indiana.edu |
University of Indianapolis 1400 E Hanna Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46227-3697 Phone: (317) 788-3368 | uindy.edu |
Grace College and Theological Seminary 200 Seminary Dr, Winona Lake, IN 46590-1274 Phone: (574) 372-5100 | grace.edu |
Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis 425 University Blvd, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5143 Phone: (317) 274-5555 | spea.iupui.edu |
Oakland City University 138 N Lucretia St, Oakland City, IN 47660-1099 Phone: (812) 749-4781 x404 | oak.edu |
University of Southern Indiana 8600 University Blvd, Evansville, IN 47712 Phone: (812) 464-8600 | usi.edu |
Anderson University 1100 E 5th St, Anderson, IN 46012-3495 Phone: (765) 649-9071 | anderson.edu |
University of Evansville 1800 Lincoln Avenue, Evansville, IN 47722 Phone: (812) 488-2000 | evansville.edu |
Bethel College-Indiana 1001 Bethel Circle, Mishawaka, IN 46545-5591 Phone: (574) 807-7000 | bethelcollege.edu |
Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne 2101 E Coliseum Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499 Phone: (260) 481-6100 | ipfw.edu |
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Indiana Correctional Officer Certification Requirements
The Indiana Department of Corrections is constantly seeking career-minded men and women who value a life of public service and safety as a corrections officer. Due to the dynamic nature of the role, it is crucial for applicants to be fully qualified and fully eligible to take on such a position. Candidates must first prove their eligibility by providing the following along with their completed job application:
- Proof of age and citizenship
- Proof of military 'honorable discharge' if applicable
- No felony convictions
- Valid driver's license
- High school diploma or GED
Applicants who have these eligibility components in place may create an application online and submit as per the DOC instructions. Candidates will be contacted in regard to the next round of assessment. Assessments by the DOC ensure that candidates are the best fit for a career as a corrections officer and may include:
- Fitness testing
- Physical assessment
- Mental health assessment
- Written test of knowledge
- Extensive background checks to determine ethics and professionalism
Having successfully completed the assessment portion of the hiring process, recruits are offered conditional employment that is dependent on their successful completion of training camp. Indiana's training camp focuses on teaching practical measure for the job, with a hands-on approach. Hires who are not successful at this stage will be released to find other employment.
Indiana Department of Correction
302 W. Washington Street, Room E-334
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone: (866) 362-4473
http://www.in.gov/idoc/
Indiana Correctional Officer Employment & Outlook
Correctional Officer Salary: Indiana vs National Salary Comparison
Source: BLS State Cross-Industry Estimates 2011
Indiana's State Department of Justice is committed to growth and development for the state's correctional field. Median income for this role throughout the state is $30,900, compared to the national median income level of $39,800, however professional development and seniority can boost salary. According to the employment profile for the state, published by CareerInfoNet.org at http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?next=occ_rep&Level=&optstatus=011000000&jobfam=33&id=1&nodeid=2&soccode=333012&menuMode=&stfips=18&x=70&y=14 state trends predict a 4% increase in correctional jobs by the year 2022. In the state of Indiana, this translates to 240 jobs per year, both in newly created and existing vacancies.
Occupational Employment Statistics for Correctional Officers (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes333012.htm)
Indiana Correctional Officer Salaries By Area
The table below lists career information obtained from the BLS for correctional officers in Indiana. The table is sorted by total employment, with the largest metropolitan areas listed first.
| Area | Total Employment | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis, Carmel | 1,900 | $16.38 | $34,080 |
| Terre Haute | 910 | $18.87 | $39,240 |
| Gary | 370 | $14.46 | $30,080 |
| Evansville | 270 | $14.47 | $30,090 |
| Fort Wayne | 200 | $17.14 | $35,650 |
| Bloomington | 130 | $15.83 | $32,920 |
| Lafayette | 110 | $16.09 | $33,460 |