The Massachusetts Department of Corrections clearly states that their mission is to employ officers and correctional support workers that will assist the state in its rehabilitative attempts while ensuring that communities and individuals remain safe. The Department's vision is to ensure that behavioral changes are positive and work to eliminate factors such as violence, recidivism, and victimization both inside and outside the correctional environment. Massachusetts' Department of Corrections is one of the state's largest employers; front line correctional staff work with 9,643 inmates in 18 correctional facilities across the state. Officers oversee a variety of inmate activities at a number of security levels. With the impetus on reducing recidivism and targeting prisoner needs for successful rehabilitation, economists studying the corrections industry predict that it will experience a steady increasing trend of 5% over the next 10 years, leading to the creation of almost 600 new jobs. At the federal, state, and local levels, there will also be job vacancies as officers retire, switch careers, and advance professionally. In order to see if the field of corrections is for you, scroll down for more information regarding correctional jobs in Massachusetts.
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).
Curry College
Curry College ranks 1st in our latest rankings with 115 students completing programs in criminal justice and law enforcement administration out of a total a thousand students.
Westfield State University
Westfield State University ranks 2nd in our rankings with 225 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total three thousand graduates.
Anna Maria College
Anna Maria College ranks third in our latest rankings with sixty-three students graduating from programs in corrections and law enforcement administration out of a total 930 students in the 2012-2013 school year.
Ranking Details
- Percent of Graduates: 6.77%
- Program Graduates: 63
- Total Graduates: 930
- Programs:
- Law Enforcement Administration
- Security And Loss Prevention Services
- Securities Services Administration and management
- Corrections
Bristol Community College
Bristol Community College ranks 4th in our rankings with 175 students graduating from programs in criminal justice and law enforcement administration out of a total two thousand students in the 2012-2013 school year.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
University of Massachusetts-Lowell ranks 5th in our latest rankings with 441 students completing programs in criminal justice and law enforcement administration out of a total 7,000 graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.
Roxbury Community College
Roxbury Community College ranks 6th in our rankings with 33 students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total 628 students.
Massasoit Community College
Massasoit Community College ranks seventh in our rankings with ninety-four students completing programs in criminal justice and law enforcement administration out of a total 1,932 graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.
North Shore Community College
North Shore Community College ranks eighth in our latest rankings with 109 students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total two thousand graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.
Quinsigamond Community College
Quinsigamond Community College ranks 9th in our rankings with 111 students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total two thousand students in the 2012-2013 school year.
Springfield Technical Community College
Springfield Technical Community College ranks tenth in our latest rankings with ninety-seven students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total two thousand graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.
Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater State University ranks eleventh in our latest rankings with 224 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 5,284 graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.
Mount Ida College
Mount Ida College ranks twelfth in our rankings with 22 students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total 572 graduates.
Berkshire Community College
Berkshire Community College ranks 13th in our rankings with twenty-three students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total 618 graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.
Bunker Hill Community College
Bunker Hill Community College ranks 14th in our rankings with ninety-four students completing programs in law enforcement administration and criminal justice out of a total two thousand students in the 2012-2013 school year.
Middlesex Community College
Middlesex Community College ranks 15th in our latest rankings with 93 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total two thousand graduates.
Holyoke Community College
Holyoke Community College ranks 16th in our latest rankings with 63 students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total a thousand graduates.
Worcester State University
Worcester State University ranks 17th in our latest rankings with eighty-eight students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total two thousand students.
Salem State University
Salem State University ranks eighteenth in our latest rankings with 133 students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 4,234 students from the 2012-2013 school year.
Nichols College
Nichols College ranks 19th in our latest rankings with twenty-two students completing programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 758 students.
Quincy College
Quincy College ranks twenty in our latest rankings with 30 students completing programs in securities services administration and management and law enforcement administration out of a total 1,152 students from the 2012-2013 school year.
Continued List of All Criminal Jusitice Programs in Massachusetts
| Program | Website |
|---|---|
Massachusetts Bay Community College
50 Oakland St, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481-5399
Phone: (781) 239-3000 | massbay.edu |
Northern Essex Community College
100 Elliott Street, Haverhill, MA 01830-2399
Phone: (978) 556-3000 | necc.mass.edu |
Fitchburg State University
160 Pearl St, Fitchburg, MA 01420-2697
Phone: (978) 345-2151 | fitchburgstate.edu |
Merrimack College
315 Turnpike St, North Andover, MA 01845
Phone: (978) 837-5000 | merrimack.edu |
Western New England University
1215 Wilbraham Rd, Springfield, MA 01119-2684
Phone: (413) 782-3111 | www1.wne.edu |
University of Massachusetts-Boston
100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125-3393
Phone: (617) 287-5000 | umb.edu |
Newbury College
129 Fisher Ave, Brookline, MA 02445
Phone: (617) 730-7000 | newbury.edu |
Cape Cod Community College
2240 Iyannough Rd, West Barnstable, MA 02668-1599
Phone: (508) 362-2131 | capecod.edu |
Becker College
61 Sever St, Worcester, MA 01609-2165
Phone: (877) 523-2537 | becker.edu |
American International College
1000 State Street, Springfield, MA 01109
Phone: (413) 737-7000 | aic.edu |
Endicott College
376 Hale Street, Beverly, MA 01915
Phone: (978) 927-0585 | endicott.edu |
Eastern Nazarene College
23 E Elm Ave, Quincy, MA 02170-2999
Phone: (617) 745-3000 x3706 | enc.edu |
Bay Path College
588 Longmeadow Street, Longmeadow, MA 01106
Phone: (413) 565-1000 | baypath.edu |
Mount Wachusett Community College
444 Green St, Gardner, MA 01440-1000
Phone: (978) 632-6600 | mwcc.edu |
Springfield College
263 Alden St, Springfield, MA 01109-3797
Phone: (413) 748-3116 | spfldcol.edu |
Dean College
99 Main Street, Franklin, MA 02038-1941
Phone: (508) 541-1900 | dean.edu |
Northeastern University
360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115-5005
Phone: (617) 373-2000 | northeastern.edu |
Boston University
One Silber Way, Boston, MA 02215
Phone: (617) 353-2000 | bu.edu |
Fisher College
118 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: (617) 236-8800 | fisher.edu |
Greenfield Community College
One College Dr, Greenfield, MA 01301-9739
Phone: (413) 775-1000 | gcc.mass.edu |
Suffolk University
8 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108-2770
Phone: (617) 573-8000 | suffolk.edu |
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
374 Whitmore Building 181 Presidents Drive, Amherst, MA 01003
Phone: (413) 545-0111 | umass.edu |
Clark University
950 Main St, Worcester, MA 01610-1477
Phone: (508) 793-7711 | catalog.clarku.edu |
What Correctional Officer Training Can’t Prepare You For
Your CO training is never going to prepare you for what it's actually like when you do your first cell…
Life as a CO in Chicago’s Infamous Cook County Jail
Some of the fellow corrections officers you meet in the academy or the first day on the job will be…
The Benefits of a Criminal Justice Degree
Working as a correctional officer doesn’t always require that you have a degree in criminal justice. In fact, to get…
Degrees for Occupational Advancement in the Corrections Field
While working for a state correctional facility does not require a college education, many upper level supervisor positions do require…
Key Concepts & Skills Taught in Correctional Officer Training
If you are hired as a correctional officer, you will have to go through a training period before you can…
Massachusetts Correctional Officer Certification Requirements
The state Department of Corrections office in Massachusetts has an open Certification Listing that any legible person may sign. This indicates your willingness to submit to the rigorous procedures that the state has put in place in order to ensure you are the right fit for the role of front-line correctional officer. Basic eligibility requirements on the Certification List are as follows:
- Proof of age and citizenship or naturalization
- Valid Massachusetts driver's license
- No felony convictions, proof that any warrants against you have been closed
- Proof of high school diploma or equivalent
- Veterans are to provide proof of honorable discharge (DD-214)
- Negative drug test
With these criteria met, the following procedure takes place:
- Candidate Pre-Screening: physical fitness, psychological assessment, and drug testing
- Criminal History Background Report
- Civil Service Examination Scoring
After the tier 2 assessments have been completed, candidates can expect a phone call to schedule an interview. If the interview is completed successfully, candidates will receive notice of enrollment at the Basic Training Academy - a ten-week program that teaches new recruits the policies and operating procedures of the Massachusetts DOC. Candidates who successfully complete the Basic Training Academy course will be considered certified and awarded with their first job posting.
Massachusetts Department of Correction
50 Maple Street, Suite 3
Milford, MA 01757
Phone: (508) 422-3300
http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/doc/
Massachusetts Correctional Officer Employment & Outlook
Correctional Officer Salary: Massachusetts vs National Salary Comparison
Source: BLS State Cross-Industry Estimates 2011
One of the ways that the state of Massachusetts strives to serve and support correctional officers is through strong working conditions and salary opportunities. Currently, the median income for front-line correctional officers throughout the state is considerably higher at $67,600 than that of the national median income. According to the occupational profile for the state of Massachusetts, http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?next=occ_rep&Level=&optstatus=011000000&jobfam=33&id=1&nodeid=2&soccode=333012&menuMode=&stfips=25&x=39&y=8 published by CareerInfoNet.org, state and national trends predict a 5% increase in correctional officer jobs by 2022 putting the state exactly equal with national growth. For residents of Massachusetts, this rate translates into 200 job openings per year.
Occupational Employment Statistics for Correctional Officers (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes333012.htm)
Massachusetts Correctional Officer Salaries By Area
The table below lists career information retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for correctional officers in Massachusetts. The table is sorted by total employment, with the largest metropolitan areas listed first.
| Area | Total Employment | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, Cambridge, Quincy | 4,610 | $30.75 | $63,960 |
| Springfield | 1,430 | $23.88 | $49,670 |
| Brockton, Bridgewater, Easton | 770 | $33.26 | $69,170 |
| Barnstable Town | 100 | $19.85 | $41,290 |
