Becoming a Correctional Officer in Tennessee

The Tennessee State Department of Corrections is the umbrella over all the state county and private prisons; transitional and detention centers; parole, outreach and county jails. This 'umbrella' is divided into three geographic jurisdictions and includes the state's 14 state prisons such as South Central Correctional Facility, Tennessee Prison for Women, and Nashville Turney Center Industrial Complex, as well as federal facilities like the Federal Correctional Institution, Memphis. Altogether, there are 5,354 correctional officers in the state of Tennessee; the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that this number will increase by a steady 5% or 267 new jobs by 2022. Not included in this forecast are significant factors such as jobs opening due to retirement, attrition, and promotion. Due to this steady upward trend, the state of Tennessee is continually posting for accredited candidates who possess integrity and professionalism. To learn more about the field of corrections and how you may become involved, read on.

28
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

Bethel University

325 Cherry Ave, McKenzie, TN 38201

Bethel University ranks first in our latest rankings with 213 students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration and criminal justice out of a total 2,300 students in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 9.26%
  • Program Graduates: 213
  • Total Graduates: 2,300
  • Programs:
    • Law Enforcement Administration
    • Criminal Justice

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: bethelu.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
2

Lane College

545 Lane Ave, Jackson, TN 38301-4598

Lane College ranks 2nd in our rankings with thirty-nine students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total 562 graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 6.94%
  • Program Graduates: 39
  • Total Graduates: 562

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: lanecollege.edu
  • School Size: 1,000 - 5,000
3

Walters State Community College

500 South Davy Crockett Parkway, Morristown, TN 37813-6899

Walters State Community College ranks 3rd in our rankings with 168 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 3,878 students in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 4.33%
  • Program Graduates: 168
  • Total Graduates: 3,878

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: ws.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
4

Remington College-Memphis Campus

2710 Nonconnah Blvd, Memphis, TN 38132

Remington College-Memphis Campus ranks fourth in our latest rankings with forty-two students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 1,022 graduates.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 4.11%
  • Program Graduates: 42
  • Total Graduates: 1,022

School Details

5

Cleveland State Community College

3535 Adkisson Drive, Cleveland, TN 37312

Cleveland State Community College ranks 5th in our latest rankings with sixty-seven students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total two thousand students from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 3.21%
  • Program Graduates: 67
  • Total Graduates: 2,084

School Details

6

Le Moyne-Owen College

807 Walker Ave, Memphis, TN 38126-6595

Le Moyne-Owen College ranks 6th in our latest rankings with 8 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 250 graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 3.20%
  • Program Graduates: 8
  • Total Graduates: 250

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: loc.edu
  • School Size: 1,000 - 5,000
7

Volunteer State Community College

1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN 37066-3188

Volunteer State Community College ranks 7th in our latest rankings with 64 students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total 2,418 students in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.65%
  • Program Graduates: 64
  • Total Graduates: 2,418

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: volstate.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
8

Martin Methodist College

433 West Madison Street, Pulaski, TN 38478-2799

Martin Methodist College ranks eighth in our rankings with nine students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 360 students from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.50%
  • Program Graduates: 9
  • Total Graduates: 360

School Details

9

Austin Peay State University

601 College St, Clarksville, TN 37044

Austin Peay State University ranks 9th in our rankings with 97 students completing programs in law enforcement administration out of a total four thousand students.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.38%
  • Program Graduates: 97
  • Total Graduates: 4,076

School Details

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

Hiwassee College

225 Hiwassee College Drive, Madisonville, TN 37354-4001

Hiwassee College ranks tenth in our rankings with 2 students completing programs in corrections out of a total 90 graduates.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.22%
  • Program Graduates: 2
  • Total Graduates: 90

School Details

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

Continued List of All Criminal Jusitice Programs in Tennessee

ProgramWebsite

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

615 McCallie Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37403-2598
Phone: (423) 425-4111

Tennessee State University

3500 John A. Merritt Blvd, Nashville, TN 37209-1561
Phone: (615) 963-5111

Freed-Hardeman University

158 E Main St, Henderson, TN 38340-2399
Phone: (800) 348-3481

East Tennessee State University

Address Unknown, Johnson City, TN 37614-0000
Phone: (423) 439-1000

Middle Tennessee State University

1301 East Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37132
Phone: (615) 898-2300

Tennessee Wesleyan College

204 East College Street, Athens, TN 37303
Phone: (423) 745-7504

Roane State Community College

276 Patton Lane, Harriman, TN 37748
Phone: (865) 354-3000

University of Memphis

Southern Avenue, Memphis, TN 38152
Phone: (901) 678-2000

Cumberland University

1 Cumberland Square, Lebanon, TN 37087
Phone: (615) 444-2562

The University of Tennessee-Martin

544 University Street, Martin, TN 38238-0002
Phone: (731) 881-7000

Nashville State Community College

120 White Bridge Rd, Nashville, TN 37209-4515
Phone: (615) 353-3333

Dyersburg State Community College

1510 Lake Rd, Dyersburg, TN 38024-2411
Phone: (731) 286-3200

Southwest Tennessee Community College

737 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 333-5000

Columbia State Community College

1665 Hampshire Pike, Columbia, TN 38401
Phone: (931) 540-2722

Lincoln Memorial University

6965 Cumberland Gap Pkwy, Harrogate, TN 37752-9900
Phone: (423) 869-7089

Northeast State Community College

2425 Hwy 75, Blountville, TN 37617-0246
Phone: (423) 323-3191

Trevecca Nazarene University

333 Murfreesboro Rd, Nashville, TN 37210
Phone: (615) 248-1200

Bryan College-Dayton

721 Bryan Drive, Dayton, TN 37321-7000
Phone: (423) 775-2041

Tennessee Correctional Officer Certification Requirements

Tennessee's Department of Corrections has a continual hiring process for the role of Corrections Officer. Due to great career opportunities for advancing officers, there is often vacancies for front-line corrections staff. Because of the job's specific challenges, the state is committed to hiring only the best personnel for the vacancy - there is a multi-phase process in order to ensure qualified applicants are filling the state's vacancies. Along with a completed application, candidates must provide proof of the following:

  • Proof of age (21+)
  • Proof of United States citizenship or naturalization
  • Possess a valid Tennessee driver's license
  • Are without felony or domestic violence convictions
  • Possess good moral character
  • Possess a high school diploma or GED
  • Military veterans to have proof of honorable discharge
  • Proof of negative drug test

Once the basic eligibility criteria have been met, suitable candidates will be invited to advance to the next round of assessments. Applicants will be tested for their aptitude for the role. Testing will include:

  • Fitness testing
  • Physical assessment
  • Written test
  • Mental health assessment
  • Personal and professional background check including fingerprinting

Candidates who pass the assessment portion of the hiring process will be shortlisted and contacted by the DOC's Human Resources staff as positions throughout the state become available. Upon hire, corrections officers must attend and pass specialized hands-on training at the state's training academy to be prepared for the rigors of working in a corrections environment. Candidates who fail this final portion of the hiring process are welcome to reapply at a later time.

Tennessee Department of Correction

320 Sixth Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37243-0465
Phone: (615) 741-1000
https://www.tn.gov/correction/

Tennessee Correctional Officer Employment & Outlook

Correctional Officer Salary: Tennessee vs National Salary Comparison

Source: BLS State Cross-Industry Estimates 2011

One of the ways that the state of Tennessee serves and support correctional officers is with strong growth and competitive salaries throughout the state. As such, the median income for front-line correctional officers throughout the state is currently much lower at $28,700 than the national median income at $39,800. However, professional development can remediate this gap. According to the occupational profile for the state of Tennessee 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=47&x=48&y=8 and published by CareerInfoNet.org, state and national trends predict a 22% and 5% increase in correctional officer jobs by 2022 respectively, indicating that state job growth is very rapid. For residents of Tennessee, this rate translates into 380 job openings per year.

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

Tennessee Correctional Officer Salaries By Area

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

AreaTotal EmploymentAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Nashville, Davidson, , Murfreesboro, , Franklin2,280--
Memphis1,720$18.54$38,560
Knoxville630$14.69$30,550
Kingsport, Bristol, Bristol260$15.29$31,810
Johnson City220$14.10$29,340
Clarksville200$17.63$36,670