Becoming a Correctional Officer in Wisconsin

The Department of Corrections in Wisconsin has a number of correctional facilities at the county, state, and federal level to oversee. These facilities all require accredited and professional men and women to fill necessary roles as corrections officers. At the county level, jails such as the Winnebago County Jail hold and process pre-sentenced inmates. State prisons like Kettle Moraine Correctional Institution and Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility may range from minimum security to maximum security facilities and take offenders that are serving medium to long-term sentences. Finally, violent offenders fall under federal jurisdiction and are housed at the Federal Correctional Institution, Oxford. However, all these facilities rely on the state and its employees to run effectively. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that growth in the correctional officer industry will continue by 5% over the next 10 years, meaning that by 2022 there will be 10,386 officers in Wisconsin's correctional facilities. For more information about whether this is the right career for you, read on.

29
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

University of Wisconsin-Parkside

900 Wood Rd, Kenosha, WI 53141-2000

University of Wisconsin-Parkside ranks first in our latest rankings with 83 students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total a thousand graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 5.50%
  • Program Graduates: 83
  • Total Graduates: 1,510

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 4-year
  • Website: uwp.edu
  • School Size: 1,000 - 5,000
2

University of Wisconsin-Platteville

1 University Plaza, Platteville, WI 53818-3099

University of Wisconsin-Platteville ranks second in our rankings with 162 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 3,076 students.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 5.27%
  • Program Graduates: 162
  • Total Graduates: 3,076

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 4-year
  • Website: uwplatt.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
3

Blackhawk Technical College

6004 County Road G, Janesville, WI 53547-5009

"BTC’s criminal justice program works very hard to ensure that our students are well prepared for a variety of careers in the criminal justice field and are capable of providing an immediate positive impact on the communities they serve. The excellent ratings of our program are a direct result of our dedicated faculty and staff and their focus on student success."

 

- Gary Trulson, Blackhawk Dean of Protective Services

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 4.77%
  • Program Graduates: 82
  • Total Graduates: 1,718

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: blackhawk.edu
  • School Size: 1,000 - 5,000
4

Marian University

45 S National Ave, Fond Du Lac, WI 54935-4699

"Marian University’s Criminal Justice program, in existence for over 18 years, continues to educate students who go on to have distinguished careers in many areas of criminal justice to include corrections. Marian University is proud of their many accomplishments."

 

- Dr. Michelle Majewski, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences

 

"Marian University dedicates itself to educating students in a values-based manner. We take great pride in connecting our graduates with jobs in law enforcement and corrections, where they become leaders of their agencies."

 

- Alan Johnson, J.D., Director of Criminal Justice Programs

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 4.25%
  • Program Graduates: 57
  • Total Graduates: 1,340
  • Programs:
    • Law Enforcement Administration
    • Police Science

School Details

5

Waukesha County Technical College

800 Main Street, Pewaukee, WI 53072-4601

Waukesha County Technical College ranks 5th in our rankings with 136 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total three thousand graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 3.74%
  • Program Graduates: 136
  • Total Graduates: 3,636

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: wctc.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
6

Chippewa Valley Technical College

620 W Clairemont Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701-6162

Chippewa Valley Technical College ranks 6th in our latest rankings with 139 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 3,806 students in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 3.65%
  • Program Graduates: 139
  • Total Graduates: 3,806

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: cvtc.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
7

Gateway Technical College

3520 30th Ave, Kenosha, WI 53144-1690

Gateway Technical College ranks 7th in our rankings with 151 students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total four thousand students.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 3.46%
  • Program Graduates: 151
  • Total Graduates: 4,362

School Details

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

Fox Valley Technical College

1825 N Bluemound Dr, Appleton, WI 54912-2277

Fox Valley Technical College ranks 8th in our latest rankings with 184 students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total 5,446 students in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 3.38%
  • Program Graduates: 184
  • Total Graduates: 5,446

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: fvtc.edu
  • School Size: 10,000 - 20,000
9

Mid-State Technical College

500 32nd St N, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494

Mid-State Technical College ranks ninth in our latest rankings with sixty students graduating from programs in corrections and criminal justice out of a total 1,870 graduates.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 3.21%
  • Program Graduates: 60
  • Total Graduates: 1,870
  • Programs:
    • Corrections
    • Police Science

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: mstc.edu
  • School Size: 1,000 - 5,000
10

Nicolet Area Technical College

Hwy G South, Rhinelander, WI 54501-0518

Nicolet Area Technical College ranks tenth in our latest rankings with forty-two students completing programs in corrections and criminal justice out of a total 1,324 students.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 3.17%
  • Program Graduates: 42
  • Total Graduates: 1,324
  • Programs:
    • Police Science
    • Corrections

School Details

Continued List of All Criminal Jusitice Programs in Wisconsin

ProgramWebsite

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

2740 W Mason St, Green Bay, WI 54307-9042
Phone: (920) 498-5400

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

800 Algoma Blvd, Oshkosh, WI 54901
Phone: (920) 424-1234

Milwaukee Area Technical College

700 W State St, Milwaukee, WI 53233-1443
Phone: (414) 297-6370

Western Technical College

400 Seventh St. North, La Crosse, WI 54601
Phone: (608) 785-9200

Concordia University-Wisconsin

12800 N Lake Shore Dr, Mequon, WI 53097-2402
Phone: (262) 243-5700

Mount Mary University

2900 N. Menomonee River Pky, Milwaukee, WI 53222-4597
Phone: (414) 258-4810

Madison Area Technical College

1701 Wright St, Madison, WI 53704-2599
Phone: (608) 246-6100

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College

1800 Bronson Blvd, Fennimore, WI 53809-9778
Phone: (608) 822-3262

Northcentral Technical College

1000 Campus Dr, Wausau, WI 54401-1899
Phone: (715) 675-3331

Carthage College

2001 Alford Park Dr, Kenosha, WI 53140-1994
Phone: (262) 551-8500

Lakeshore Technical College

1290 North Avenue, Cleveland, WI 53015-1414
Phone: (920) 693-1000

Carroll University

100 N East Ave, Waukesha, WI 53186
Phone: (262) 547-1211

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College

505 Pine Ridge Drive, Shell Lake, WI 54871-8727
Phone: (715) 468-2815

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

105 Garfield Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54702-4004
Phone: (715) 836-2637

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

2200 E Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413
Phone: (414) 229-1122

Moraine Park Technical College

235 N National Avenue, Fond du Lac, WI 54936-1940
Phone: (920) 929-2483

Viterbo University

900 Viterbo Drive, La Crosse, WI 54601-8804
Phone: (608) 796-3000

Edgewood College

1000 Edgewood College Drive, Madison, WI 53711-1997
Phone: (608) 663-4861

Marquette University

1250 W Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53233
Phone: (414) 288-7710

Wisconsin Correctional Officer Certification Requirements

The Department of Corrections in Wisconsin is continually seeking applicants for the position of corrections officer. The state ensures that candidates are the best fit by engaging recruits in a rigorous assessment process that begins with proof of basic eligibility criteria. Those criteria are:

  • Proof of U.S. citizenship
  • Valid driver's license
  • Proof of age
  • No domestic violence convictions
  • No felony convictions
  • Proof of DD-214 if military

Applicants who meet or exceed the basic eligibility standards will be invited to continue with assessments such as:

  • Fitness evaluation based on sex and age
  • Extensive personal and professional background investigation
  • Medical examination including drug screening
  • Psychological examination

Those candidates who prove to be the most qualified after the second hiring phase will be contacted for a personal interview and enrollment in the state's corrections officer training academy. The training phase is designed to prepare officer candidates for working within the corrections environment and to help them achieve improved physical fitness before beginning their new job. Successful completion of this final phase in the hiring process will allow candidates to be placed in vacancies across the state as need dictates.

Wisconsin Department of Corrections

3099 E. Washington Avenue, P.O. Box 7925
Madison, WI 53707-7925
Phone: (608) 240-5000
http://doc.wi.gov/Home

Wisconsin Correctional Officer Employment & Outlook

Correctional Officer Salary: Wisconsin vs National Salary Comparison

Source: BLS State Cross-Industry Estimates 2011

The state Department of Corrections in Wisconsin encourages citizens who are pursuing careers in state service through strong civic growth, namely as correctional officers. At this time, the median income for correctional officers throughout Wisconsin is higher at $42,100 than the national median income at $39,800. According to occupational data for the state of Wisconsin available at http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?next=occ_rep&Level=&optstatus=011000000&jobfam=33&id=1&nodeid=2&soccode=333012&menuMode=&stfips=55&x=50&y=12 and published by CareerInfoNet.org state trends are predicted to experience a 5% growth curve from now until 2022, putting Wisconsin's rate of growth even with national figures. This predicted growth pattern translates into 230 new openings and existing vacancies annually.

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

Wisconsin Correctional Officer Salaries By Area

The table below lists career information retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for correctional officers in Wisconsin. The table is sorted by total employment, with the largest metropolitan areas listed first.

AreaTotal EmploymentAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Milwaukee, Waukesha, West Allis1,000$20.29$42,200
Oshkosh, Neenah540$21.57$44,860
Green Bay370$21.31$44,320
Appleton90$25.11$52,220
Madison-$19.43$40,420