Apply

What you need to know about becoming
a Correctional Officer and how to apply

Eligibility requirements

You don’t need a formal qualification or previous experience in Corrections to apply. What matters most is your character, your skills and your willingness to learn. To be successful in this role, you will need:

to be medically suitable for the role and have a level of physical fitness that meets our requirements
psychological characteristics that match the responsibilities of a Correctional Officer
to pass all pre-employment checks
strong reading, writing and numeracy skills
good people skills, including the ability to read situations and understand people
critical thinking and problem-solving skills
clear communication and teamwork skills
a current unrestricted driver's licence (preferred).

Applications for next recruit school opening in August

Pre-employment checks

As part of the recruitment process, we'll do some routine checks on your background and history.

Criminal history check

This is a background screening process that identifies any recorded criminal offences to ensure candidates meet the integrity and safety requirements for working in a correctional environment.

Employment history check

This allows us to confirm previous employment details and identifies any past disciplinary actions to ensure suitability for the role.

Identification check

This allows us to confirm your identity using official documents to ensure accuracy and security in the recruitment process.

How to apply

Taking the next step in your career is easier than you might think.

The application process

Our application process is simple.

Review the Statement of Duties to check that you meet all the requirements.
Finalise your resume.
Complete the application form, making sure to include any additional documents that are specified. Please note that you do not need to respond to the selection criteria.

How your application will be assessed

Once you submit your application, we’ll begin assessing your suitability to become a Correctional Officer. The process has several stages, and you’ll need to progress through each one.

Initial appraisal of application
TPS Recruiting will review all submitted applications. You’ll be notified if you’re moving to the next stage.

Online assessments
If you proceed, you’ll complete online testing that checks your literacy, numeracy and general job aptitude. This takes up to 2.5 hours.

Associations declaration
All applicants must declare any past or present associations with people involved in criminal activity.

An association includes knowing anyone who has:

committed a crime
been convicted of a crime
previously been in prison or is currently in prison
been linked to an organisation involved in criminal activity.

We understand some associations are unavoidable. What matters is that they are disclosed.

Evaluation Assessment Day
Applicants invited to an Assessment Day will take part in individual and group activities designed to assess suitability for the role. These sessions run for a full day, including an individual interview if deemed suitable following the assessment activities.

Interview
If you’re invited to an individual interview, we’ll expect you to understand the basics of the role, but you don’t need specialist knowledge of Corrections.

Workplace Health Assessment
Applicants must complete a medical assessment with our provider to meet essential fitness and health requirements.

The assessment is paid for by the TPS and usually takes around 90 minutes. TPS Recruiting will contact you to book this appointment.

Referee reports
We’ll contact your previous supervisors or managers to confirm your work history and your suitability for the role.

Criminal background check
Correctional Officers are required to uphold the law with integrity. To ensure this, we conduct criminal history background checks on all applicants.

Offer of employment
If you successfully complete all stages of the selection process, you’ll receive an offer of employment.

Useful resources

Diversity

We encourage applications from Indigenous Australians, people with disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, mature age workers and lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTIQ+) people.

The Department of Justice supports reasonable adjustment requests in any stage of the assessment process to remove barriers and facilitate full participation in all aspects of employment for applicants with disability. If you have individual requirements that need to be accommodated in order to participate in an interview or recruitment activity, please inform the contact person listed for this vacancy.

We are a diverse and inclusive workplace and understand the importance of flexible working arrangements. Talk to us about how this could work for you.