Administration of Justice: Corrections

This certificate and degree in Corrections provides students with the knowledge and exposure to the legal considerations and best practices of correctional administration while also preparing students to the fundamental professional principles within the field of corrections. Students pursuing this certificate or degree will be introduced and exposed to the three components of our criminal justice system, with an emphasis on the history of correctional systems in the United States, the current system, and the needs of the future within community corrections. Students will learn and demonstrate proficiency in the legal aspects of the correctional system and obtain a working knowledge required of professionals looking for entry-level positions within the corrections field.

Program Prerequisite: None

Program Learning Outcomes:

• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the history and trends of the correctional system in the United States and describe the relationship between corrections and the components of the judicial system.
• Analyze and describe the legal issues, specific laws, and general operations of correctional institutions.
• Describe the differences between adult, juvenile, probation, and parole corrections systems.
• Identify, understand, and demonstrate inmate processing procedures including receiving, discharge, and classification processes.
• Assess the legal considerations and the rights of individuals within correctional systems.
• Demonstrate professional best practices in methods of professional communications, interviewing and de-escalation techniques.
• Identify, understand, and demonstrate appropriate and professional written and oral communication skills.

The ADJ program at Norco College continues to grow and has exceeded its student numbers since the COVID pandemic in 2020.  Current enrollment in our ADJ program of study is over 500.  With heavy recruitment in public safety throughout the state by local, county and state agencies, our students will have a better opportunity to attain livable-wage careers with the education we will provide them.   

Program of Study

For high school students who do not see the value in attending a traditional 4-year university but do want to pursue career fields where salary expectations and role responsibilities are promising, the correctional career field is an enticing and exciting option. The Riverside Community College District is also in a unique position, with location and with curriculum, to offer a certificate program in Corrections that will ultimately benefit the community and the students attending.

A college degree is not required to apply in many of the career opportunities in our criminal justice system, but many employers do not hire applicants who only met the minimum requirements. The ability to provide a rigorous and quality course curriculum, which is already in existence in the district, that is cost effective and may be completed within 12 months, can be a very attractive educational option for those looking to enter this field.

The creation of this certificate would allow individuals to pursue a career in corrections armed with the legal and ethical knowledge taught in the proposed curriculum. This, along with beginning to establish relationships with peers and faculty, opportunities for internships, field trips, guest speakers, and volunteer opportunities, can help them create and build a resume that makes them more competitive in their professional endeavors. It also allows Norco College and our students to become educated and empathetic professionals learning how to analyze, communicate, and critically think in a time when the American correctional system and its professionals faces some major challenges. The Police Executive Research Forum, along with the RAND Corporation, RTI International, and the University of Denver, published a study on the future of corrections in America, and one of the major concentrations was on the hiring, education, and training of correctional officers, with forecasts that these discussions will continue to dominate the criminal justice and corrections professions.

The Administration of Justice discipline within the Riverside Community College District has also developed proposals to build multiple options for students to ensure the program is responsive and competitive, such as our partnerships with local city police departments within our local area, the Riverside County Probation Department and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. This certificate program may be an appropriate option for high school graduates looking for basic certificates to pursue employment in the field and it may also be an option as a supplemental certificate alongside an associate degree or an associate degree for transfer (ADT) for enrolled college students.

The Associate of Science Degree in Corrections will be awarded upon completion of the degree requirements, including general education and other graduation requirements as described in the college catalog.

The term corrections covers a significant variety of employment opportunities and professional responsibilities across multiple disciplines. For those aspiring professionals looking for an opportunity within public service through protective and enforcement related jobs, the corrections field provides expanding possibilities. Common employment opportunities within the field exist for correctional officers, probation officers, and parole officers in both adult and juvenile correctional settings; however, there are many other options for students interested in serving within correctional or rehabilitative settings, from investigations to classification, social work to education.

As a community college, we must strive to assist individuals within our region in obtaining educational skills, whether through general education or career and technical training. As a community college district serving historically underserved populations, there should be a focus on both establishing equity-based programming as well as creating opportunities for career and technical education programs that result in higher-paying salary expectations upon completion. This can be achieved through the creation of certificate programs which will provide skills and experience in the corrections field with salaries that meet or exceed cost-of-living estimates.   

The corrections discipline provides this opportunity for many interested students within California. At state and county levels, entry requirements for employment opportunities are broad and wages are higher than careers within similar entry level requirements. For correctional officers alone, employment opportunities within the Inland Empire are expected to increase 3% through 2026. This report will address opportunities for potential students to pursue careers at local, state, and federal levels within corrections.

Riverside County

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is responsible for 5 correctional facilities spread throughout the county, where they employ Correctional Deputies. The minimum entry level requirements for correctional deputies are a high school diploma, being 18 years of age, a California driver’s license, and U.S. citizenship. The Sheriff’s Department, along with San Bernardino County Sheriff and Los Angeles County Sheriff, are actively recruiting to fill multiple vacancies for correctional deputies. The starting salary range for correctional deputies with Riverside County is $18.89 - $26.75/hour ($39,291 - $55.648 annually). After completion of the correctional academy (after hire) and a probationary training period, correctional deputies are eligible for a promotion (and higher salary range) within 1 year.

Other corrections-related opportunities within the Sheriff’s Department & County Probation include:

While some of these positions do not require college credit and are open to adults aged 18 and older, Sheriff’s Departments place a higher priority upon applicants with college credit, certifications, degrees, or life/employment experience. Furthermore, the corrections hiring process can lose qualified applicants because of a lack of knowledge of the hiring process, especially background investigations. Students who attend programs are exposed to guest speakers, internship opportunities, and workshops to better prepare them for the hiring process and increase their chances of employment.

Los Angeles & San Bernardino Counties

Neighboring counties also have significant opportunities for interested students. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department hires Sheriff Deputies, all of whom attend their academy before beginning their careers within custody/corrections. Deputies interested in working patrol must first work within corrections, but deputies who are interested in remaining in corrections can stay their entire career. The opportunities with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department are exponential in comparison to some other agencies due to size; it is the largest Sheriff’s Department in the nation. Other opportunities listed relating to corrections include positions with county probation and detention services.

There are multiple correctional opportunities within the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department as well; the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department hiring process and career structure are similar to Los Angeles County, in that aspiring deputies are first assigned to correctional and detention centers after academy graduation, and deputies can then choose to remain within the correctional facility setting throughout their career or transition to patrol based upon department policy.

California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation 

At the state level, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, or CDCR, is one of the largest state agencies, employing approximately 61,541 people across the state; approximately 24,000 are sworn correctional officers, 1,800 are sworn parole agents, and 600 are investigators/Special Agents.

The CDCR is responsible for 33 adult correctional facilities, 13 adult community correctional facilities, and 8 juvenile facilities.

Within Southern California and the Inland Empire area, the CDCR runs the following facilities:

• California Rehabilitation Center Norco, CA
• California Institute for Women Corona, CA
• California Institute for Men Chino, CA
• California State Prison – Los Angeles Lancaster, CA
• Ironwood State Prison Blythe, CA
• Chuckawalla Valley State Prison Blythe, CA

The minimum hiring requirements for correctional officers with the CDCR are that an applicant must be 21 years old with a high school diploma, have citizenship, and have no felony convictions. These are minimum requirements, however, and the hiring process tends to be much more competitive, with education, experience, and military service occurring commonly within applicant groups. The entry level opportunities for applicants with the CDCR include:

The CDCR also employs Parole Agents; many students may be interested in the opportunity to become parole agents for California.

United States Bureau of Prisons (BOP) 

At the federal prison level, the Bureau of Prisons has 5 locations within the Southern California/Inland Empire region:

• FCI Victorville (Medium Security I) Victorville, CA
• FCI Victorville (Medium Security II-Satellite) Victorville, CA
• USP Victorville (High Security) Victorville, CA
• RRM Long Beach (Residential Re-Entry) Long Beach, CA
• MDC Los Angeles (Administrative Security) Los Angeles, CA

Similar to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, applicants interested in working for this agency will be assigned a location upon hire at the discretion of the agency; interested applicants for the CDCR may be assigned to any prison anywhere in the state, and interested applicants for the BOP may be assigned to any facility anywhere in the country.

The salary range is the base salary; currently, there is a 15% recruitment incentive for correctional officers at FCI Victorville. Also, the Bureau of Prisons has a 30.57% locality pay in the Los Angeles-Long Beach geographic area added onto the base salary.

This proposal also does not include potential career opportunities in private correctional facilities, but options may exist there for students interested in the field as well.

Top paying states for Correctional Officers and Jailers:

The state of California has the second highest employment level in Correctional Officers and Jailers. 

Item 1. Program/Certificate Goals and Objectives

For high school students who do not see the value in attending a traditional 4-year university but do want to pursue career fields where salary expectations and role responsibilities are promising, the correctional career field is an enticing and exciting option. The Riverside Community College District is also in a unique position, with location and with curriculum, to offer a certificate program in Corrections that will ultimately benefit the community and the students attending.

A college degree is not required to apply in many of the career opportunities in our criminal justice system, but many employers do not hire applicants who only met the minimum requirements. The ability to provide a rigorous and quality course curriculum, which is already in existence in the district, that is cost effective and may be completed within 12 months, can be a very attractive educational option for those looking to enter this field.

The creation of this certificate would allow individuals to pursue a career in corrections armed with the legal and ethical knowledge taught in the proposed curriculum. This, along with beginning to establish relationships with peers and faculty, opportunities for internships, field trips, guest speakers, and volunteer opportunities, can help them create and build a resume that makes them more competitive in their professional endeavors. It also allows Norco College and our students to become educated and empathetic professionals learning how to analyze, communicate, and critically think in a time when the American correctional system and its professionals faces some major challenges. The Police Executive Research Forum, along with the RAND Corporation, RTI International, and the University of Denver, published a study on the future of corrections in America, and one of the major concentrations was on the hiring, education, and training of correctional officers, with forecasts that these discussions will continue to dominate the criminal justice and corrections professions.

The Administration of Justice discipline within the Riverside Community College District has also developed proposals to build multiple options for students to ensure the program is responsive and competitive, such as our partnerships with local city police departments within our local area, the Riverside County Probation Department and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. This certificate program may be an appropriate option for high school graduates looking for basic certificates to pursue employment in the field and it may also be an option as a supplemental certificate alongside an associate degree or an associate degree for transfer (ADT) for enrolled college students.

Master Planning:

The Corrections Certificate and degree provides a specialized academic focus in the third component of the criminal justice system. This focus is beneficial at a community college level due to the job outlook for entry-level positions within both the region and state.  The implementation of this certificate will provide students enrolling at the college an opportunity to complete a 15-unit certificate to assist in obtaining employment while also being exposed to the benefits of attending a community college, including career and employment planning and readiness, networking, tutoring, various student services and assistance, and the support and mentorship of faculty and staff. This certificate also meets one of the six guided pathways within the ADJ discipline.  

Students enrolled in the certificate program could easily continue their education beyond the certificate and also graduate with an associate degree. Alternatively, students enrolled in any associate degree program could also easily pursue this certificate program to bolster their employability while transferring to complete their undergraduate degrees, especially students looking to enter specific professions within our criminal justice system or social and behavioral sciences. Potential interested students could also come from other behavioral science programs including students from sociology, psychology, social work, or pre-law/pathway to law school students who are interested in corrections-related professions or justice movements.

To best serve the greatest number of students, the master plan for the certificate includes offering the corrections classes in a variety of modalities including hybrid and distant education, as well as integrating current scheduling changes within the ADJ program to offer the corrections classes in a manner most beneficial and effective for students.  Partnerships and internships are also being developed with local agencies, including the Riverside County Probation Department and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, to best benefit both potential employers and our students.

Required Courses for the Certificate:    15    .units

Required Courses for the Degree:    21    .units

Elective Courses for the Degree:    9    .units

Total Program Units:     30    .units

Associate of Science Degree

The Associate of Science Degree in Corrections will be awarded upon completion of the degree requirements, including general education and other graduation requirements as described in the college catalog.