Becoming a corrections officer??

[yeahbuddy289]

I have been a mechanic at a dealership for 5 years now... I went to school for it but it wasnt something I really wanted to do. Its gotten to the point where I cant stand it anymore. If anyone knows how flat rate pay works and how warranty work pays youll get where im coming from. We receive no matching 401K or even a percentage, I pay $130 a week for health insurance (just for me), and I only get ten vacation days and 3 sick days a year and they are not accumulative. Im 26 now and I feel like if I stay on this path I will be poor and miserable with no hope of ever retiring. I am looking for some input from someone who is a CO or someone who knows a CO. It is obviously nothing like my current job so I want to know how much of a shock I will be in for. Being a CO isnt a life long dream of mine it just seems like a job with good pay, good benefits, and good time off that I could possibly stand doing for the next 25 year. Plus I feel it will add a little more purpose to me training my azz off and trying to grow.

[Hazard]

I have been a mechanic at a dealership for 5 years now... I went to school for it but it wasnt something I really wanted to do. Its gotten to the point where I cant stand it anymore. If anyone knows how flat rate pay works and how warranty work pays youll get where im coming from. We receive no matching 401K or even a percentage, I pay $130 a week for health insurance (just for me), and I only get ten vacation days and 3 sick days a year and they are not accumulative. Im 26 now and I feel like if I stay on this path I will be poor and miserable with no hope of ever retiring. I am looking for some input from someone who is a CO or someone who knows a CO. It is obviously nothing like my current job so I want to know how much of a shock I will be in for. Being a CO isnt a life long dream of mine it just seems like a job with good pay, good benefits, and good time off that I could possibly stand doing for the next 25 year. Plus I feel it will add a little more purpose to me training my azz off and trying to grow.

I have friends that are CO's..... State and federal. It all depends on where you live. In the NY area state CO's get paid more than federal but have different benefits. You have to look up the pay scale for your area.

State CO's are not considered law enforcement officers while federal CO's are.

In my state there's a HUGE wait list and veterans get first preference. The chance of getting in without vet status is highly unlikely.

[Euroholic]

Diesel fitting is where the money is at mate. I seen a add in the paper over here for correction officers 70grand a year salary and you only have to work 3 12 hour days a week.

[Hazard]

Diesel fitting is where the money is at mate. I seen a add in the paper over here for correction officers 70grand a year salary and you only have to work 3 12 hour days a week.

Lol that's certainly nothing like here.....

40k and 5 days a week for someone with no experience

[Euroholic]

Lol that's certainly nothing like here.....

40k and 5 days a week for someone with no experience

Its all relative i guess. A can of coke is like 3$ here and a new iphone is 1000$

[Hazard]

Its all relative i guess. A can of coke is like 3$ here and a new iphone is 1000$

That's insane

[Euroholic]

That's insane

It probs works out much the same when cost of living is factored in.

[spywizard]

depends, what would you do when you go to work and an inmate winks at you and says "Hey, we know where you live, your wife's name is Sue"...want something fun with benefits?? military, 30 days off per year, and $00 cost medical, and unlimited medical leave..

if that's what is important to you..

[Bonaparte]

I have to go into prisons/jails sometimes for work, and I couldn't imagine being a CO. You're basically spending time in jail for a mediocre salary. Sure, you get a bit more freedom, but it's ****ing depressing (at best) in there. And some of your coworkers will be some really sick ****s who undoubtedly failed more than a few LE psych exams.

[marcus300]

That's insane

what is more insane the place is full of cvnts

[Honkey_Kong]

I just looked on salary.com and COs don't get paid very well. It looked like $45k is the average in California (which has a high cost of living).

Definitely not worth the risk and stress those jobs can bring you.

[Buff99]

It's a tough job and I would only consider it as a last option. Talk to some of the guys who work the jails and they hate their job. Trapped inside of those walls is no fun.

[Moonjumper]

All relative to your location. Here in AL it can go to extremes. The only city here in my county that has their own jail and staff pay about $8 an hour. County pays their folks a little over $9. State level is around 20k a year (I don't know the actual hourly) but due to such a high turnover rate and a severe shortage of employees overtime is always available and I know folks that have doubled their salary per year because of it. It is a career that folks either love or hate. Very few fall in between. Depending on the facility corruption can be pretty high and having people you trust are few and far between. Gangs often try to recruit their members to become CO's also to make it easier to get things in and out. You'll spend 8-12+ hours a day surrounded by criminals (petty or serious) and you'll be lied to daily. Some folks are able to handle all of it and some can't.

[Buff99]

Yeah that's a good point and major plus is there is ALWAYS ot in almost every jail due to minimum staffing. I haven't met one CO who loves their job though unfortunately.

[< <Samson> >]

Same shit I went to school for at UTI - auto & diesel

Now I own a small car lot - **** working for the man. If I have bad months - there's only person to blame, the owner who's me

But, fvck being a CO - all LE in general can eat a dick. I thought about it in the past - but, there's two sides to the law - I know which side I'm on

[NACH3]

I just looked on salary.com and COs don't get paid very well. It looked like $45k is the average in California (which has a high cost of living).

Definitely not worth the risk and stress those jobs can bring you.

In Cali(w/the reputation those prisons have - and most back east) it's hardly worth the risk to get paid 40k when your avg house in the ghetto still costs over 500k... That's Oakland too not SF!

Imho it's definitely not worth it - unless you were a cop and are transitioning etc - and why spend your days in prison - though you get to leave it's still very fvkin depressing!

[songdog]

Here in NY around me there afe a lot of guys who do it.Plenty of OT.BUT you are with the scum of the earth and you always have too watch your back.Good luck.

[noon]

Here in NY around me there afe a lot of guys who do it.Plenty of OT.BUT you are with the scum of the earth and you always have too watch your back.Good luck.

Ny your gonna make around 60k the inmates aren't friends they do not talk to you unless you ask a question.
Yes surrounded by degenerates of all kinds and you will have your hands full at times. Stress is up to you.
Walk around acting like an ass hole your gonna have enemies
Do your job the same way every day and leave home at home and leave work at work.

[Hazard]

Ny your gonna make around 60k the inmates aren't friends they do not talk to you unless you ask a question.
Yes surrounded by degenerates of all kinds and you will have your hands full at times. Stress is up to you.
Walk around acting like an ass hole your gonna have enemies
Do your job the same way every day and leave home at home and leave work at work.

^^^^ this

You have to be a ny resident tho

[noon]

Same shit I went to school for at UTI - auto & diesel

Now I own a small car lot - **** working for the man. If I have bad months - there's only person to blame, the owner who's me

But, fvck being a CO - all LE in general can eat a dick. I thought about it in the past - but, there's two sides to the law - I know which side I'm on

And what side might that be again. ?

COs aren't chasing down those who break the law. That's not the gig. they simply enforce codes inside the walls and keep the place from falling apart at the seems

[noon]

^^^^ this

You have to be a ny resident tho

Mostly yes. There are those who live in VT.

[noon]

^^^^ this

You have to be a ny resident tho

And why f*ck this.

[Hazard]

And why f*ck this.

I didnt say fvck this..... If I meant that I would have said FVCK what he says.....

The ^^^^ refer to the post above where I'm typing. Like an arrow.....

Lower your dosage :-)

[noon]

Lol sorry. I'm cruising pretty low now.
Sorry again

[Hazard]

Lol sorry. I'm cruising pretty low now.
Sorry again

Lmao np

[yeahbuddy289]

I am in upstate NY, its not my dream job (could never really come up with one) I was also thinking LEO but that seems like it would be hard to get into and harder to do. I have some friends who are COs and they hate it... but they are able to retire, have great benefits, make a decent living, and yes they work sh*tty hours but the time off they get is crazy. Plus, my girlfriend is an RN so she works sh*tty hours too.

[noon]

You have to do whats best for you your life and your well being.
Pay check is not everything

[yeahbuddy289]

Yeah man I hear that... but I hate my current job and get nothing out of it. If I became a CO or LEO and ended up hating it (which there is a very good chance I will) at least I will be able to retire, have time off, and not be working to pay my health insurance.

[Hazard]

Fvck LEO jobs....


Who would want to risk their life for mediocre pay in today's society? God forbid you shoot someone while they're committing a crime - Now you'll be prosecuted. God forbid you put gas in your cruiser..... You might get shot. Cops get zero respect and they're constantly under scrutiny for every little thing they do. I don't envy them.....

[yeahbuddy289]

That is true... I feel like those problems are more so in the big cities than the smaller hick countys in my area.

[Hazard]

That is true... I feel like those problems are more so in the big cities than the smaller hick countys in my area.

Until it happens close to home..... Jus sayin. Some people feel like its their "calling" some people want benefits and retirement, some just want a job. If you're in it for retirement...... Good luck. Pensions are getting pushed back to 30 years..... I'd be 61 before I could retire.

Local DPW's in my area are 20-25 years.... And no one wants to hurt you lol

[Euroholic]

Just do what makes you happy op. money is not everything. Retirement is what you make it. All you need is a goal and a plan how your going to complete that goal. I'm not rich but yet i am retired.

[tarmyg]

Plus, my girlfriend is an RN so she works sh*tty hours too.

Why not become an RN? At least you get to help people and it for sure is, IMHO a respectable job!

[jolter604]

I have been a mechanic at a dealership for 5 years now... I went to school for it but it wasnt something I really wanted to do. Its gotten to the point where I cant stand it anymore. If anyone knows how flat rate pay works and how warranty work pays youll get where im coming from. We receive no matching 401K or even a percentage, I pay $130 a week for health insurance (just for me), and I only get ten vacation days and 3 sick days a year and they are not accumulative. Im 26 now and I feel like if I stay on this path I will be poor and miserable with no hope of ever retiring. I am looking for some input from someone who is a CO or someone who knows a CO. It is obviously nothing like my current job so I want to know how much of a shock I will be in for. Being a CO isnt a life long dream of mine it just seems like a job with good pay, good benefits, and good time off that I could possibly stand doing for the next 25 year. Plus I feel it will add a little more purpose to me training my azz off and trying to grow.

Just become a union carpenter, I make 70k a year and have top natch benefits. It challenging And good cardio. It will make you a perfectionist....and I dropped out of 10th grade. And I have a serious criminal record.

[jolter604]

Free prescription

Why not become an RN? At least you get to help people and it for sure is, IMHO a respectable job!

[yeahbuddy289]

Honestly I wish there was something I wanted to do.... If I could do what makes me happy I wouldn't work. I would just race motocross and lift weights lol. An RN would be a great job but I don't have enough desire for it to go through all the schooling. The carpenter thing doesn't sound half bad but I would imagine if it were that easy to get that type of money everyone would be doing it.

[Euroholic]

Honestly I wish there was something I wanted to do.... If I could do what makes me happy I wouldn't work. I would just race motocross and lift weights lol. An RN would be a great job but I don't have enough desire for it to go through all the schooling. The carpenter thing doesn't sound half bad but I would imagine if it were that easy to get that type of money everyone would be doing it.

That is where you are wrong. Its simple supply and demand. Alot of People are lazy and dont want to work with their hands they would rather sit in a office with air con and work on a computer monitor tan and hunched back. You know brick layers in my state are making 100k a year simply because alot of people cant be botherd to be a brickie because it is a bit of hard work and thus the people that do wont to do it can demand a increase in wages.

[Euroholic]

Just become a union carpenter, I make 70k a year and have top natch benefits. It challenging And good cardio. It will make you a perfectionist....and I dropped out of 10th grade. And I have a serious criminal record.

Errrrrrrrr!!!!!!

[jolter604]

That is where you are wrong. Its simple supply and demand. Alot of People are lazy and dont want to work with their hands they would rather sit in a office with air con and work on a computer monitor tan and hunched back. You know brick layers in my state are making 100k a year simply because alot of people cant be botherd to be a brickie because it is a bit of hard work and thus the people that do wont to do it can demand a increase in wages.

This is so true, I watch guys drop the apprenticeship all the time for a non labor job. They are usually skinny or fat. They love people who are built they always have a place for guys who kick ass and look swol

[yeahbuddy289]

I see what your saying but I wonder why mechanics aren't making more? No one is coming into this field and everyone who is in it is getting out.