The Mississippi Department of Corrections is accepting applications daily for correctional officers and offering an immediate five percent increase in your starting pay if you have a college degree or experience in the workforce.
A five percent increase puts the starting pay at $2,179.04 monthly. The starting pay for those without a degree or experience is $2,075.27 monthly.
Additionally, benefits include low-cost employee insurance including dental, vision, and life; opportunities for advancement; personal and medical leave; and retirement.
28 year-old Tyler Smith, who has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, said he joined MDOC in 2015 to jumpstart his public safety/law enforcement career.
“Even if you’re not trying to do public safety/law enforcement, working for MDOC will develop you as a person,” Smith said. “And there are many opportunities to branch out.”
Smith started as a trainee and is now working with the K-9 unit at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF) near Pearl.
“I feel like I am serving a purpose when I come to work,” he said. “It’s not your normal 9-to-5 job. There are a lot of ways to continue to move up within the agency.”
Applications are available at:
- Job Line, 1-866-783-9359
- MDOC recruitment website, mdocrecruitment@mdoc.state.ms.us
- Mississippi State Personnel Board’s website, www.mspb.ms.gov
- MDOC Personnel Services Division, Central Office, 633 North State St., or call Personnel Services, 601-359-5696
- CMCF, 3794 Highway 468, Pearl, or call (601) 932-2880, ext. 6701
- Mississippi State Penitentiary (MSP), 708 Parchman Road, Parchman, or call (662) 745-6611, ext. 2366
- South Mississippi Correctional Institution (SMCI), 22689 Highway 63 North, Leakesville, or call 601-394-5600, ext. 1217
Walk-in interviews are Saturday, April 6, from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. at CMCF, MSP, and SMCI.
The next mandatory four-week academy training begins Tuesday, April 16 at each of the three facilities (CMCF, MSP, and SMCI).
Other requirements to be a correctional officer include: You must be at least 21 years of age; havea high school diploma or GED; have a valid driver’s license; and have no felony or domestic violence convictions.
In addition to an interview and a background check, the selection process also includes a math test, report writing exercise, physical agility test, polygraph, and drug test.
