Join our team as a Corrections officer

Recruiting now

Making lives better. Keeping you safe.

We're looking for more good people to join our whānau and help us achieve and deliver our mahi - Kotahi anō te kaupapa: ko te oranga o te iwi There is only one purpose to our work: the wellness and well-being of people.

The world of Corrections is largely hidden away and most people haven't considered what it might take to become an officer. While we may not always be visible, we play an important role in keeping our communities safe, while helping people in prison get the help they need. 

It's a hugely diverse, rewarding and challenging mahi. We to invite you to discover if you can help make lives better and keep everyday New Zealanders safe.

 

Working as a Corrections Officer

Corrections Officer stands smiling at camera. A blackboard with te reo Maori on is in the background.

Make an ongoing impact

Corrections Officers are there with people in prison throughout their daily activities, providing ongoing opportunities to influence change and motivate positive decisions.

They supervise prisoners' routines, take them to hearings and appointments, support them to engage in rehabilitation programmes, and work with case management to help them lead an offence-free life.

Corrections Officer holds a sign with te reo on and engages with two men, with Māori artwork in the bavkground

Diverse environments

Our Corrections Officers work across a diverse range of settings, with different specialist units, security levels and site-specific activities all creating different day-to-day experiences. Some work in specific focus units such as our drug and alcohol treatment units, youth units, Pasifika units, Māori and Tikanga focused units, Mothers and Babies units and Special Treatment units.

Corrections staff in protective gear crowding around

Safety matters

Working as a close team, you'll play an important role in monitoring behaviour and maintaining safety within the prison. You'll patrol prison buildings and grounds, assess situations and take appropriate action.

Our Correction Officers are supported by other custodial staff, with backup, training and equipment readily available for when they need it. From detection dogs to emergency response, negotiators to tactical operations – each situation that needs extra support has a team available. There are also opportunities to specialise in these areas as you progress in your career.

Hear from our team

Jeremy's story - reconnecting with his roots

Why become a Corrections Officer?

What skills do you need?

What development opportunities are there as a Corrections Officer?

What shifts do you work as a Corrections Officer?

What you need to know

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Time off & hours of work

5 weeks annual leave
Rostered rotating shifts including nights, weekends & public holidays

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Salary

Starting salary $65,019, increasing as you achieve National Qualifications Level 3 ($69,697) and Level 4 ($75,213)
$4000 annual shift allowance

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Training

12 weeks training through the Corrections Officer Development Pathway (requires some time away in Upper Hutt, paid for by the department).

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Career development

Opportunities to gain qualifications in Level 3, 4 and 5 in the National Certificate for Offender Management and to branch into more specialised areas (eg prison negotiation, dog handling, site emergency response teams, etc)
Progression opportunities to Senior Corrections Officer, Principal Corrections Officer

wellbeing

Skills and requirements

Strong communicators, team players, ability to motivate others, work well under pressure
Observant, alert and resilient
Full NZ Drivers Licence

You will also need the legal right to work in NZ, which we can support you to get. From March 2024, Corrections Officers will be included in Immigration New Zealand’s Green List, which means that you’ll have a clear, fast-tracked pathway to residency in New Zealand.

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Environment

Based at one of our prisons in NZ, which each have different units, programmes, and site specific activities.

Apply now, change tomorrow

Still thinking it over?

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Recent stories

From writing about Corrections to becoming the subject matter

Michelle’s journey with Ara Poutama Aotearoa started with a story much like this one.

Jeremy - reconnecting with his roots

  It’s unusual to find someone who has lived on prison grounds, without being incarcerated.

Where can your career go as a Corrections Officer?

For many people, becoming a Corrections Officer is just the start of their journey at Ara Poutama Aotearoa.

From flight attendant to Corrections Officer

  Going from being a flight attendant to a Corrections Officer might not be a career change that people would expect, but it was a leap that Carlin, now a Senior Adviser…

We're also recruiting

There are lots of other careers inside Ara Poutama.  Here are just a few that we're currently recruiting.

Nursing

Work with our nēhi (nursing) whānau and be a part of our holistic vision for healthcare.

Probation Officers

Work with offenders to make sure they are meeting the requirements of their sentence and have the support they need to do so.

Psychologist

Working in an interdisciplinary team of health practitioners, we provide a range of health and wellbeing screening, assessments and treatments from the time offenders are received into prison and into the community.