Careers in

Custodial

Working in our custodial roles, you will be aiming to positively motivate and support people during a prison sentence, while ensuring safety. Strong communication skills in these roles are key - including the ability to listen, motivate and work as a team.

Roles

Corrections Officers

Corrections Officers supervise people in prison in their day-to-day activities and monitor the prison to help maintain a safe environment.
They can also contribute to public safety by being great role models and influencing pro-social behaviour.

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Specialist custodial roles

A range of other roles - from Dog Handlers and Security Managers, to Intelligence Officers and Tactical Instructors - also play an important role. Many of these roles are common career pathways for Corrections Officers.

Instructor

Our instructors help people in prison to gain trade qualifications and skills, improving their chances of finding jobs when they return to the community. They are trained as Corrections Officers, to equip them to manage people in a custodial environment.

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“A great day for me is when an offender comes back into the unit buzzing because they've passed a course. Their thanks to me for encouraging them makes me proud.”

Moses - Corrections Officer

Our stories

Watch Jeremy's reflections growing up around officers (his father was a Prison Officer back when they lived on site), and on his own work as a Corrections Officer 

From writing about Corrections to becoming the subject matter

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

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The different environments our Corrections Officers work in

Our Corrections Officers work in a diverse range of settings, from different types of units to areas of the prison like Master Control and the Receiving Office.

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What does it take to run a kitchen inside a prison?

Gareth, a catering instructor from Invercargill Prison, shares some insights into his role as a catering instructor

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Are you a good fit?

You could already be ready for a career with our custodial team. Here are some of the key skills and attributes we look for.

Communication

Good communicator and able to relate to diverse groups of people

Role model

Positive role model and able to motivate others

Integrity

High integrity and can work under pressure

Critical thinker

Critical thinker with high resilience

Dependable

Dependable, honest and a team player

Why choose us?

  • Our whānau support
  • A strong start
  • Career progression
  • Sites Nationwide
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Our teams are based on developing supportive and nurturing relationships. Our frontline team work closely with one another to ensure everyone remains safe and well-supported to carry out their work. Outside of your direct team, there are health & safety advocates, welfare officers, helplines and external partners so you're never short of awhi, care, and support.

To get you off to a good start you'll join with other new staff from around the country beginning their careers with Corrections. The Ara Tika programme is delivered from Upper Hutt at Corrections’ National Learning Centre and is an opportunity for you to learn core skills, develop a network of peers and be welcomed to the whānau. We'll arrange and pay for travel, accommodation, and meals while you're away from home.

After your initial training, there are opportunities to progress up through the ranks into more senior or specialised roles. Given the scale of our organisation, there's also ample ability to move into service development projects at our regional or national offices.

We have sites nationwide so you can work in a community that matters to you.

Apply now, change tomorrow

View our current vacancies and apply now.

Apply now

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