Correctional Program Officer

Important messages

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please use the Contact information below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Assessment accommodation

When you apply to this selection process, you are not applying for a specific job, but for future vacancies. As positions become available, applicants who meet the qualifications may be contacted for further assessment.

Correctional Service of Canada is seeking interest from persons looking for an exciting and rewarding career as a Correctional Program Officer.

Correctional Program Officers are essential to fulfilling the Correctional Service of Canada’s (CSC) mission of contributing to public safety by actively encouraging and assisting offenders to become law-abiding citizens, while exercising reasonable, safe, secure, and humane control. For further information on the department, work environment, careers at CSC and application process, please visit our website found in the link “Correctional Service of Canada” provided above.

Every day, Correctional Program Officers deliver important correctional programs to offenders (e.g. substance abuse and violence prevention programs). They motivate and encourage offenders along the path to successful reintegration. They also give advice to offenders while teaching them the skills they need for their eventual safe reintegration into the community. Officers are responsible for class preparation. They grade offenders' work and formally assess each offender's attitude, accountability and progress toward their goals for change.

BEFORE YOU APPLY
Applicants who submit an application and meet the electronic screening requirements will have their application included in this selection process in anticipation of further assessment.

Your responses to the application questions must demonstrate how you meet the essential EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE qualifications. It is NOT sufficient to only state that the qualifications are met or to provide a listing of current or past responsibilities. Rather you must clearly demonstrate HOW, WHEN, and WHERE the qualification was met through substantiation by concrete examples.

Intent of the process

A pool of partially qualified candidates will be created following this selection process, and could be used to staff similar positions for indeterminate appointments, term appointments, acting appointments, casuals, deployments, assignments and secondments

Positions to be filled: Number to be determined

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

EDUCATION
A secondary school diploma or a satisfactory score on the Public Service Commission (PSC) test approved as an alternative to a secondary school diploma

Degree equivalency

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE
*Significant work experience interviewing, motivating and/or counselling persons in individual and/or group settings aimed at changing human behaviour.

Note: Significant* is defined as the depth and breadth of experience normally associated with having performed this/these duties.

If you possess any of the following, your application must also clearly explain how you meet it (other qualifications)

ABILITIES AND SKILLS
Ability to communicate orally in a language other than English/French that is reflective of the offender population diversity of the Institution.
Ability to communicate in writing in a language other than English/French that is reflective of the offender population diversity of the Institution.

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

Various language requirements
English Essential

Information on language requirements

KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge of the Correctional Service of Canada’'s (CSC) Mission, priorities, the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA).
Knowledge of correctional programs, their policies, standards and guidelines including programs for women and Aboriginal offenders.
Knowledge of principles of adult learning and effective correctional treatment practices.

ABILITIES & SKILLS
Ability to plan, organize and deliver correctional programs.
Ability to manage, support and motivate offenders.
Ability to assess, interpret and report on the impact of the program as it relates to the management of offenders’ risk.
Ability to communicate effectively orally.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing.

PERSONAL SUITABILITY
Values and Ethics
Sensitivity to Diversity
Initiative
Engagement
Judgment

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

EDUCATION
Graduation with a degree from a recognized university in a field that focuses on understanding and assessing human behaviour.
Graduation with a degree from a recognized university combined with training and experience related to the position.
Graduation with a diploma from a recognized college in a field that focuses on understanding and assessing human behaviour.
Graduation with a diploma from a recognized college combined with training and experience related to the position.

Degree equivalency

CERTIFICATION
Certification in specific programs.

EXPERIENCE
Experience with the case management process.
Experience in the delivery of structured programs to individuals with integration or behavioural problems.
Experience preparing and delivering training or presentations.
Experience assessing human behaviour in the context of program delivery.
Experience interacting with and assisting people with unique and challenging needs.
Experience working in a correctional environment.
Experience offering services or programs to people in conflict with the law.
Experience working with individuals associated with security threat groups, such as street or prison gangs, organized crime, or other groups involved in criminal behaviour.

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS
Selection may be limited to members of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, women.

OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Willingness to travel.

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance - Candidates will be required to be fingerprinted.

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

Interested persons must meet each essential qualification to be appointed to the position. A person may be appointed to the position even though he/she does not meet any or all of the asset qualification. However, meeting these criteria is desirable and may be a deciding factor in choosing the person to be appointed.

All job applications must be submitted through the Public Service Resourcing System (PSRS).

Persons with a disability preventing them from applying on-line should contact us at 1-800-645-5605.

You will be required to provide proof of your educational credentials.

The assessment of candidates could take the form of one or more of the following: written examinations, interviews, practical exercises, role-plays, behaviour-based questions, PSC tests, situational exercises and reference checks.

Candidates who apply to this selection process should include an email address that accepts emails from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). Should your email address change during this selection process, it is your responsibility to inform us.

Applicants are responsible for travel expenses related to this selection process.

The department is committed to assessing candidates in a fair and equitable manner. If contacted regarding this selection process, you are encouraged to advise the departmental official of accommodation measures (such as an alternative method of assessment, a technical aid, accessibility requirements, etc.) which must be taken in order to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner.

Applicants are encouraged to review available information as it relates to areas that will be assessed during the selection process. Some information and several documents are available on these topics on the CSC website www.csc-scc.gc.ca.


The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled, diverse workforce reflective of Canadian society. As a result, it promotes employment equity and encourages candidates to indicate voluntarily on their application if they are a woman, an Aboriginal person, a person with a disability or a member of a visible minority group.

The Public Service of Canada is also committed to developing inclusive, barrier-free selection processes and work environments. If contacted in relation to a job opportunity or testing, you should advise the Public Service Commission or the departmental official in a timely fashion of the accommodation measures which must be taken to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans and to Canadian citizens, in that order, with the exception of a job located in Nunavut, where Nunavut Inuit will be appointed first.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.