OCCUPATION: CORRECTIONAL SERVICES TECHNICIAN (JAILER)

Name: Edith Gage

Company: Orange County Sheriff’s Department

Thumbs up: “I know it sounds funny, but working in a jail isn’t as bad as it sounds. This is a good career opportunity. I like working in law enforcement. I learn a lot and am given a lot of responsibility. I oversee an inmate work crew. It takes patience, but you learn about the justice system and about dealing with people. It’s a good job.”

Thumbs down: “You have the good and bad of working with people who commit crimes. You have those who can be extremely uncooperative.”

Next step: “There are more positions open to me as a female correctional services technician. I prefer to work with male inmates, and I wouldn’t be able to do that as a deputy sheriff. There are so few female officers that they are assigned to the women’s side of the jail. As a CST I can work either side; as a deputy I’d have to work with the women.”

Advice: “You definitely have to have a clean record. Also, the more education you have, the better prepared you’ll be. I’m a criminal justice major, but you should have some college or high school police science courses. I would suggest women might want to be a little tough and a little aggressive, though it’s not a requirement..”

Salary range: In Orange County, correctional services technicians earn between $1,891 and $2,532 monthly.

Education and training requirements: College is not required, but some experience or education and training that demonstrates knowledge or ability is required. Applicants must possess a valid Class 2 or 3 California driver’s license, depending on assignment. Correctional services technician is a civilian position. Therefore, technicians do not attend the police academy nor carry weapons.

Size of work force: Small. There are about 150 correctional services technicians in Orange County.

Job description: Process inmates for booking and identification, return inmates’ property, prepare reports, transport inmates by passenger vehicle and monitor inmate worker movement within a maximum-, medium- or minimum-security detention facility. For more information: Call the Sheriff’s Professional Standards Bureau at (714) 647-1881.