How to become a corrections officer in Arkansas
The Arkansas Department of Corrections — Division of Correction hires state corrections officers under the title Corrections Officer. New officers start at $50,845 a year, rising to $75,251.
Pay
| Starting salary | $50,845 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $75,251 |
| Scale effective | 2025-07-01 |
Source:[sas.arkansas.gov]
Requirements
- Education: The formal education equivalent of a high school diploma
- Subject to random drug testing
- Other job-related education or experience may substitute for basic requirements
Source:[sas.arkansas.gov]
Hiring process
- Online application through arcareers.arkansas.gov (one state application per position)
- 240-hour Basic Correctional Officer Training at the Willis H. Sargent Training Academy
Source:[doc.arkansas.gov]
Academy
6 weeks. 240-hour Basic Correctional Officer Training Course at the Willis H. Sargent Training Academy, England, AR; the DOC training page describes six weeks, about four at the academy and two of on-the-job training with a Field Training Officer. The academy page cites at least 280 hours of pre-service training.[doc.arkansas.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System (APERS) — Contributory Plan
- Benefit formula: 2.0% × years of contributory service × final average compensation (highest 5 fiscal years for members first hired on/after July 1, 2022), plus 0.5% for each month of service beyond 28 years
- When you can retire: Unreduced at age 65 with 5 years of actual service, or any age with 28 years of actual service
All new members since July 1, 2005 are contributory; the employee rate rises 0.25% every July 1 from 2022 until it reaches 7% on July 1, 2029. COLA for post-July 2022 hires is the lesser of 3% or CPI-W. No separate public-safety tier for correctional officers found.
Source:[apers.org]
Checked against official sources on 2026-10-23. Pay plans change; confirm with the employer before applying.