AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 33-3012.00
Will AI replace Correctional Officers and Jailers?
Correctional Officers and Jailers: AI can already handle 1 of 27 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 27 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Correctional Officers and Jailers, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use nondisciplinary tools and equipment, such as a computer. | Observed | Frontier | |
| Supervise and coordinate work of other correctional service officers. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Participate in required job training. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Conduct head counts to ensure that each prisoner is present. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Monitor conduct of prisoners in housing unit, or during work or recreational activities, according to established policies, regulations, and procedures, to prevent escape or violence. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Search prisoners and vehicles and conduct shakedowns of cells for valuables and contraband, such as weapons or drugs. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Guard facility entrances to screen visitors. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Record information, such as prisoner identification, charges, and incidents of inmate disturbance, keeping daily logs of prisoner activities. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Search for and recapture escapees. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Process or book convicted individuals into prison. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Take prisoners into custody and escort to locations within and outside of facility, such as visiting room, courtroom, or airport. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Take fingerprints of arrestees, prisoners, or the general public. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Settle disputes between inmates. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Provide to supervisors oral and written reports of the quality and quantity of work performed by inmates, inmate disturbances and rule violations, and unusual occurrences. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Counsel inmates and respond to legitimate questions, concerns, and requests. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Investigate crimes that have occurred within an institution, or assist police in their investigations of crimes and inmates. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Assign duties to inmates, providing instructions as needed. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Issue clothing, tools, and other authorized items to inmates. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Sponsor inmate recreational activities, such as newspapers and self-help groups. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Arrange daily schedules for prisoners, including library visits, work assignments, family visits, and counseling appointments. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Inspect mail for the presence of contraband. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Maintain records of prisoners' identification and charges. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Use weapons, handcuffs, and physical force to maintain discipline and order among prisoners. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Conduct fire, safety, and sanitation inspections. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Inspect conditions of locks, window bars, grills, doors, and gates at correctional facilities to ensure security and help prevent escapes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Serve meals, distribute commissary items, and dispense prescribed medication to prisoners. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Drive passenger vehicles and trucks used to transport inmates to other institutions, courtrooms, hospitals, and work sites. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 27 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 26 of 27. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 81% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 89% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 11% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 380,500
- Median annual wage
- $58,940
- Middle half of earners
- $48,640 to $75,850
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -7.8%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers 76% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure46
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists 69% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure45
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers 65% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure65
- Security Guards 65% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure29
- Bailiffs 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure28
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Correctional Officers and Jailers and AI
Will AI replace Correctional Officers and Jailers?
AI already handles 1 of the 27 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 30 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by -7.8% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Correctional Officers and Jailers?
30 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 1 of the 27 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 26 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Correctional Officers and Jailers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Use nondisciplinary tools and equipment, such as a computer. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 81% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Correctional Officers and Jailers, and what do they earn?
380,500 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $58,940 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -7.8% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Correctional Officers and Jailers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/correctional-officers-and-jailers
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