Becoming a correctional officer in Quebec: requirements, training and salary
Provincial or federal, these are two different jobs. Admission requirements, paid training, salary, and what changes for a security guard who wants to make the move.
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Many security guards look at corrections as the next career step. The pay is higher, the job is in the public service and security experience has its place there. In Quebec, two distinct jobs go by this name: the correctional services officer, at the provincial level, and the correctional officer, at the federal level. In both cases, it is the job many still call prison guard. The requirements, the training and the pay are not the same.
Provincial or federal: two employers, two jobs
The length of the sentence decides where a person is held, and therefore who your employer is.
| Provincial | Federal | |
|---|---|---|
| Job title | Correctional services officer (agent des services correctionnels, ASC) | Correctional Officer I (CX-01) |
| Employer | Correctional services of Quebec's Ministère de la Sécurité intérieure | Correctional Service Canada (CSC) |
| Workplace | One of 17 detention facilities, also called provincial prisons | A penitentiary, also called a federal prison |
| People in custody | Sentence of less than 2 years | Sentence of 2 years or more |
| Training on hiring | 9 weeks, paid | About 14 weeks in class, with an allowance |
| Published salary scale | $54,038 to $74,096 | $77,510 to $97,266 |
The job page on Québec.ca still names the employer "ministère de la Sécurité publique". Recent government pages write "ministère de la Sécurité intérieure". It is the same detention network.
Correctional services officer at the provincial level
The work
According to Québec.ca, the correctional services officer works with people in custody while respecting their rights, maintains order and discipline, observes behaviour and passes observations on to other staff. Physical intervention may be required. The law also gives the officer a role of help and support toward social reintegration (Act respecting the Québec correctional system, s. 4).
The schedule is 40 hours a week.
Admission requirements
- Have completed two years of post-secondary studies that provide knowledge in helping relationships, social intervention, group facilitation, observation and interviewing
- Pass a medical examination in the year before the appointment
- Not have been found guilty of certain Criminal Code offences
- Meet the requirements of the employer's security investigation
Québec.ca specifies that missing years of schooling can be replaced by two years of experience relevant to the job. The department decides what is relevant. Describe your security guard experience in detail in your application: access control, interventions, reports, work in hospitals or with people in crisis.
Nine colleges offer training that leads to the job: the cégeps of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Lanaudière, Rimouski, Sept-Îles, Shawinigan and Sorel-Tracy, Cégep Garneau, Campus Notre-Dame-de-Foy and Collège d'Alma.
Training on hiring
Successful candidates take a paid nine-week integration program: five weeks at the Centre de formation et de perfectionnement correctionnel, on the premises of the Leclerc detention facility in Laval, then four weeks in the detention facility of their region.
Salary and premiums
Québec.ca gives, as an indication, a scale of $54,038 to $74,096 a year, as of May 23, 2023. The scale published by the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor prevails if it differs. Check the amount in force in the job posting when you apply.
| Premium | Amount, as of April 1, 2022 |
|---|---|
| Attraction and retention | 4% |
| Evening | $0.75 an hour |
| Night | 11% to 14% of the hourly rate, depending on seniority |
| Weekend | 4% of the hourly rate |
| Remoteness | 8%, at the Sept-Îles facility only |
Correctional officer at the federal level
The work
According to Correctional Service Canada, the Correctional Officer I maintains the security of a federal institution: patrols, inmate counts, escorts, cell searches, security checks, reports and first aid. The officer works shifts, weekends and statutory holidays, and may have to work overtime.
In women's institutions, including Joliette Institution, the equivalent position is called Primary Worker. It is classified CX-02 and adds case management to security.
The requirements
- A valid, unrestricted driver's licence. In Quebec, CSC requires Class 4A (emergency vehicle)
- A valid standard first aid and CPR Level C certificate, with defibrillator training
- A medical assessment by a physician designated by Health Canada: vision, hearing, physical capacity and history. The result is valid for one year
- A psychological assessment: a questionnaire, then an interview with a psychologist
- A Situational Judgement Test, which measures your reactions to typical work situations
The current posting asks for a secondary school diploma, or a passed equivalency test. No work experience is required. In Quebec, the position is French or bilingual. You must be able to carry a firearm and obtain enhanced reliability status. CSC reviews criminal records case by case, depending on the position, the date of the conviction and the circumstances.
The Correctional Training Program
No one works as a correctional officer without passing the Correctional Training Program (CTP). It has three stages.
| Stage | Content | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Online training | About 80 hours, over 4 weeks |
| 2 | Pre-session online learning and reading | About 40 hours, over 3 to 4 weeks |
| 3 | In-class training, mainly in Kingston, Ontario, or Summerside, Prince Edward Island | About 14 weeks |
During Stage 3, the recruit receives an allowance of $400 a week, up to $5,600 for the 14 weeks. Meals and lodging are provided. Current federal public servants are not eligible for this allowance.
CSC asks recruits to train at least five times a week, 40 minutes each time. By the end of the program, you must be able to run 5 km.
The job offer is conditional: it specifies the work location and holds only if Stage 3 is passed.
The salary
The Correctional Services group collective agreement sets the annual rates. Here are the most recent, in effect since June 1, 2025.
| Level | Step 1 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|
| CX-1 | $77,510 | $97,266 |
| CX-2 | $82,122 | $103,079 |
A correctional officer allowance of $243.99 every two weeks is added, since June 1, 2025. The normal work week is 40 hours. The agreement expired on May 31, 2026: these rates are the latest published.
What changes compared with security guard work
| Security guard | Officer in corrections | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting pay | $20.60 an hour, the Decree's minimum rate for Class A. At 40 hours a week, that comes to about $42,850 a year | $54,038 at the provincial level, $77,510 at the federal level, according to the published scales |
| Training | 70 hours, at your own cost | 9 paid weeks at the provincial level. About 14 weeks in class with an allowance at the federal level |
| Status | An ordinary citizen in the eyes of the law | Peace officer in the performance of duties |
| Employer | A private agency, most often | The government of Quebec or of Canada |
Status is the biggest difference. The correctional services officer has peace officer status in the detention facility and on its grounds, and with respect to the persons in the officer's custody outside it (Act respecting the Québec correctional system, s. 5). At the federal level, the Commissioner may designate staff members as peace officers (Corrections and Conditional Release Act, s. 10). The security guard has only the powers of any citizen, as explained in our article on citizen's arrest.
The environment is also harder. You work locked in, with people in custody, day and night, and physical intervention is part of the job. The medical and psychological assessments exist for that reason.
How to apply
- Provincial. Registration periods open from time to time. Watch the Quebec public service recruitment site and the job page on Québec.ca. Attach your diplomas and detail every job you have held
- Federal. Postings are published on GC Jobs. The current posting is open until December 31, 2026 and covers, in Quebec, Cowansville, Donnacona, Drummondville, Laval, Port-Cartier and Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines. CSC may offer a position outside your choices. Get your Class 4A licence and your first aid certificate in advance: those are two conditions you control
Nothing prevents you from applying to both.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a correctional officer?
The person who guards people in custody and keeps the facility secure. In Quebec, the provincial position is called correctional services officer and the federal position, correctional officer. At the provincial level, the law gives the officer peace officer status. At the federal level, the Commissioner may grant it.
What is the role of a correctional officer?
The officer supervises people in custody, maintains order and discipline, carries out searches, escorts and reports, and responds to emergencies. At the provincial level, the law also asks the officer to help and support social reintegration (Act respecting the Québec correctional system, s. 4).
What is the salary of a correctional officer in Quebec?
At the provincial level, Québec.ca shows a scale of $54,038 to $74,096 a year for the correctional services officer, as of May 23, 2023, plus premiums. At the federal level, the CX-1 correctional officer earns $77,510 to $97,266 since June 1, 2025, plus an allowance of $243.99 every two weeks.
What training is required to become a correctional officer in Quebec?
Quebec asks for two years of post-secondary studies related to helping relationships or intervention, which relevant experience can replace, then gives a paid nine-week integration program. The federal service asks for a secondary school diploma and requires passing the Correctional Training Program: two online stages, then about 14 weeks in class with an allowance of $400 a week.
How do you become a correctional services officer?
You apply during a registration period, on the Quebec public service recruitment site. You must meet the education or experience requirements, pass a medical examination, not have been found guilty of certain Criminal Code offences and meet the requirements of the security investigation. The nine-week training follows hiring.
What is the mission of Quebec's correctional services?
Under section 3 of the Act respecting the Québec correctional system, the correctional services help inform the courts and take charge, in the community or in detention, of the persons entrusted to them, while fostering their social reintegration.
Can a security guard become a correctional officer?
Yes, if the guard meets the requirements of the position. The security guard licence gives no direct access, but security experience goes in the application, and the department judges whether it counts as relevant experience.
Can you become a correctional officer with a criminal record?
At the provincial level, you must not have been found guilty of certain Criminal Code offences, and you must meet the requirements of the security investigation. At the federal level, CSC reviews each record case by case. For the security guard licence, the rules are in our article on criminal records and the licence.
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Sources
- Québec.ca: Agente ou agent des services correctionnels (in French)
- Québec.ca: Aperçu du milieu carcéral au Québec (in French)
- LégisQuébec: Act respecting the Québec correctional system, ss. 3, 4 and 5
- Correctional Service Canada: Correctional officer careers
- GC Jobs: "Become a Correctional Officer I" posting, process 2026-PEN-EA-NAT-201617
- Correctional Service Canada: Apply for a job at CSC
- Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat: Correctional Services (CX) collective agreement, Appendices A and H
- Justice Canada: Corrections and Conditional Release Act, s. 10
- LégisQuébec: Decree respecting security guards, s. 4.07
