Correctional Counselor

State of Tennessee Job Information

Opening Date/Time: 06/30/2026 12:00 AM Central Time

Closing Date/Time: 07/13/2026 11:59 PM Central Time

Salary (Monthly): $3,631.00 - $4,533.00

Salary (Annually): $43,572.00 - $54,396.00

Job Type: Full‑time

Location:

Jackson, TN

Department:
Correction

Location of (1) Positioned:
Department of Correction, Madison County

This position requires a criminal background check. You may need to provide information about your criminal history to be considered for this position.

Education and Experience:

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree and experience equivalent to one year of full‑time professional social or psychological counseling work.

Substitution of Education for

Experience:

One year of graduate coursework in a social or behavioral science may be substituted for the year of professional counseling experience.

Substitution of Experience for

Education:

Full‑time social or psychological counseling experience can be substituted for the required education on a year‑for‑year basis for a maximum of two years; requiring two years of study at an accredited college or university.

OR One year as a Correctional Counselor with the State of Tennessee Department of Correction.

• A valid vehicle operator's license may be required for employment in some positions.

Under general direction, this role is responsible for professional correctional counseling work of average difficulty and related responsibilities as required. This is the working level class in the Correctional Counselor sub‑series. An employee in this class supervises a caseload of incarcerated offenders inside a correctional facility. This class is flexibly staffed and differs from the Correctional Counselor 1, whose incumbent performs entry‑level work, and from the Correctional Counselor 3, whose incumbent leads and supervises others in counseling work.

• Calculates sentencing information to determine the accuracy of an offender's sentence computation.
• Verifies that offender sentencing complies with judgment order.
• Completes classification/reclassification and/or risk‑needs assessments for offenders.
• Prepares reports on offender history, progress, adjustment, rule violations, visitation, recommendations for special visits, and other related statistics.
• Evaluates all offender records, case notes, and information to ensure compliance with applicable standards, laws, policies, rules, and regulations while under the guidance of a higher‑ranking Correctional Counselor.
• Conducts and/or monitors Prison Rape Elimination Act screenings to determine potential victim or aggressor status.
• Monitors environment to identify security‑related concerns to assure continued safety of the facility.
• Identifies appropriate intervention techniques to address offender behavioral issues.
• Assists offenders in addressing concerns regarding job pay, trust fund, sentence information, educational needs and programs, and with communicating with outside agencies to expedite release plans or respond to emergencies.
• Schedules outside services to assist with offender transition from prison to the community.
• Develops and collaborates reentry plans with a re‑entry Counselor for offenders within established time frames and in accordance with departmental procedures.

• Communicates Effectively
• Decision Quality
• Collaborates
• Plans and Aligns
• Situational Adaptability

• Clerical
• Law and Government
• Psychology
• Public Safety and Security
• Sociology and Anthropology

• Active Learning and Listening
• Mathematics
• Speaking
• Reading Comprehension
• Critical Thinking

• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Originality
• Problem Sensitivity
• Speech Clarity

• Multi‑line Phone
• Radio
• Personal Computer
• Word Processing Software
• Electronic/Paper Documents