Age Requirements

The Attorney General has determined that the initial appointment of employees into Federal Bureau of Prisons law enforcement positions must be prior to their 37th birthday, with the following exceptions: Physician Assistant, Medical Officer, Dental Officer, Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, and Chaplains of some faith traditions. Psychologists may be waived up to the date immediately preceding their 40th birthday.

Background Investigation

Employment with the Federal Bureau of Prisons is subject to satisfactory completion of a background investigation to determine suitability for employment as a law enforcement official. Its scope includes law enforcement and criminal record checks, credit checks, and inquiries with previous employers and personal references. Suitability determinations are based upon an individual's character or conduct that may affect how the agency accomplishes its duties or responsibilities.

Citizenship/Initial Eligibility Requirements

You must be a U.S. citizen. On very rare occasions, waivers are available for hard-to-fill positions when no qualified U.S. citizens are available.

Employment Interview

Qualified applicants must have an employment panel interview prior to final selection. Normally, interviews are held within the general area (about 250 miles round trip) where the applicant resides. Applicants pay travel expenses to and from the interview site and to their first employment location.

Orientation Training

All persons appointed to the Federal Bureau of Prisons must successfully complete in-service training as a condition of employment, including 200 hours of formal training within the first year of employment. This includes orientation to the physical plant, familiarization with policies and procedures, and techniques for supervising and communicating with inmates in their daily activities.

Orientation training includes:

a. 80 hours of Institution Familiarization at the facility.
b. 120 hours of specialized training at our residential training center located at Glynco, GA, normally within the first 60 days after appointment and scheduled by the Employee Services Department. This training includes four components: Firearms, Self-Defense, Written Academic Test on policies and procedures, and the Physical Abilities Test (PAT).

The Physical Abilities Test

This test consists of:

a. Dummy Drag - drag a 75-pound dummy 3 minutes continuously for a minimum of 694 feet.
b. Climb and Grasp - climb rungs of a ladder and retrieve an item - ideal requirement 7 seconds.
c. Obstacle Course - ideal requirement 58 seconds.
d. Run and Cuff - run one-fourth mile and apply handcuffs - ideal requirement 2 minutes, 35 seconds.
e. Stair Climb - participant, with a 20-pound weight belt, will climb up and down 108 steps - ideal requirement 45 seconds.

Physical Requirements

All applicants must meet the physical requirements for positions for which they are being considered. This examination will be made without cost to the applicant, usually by a Federal medical officer, and will include a urinalysis test for drug detection.