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Prison Teaching Jobs in Colorado (NOW HIRING)

Prison Teaching information

See Colorado salary details

$7

$36

$82

How much do prison teaching jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 5, 2026, the average hourly pay for prison teaching in Colorado is $36.40, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $14.03 and $55.67 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is prison teaching?

A Prison Teaching job involves educating incarcerated individuals in subjects such as literacy, vocational skills, and GED preparation. Teachers work within correctional facilities to help inmates develop knowledge and skills that can aid in rehabilitation and reintegration into society. The role requires patience, adaptability, and strong communication skills to effectively engage students in a unique learning environment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in prison teaching?

To thrive as a Prison Teacher, you typically need a degree in education or a related field, teaching certification, and experience with adult or special education. Familiarity with learning management systems, correctional facility protocols, and curriculum development tools is often required. Strong interpersonal skills, patience, adaptability, and the ability to maintain clear boundaries are essential soft skills. These abilities ensure effective instructional delivery, safety, and meaningful rehabilitation for incarcerated learners in a challenging environment.

What are some common challenges faced by prison teachers, and how can they be managed?

Prison Teachers often face challenges such as limited classroom resources, diverse learner backgrounds, and strict security protocols that can impact lesson planning and classroom management. It’s important to remain flexible, creative, and solutions-oriented to adapt educational content to various learning abilities and to comply with institutional rules. Collaboration with correctional officers and support staff is key for maintaining a safe and productive classroom. By building rapport, setting clear expectations, and utilizing available support, Prison Teachers can create a positive learning environment and make a significant impact on student outcomes.

What are the most commonly searched types of Prison Teaching jobs in Colorado?

The most popular types of Prison Teaching jobs in Colorado are:

What are popular job titles related to Prison Teaching jobs in Colorado?

For Prison Teaching jobs in Colorado, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Prison Teaching jobs in Colorado look for?

The top searched job categories for Prison Teaching jobs in Colorado are:

What cities in Colorado are hiring for Prison Teaching jobs?

Cities in Colorado with the most Prison Teaching job openings:

Infographic showing various Prison Teaching job openings in Colorado as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 57% Full Time, 39% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 78% Physical, and 22% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $75,708 per year, or $36.4 per hour.

CDOC- Education Administrator V - Denver Complex

State of Colorado

Denver, CO • On-site

$7.6K - $12K/mo

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Life, Retirement, PTO

This job post has expired 3 days ago. Applications are no longer accepted.


State Of Colorado rating

7.3

Company rating: 7.3 out of 10

Based on 97 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

36th of 50 rated states


Job description

Department Information If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference and builds greater public confidence in good government, consider joining the dedicated people of the State of Colorado. Our professionals strive to support state government and the citizens of Colorado. Customer service is a key component for every position in state government as is the focus on ideas and ways to redesign the delivery of services in making state government more effective and efficient.

In addition to a great agency and rewarding, meaningful work, we offer: Distinctive career advancement opportunities throughout the state system; Strong, secure, yet flexible retirement benefits including PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined; Contribution Plan plus 401K and 457 plans. Member Contribution Rates. Correctional Officers I-IV qualify as "Safety Officers" and are eligible for increased PERA benefits; Medical and dental health plans; Short and long term disability coverage; Paid life insurance; 11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave; Wellness program, tuition reimbursement, training opportunities and more; Visit State of Colorado Employee Benefits.

for more information. This position is compensated on a bi-weekly pay cycle. Who May Apply: This position is only open to Colorado state residents.

Job Location: This recruitment is for the Denver Correctional Complex The resulting eligibility list may be used to fill future vacancies at this location. Description of Job This position will provide staff authority of Prison Programs services within a correctional facility. Programs include oversight of the Specialized Program for Juveniles and Young Adults Convicted as Adults (JYACAP), Career and Technical, Academic, and Cognitive Education, Library Services, Peer Education, and Faith and Citizens.

The position will provide full staff and faculty supervision, oversee the delivery of services to students, and budget management. Provide oversight and accountability of educational goals and programmatic guidelines. Position exists to meet and uphold the Mission, Vision, and Values of the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC).

This position exists to encourage and promote self discipline, self motivation, safe and productive work habits and positive attitudes. This position may also supervise other facility work units at the discretion of the appointing authority and per the needs of the facility. Primary Job duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Provide supervision over Prison Programs to include Education, Library Services, Faith and Citizens, JYACAP and Peer Led programming and Post-Secondary Education; Implement comprehensive Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Academic education plans in accordance with Department policy; Oversee incarcerated individual programming for Prison Program; Implement new programming and evaluate current offerings; Provide guidance and leadership to the Prison Program staff through strong leadership, Performance Management, and mentoring; Ensure instructors are teaching from approved curriculum and documenting student data and progress as required by Prison Programs; Manage budget with fiscal integrity, ensuring good stewardship of money, maintaining programs, and supporting student and staff success; Participate in facility management team and carry out responsibilities of a manager through duties to include staff supervision, policy review and revision, support of security, and promotion of offender and staff success through accountability Promote a high level of performance by setting the work standard according to agency mission, vision and values.

This includes the supervision of staff who also supervise other staff and inmates; Ensure completion of teacher induction program and positive progress of staff towards full credentialing; Coordinate with credentialing officer for obtainment for credentialing and licensure for new instructors; Manage the programs operating budget; Ensure data tracking is accurate and complete; Submit required numbers to Assistant Director that are accurate; Participate in Prison Programs audits, curriculum review, and professional development: Other duties as assigned, Safety & Security - Only in emergent situations, this position may maintain safety and security by training inmates or perform inmate counts, searches, escorts, movement control, and inmate access to classrooms. Through conscientious observation and adherence to agency Administrative Regulations and the Code of Penal Discipline, the position promotes a safe and secure work environment. Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights Ensure that the 'Work Experience" section of the application is complete and contains all relevant work experience related to the position that you are applying for.

This information will be used to help determine compensation for the position. "See resume" statements cannot be accepted in lieu of the "work experience" section of the application. Additional work experience will not be accepted after the job announcement close date for compensation purposes.

Failure to include adequate information or follow instructions by the closing date may result in your application not being accepted and/or may affect your score, rank or inclusion in the final pool of eligible applicants. Former CDOC employees who are rehired or reinstated within six months of their separation from CDOC will return at either their previous pay rate, if hired into the same class level, or based on their time in the class series, whichever is higher. Experience Only: Eight (8) years of *professional work experience that includes two (2) years of education related experience in the areas of administration, counseling, library services or teaching.

**Experience must be clearly described within the work experience section of your application to meet this requirement and receive credit. OR Education and Experience combined: . A combination of related education and/or relevant experience in an occupation related to the work assigned equal to eight (8) years.

**You must submit a copy of your unofficial transcripts with your name, college name, degree and date conferred in order to receive credit. Substitutions: Work experience in education which provided the same kind, amount and level of knowledge acquired in the required education, may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the bachelor's degree. A master's or doctoral degree from an accredited college or university in the fields listed above will substitute for the bachelor's degree and general work experience on a year-for-year basis.

A bachelor degree that is not in a related field of study, may substitute for up to 60 semester hours of core coursework on a year for year basis. **You must submit a copy of your unofficial transcripts with your name, college name, degree and date conferred in order to receive credit. *Professional work experience: involves exercising discretion, analytical skills, judgment, and personal accountability and responsibility for creating, developing, integrating, applying, and sharing an organized body of knowledge that characteristically is: uniquely acquired through an intense education or training regimen at a recognized college or university; equivalent to the curriculum requirements for a bachelor's or higher degree with major study in or pertinent to the specialized field; and continuously studied to explore, extend, and use additional discoveries, interpretation, and application and to improve data, materials, equipment, applications, and methods.

Employment history is calculated on a full-time basis (40 hours per week). Less than full-time employment is calculated on a prorated basis to determine qualifications. Please be sure your application specifically addresses your qualifications, experience, work products, and accomplishments as they relate to the position and minimum requirements.

Under the Job Application Fairness Act (SB 23-058), applicants may redact information from certifications and transcripts that identify their age, date of birth or dates of attendance from an educational institution. Special Qualifications: Must possess at least one of the following credentials at the time of application (and must upload a copy of your credential to this application): Professional Colorado Department of Education (CDE) teaching license Professional Career and Technical Education (CTE) license Adult Basic Education Authorization (ABE) Colorado Community College System (CCCS) Credential Required Competencies: Significant knowledge of effective teaching strategies, methods and techniques; Must possess high level oral communication and writing skills; Proven experience in policy analysis, development and implementation; Creativity skills and the ability to develop or produce new concepts, techniques, or programs through imaginative or innovative skills; Excellent interpersonal skills; Ability to problem solve and execute decisions; Ability to respond to emergency situations involving inmates (such as fights, fires or escapes); Excellent leadership, supervisory, and team building skills; Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with individuals in a diversity of roles; Proven ability to manage multiple programs; Proven ability to provide efficient, elegant, and effective customer service to the stakeholders of Colorado which includes exemplary responsiveness; Ability to understand, develop, and implement performance and outcome measures, managing effective operations while ensuring performance measures are met; Proven ability to provide analytical expertise in strategic planning, operational effectiveness and progressive evaluation of measurements; Demonstrated working knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office Suites applications; Comprehensive understanding of Performance Management Program (PMP), ensuring staff training and development. Ability to read and comprehend the English language; Ability to effectively communicate fluently in English both verbally and in writing.

Preferred Qualifications: Supervisory experience teaching adult learners; Demonstrated knowledge of post secondary education, CTE, and GED; Proven experience evaluating and recommending changes to existing Prison Programs; Demonstrated knowledge of correctional facility operations as a whole; Strong ability to work through all aspects of education and programming in the correctional environment to implement programs to their strongest fidelity and effectiveness; CDE Principal license; Prior supervisory work experience of employees with influence on hiring, evaluation, training, and pay; Demonstrated team building experience; Proven experience managing a staff with diverse professional experience; Demonstrable experience with prison operations, emergency management and prison policy; Experience working with justice-impacted students; Ability to work with correctional staff and in a correctional setting. *Supervisory experience: Supervision is exercising span and control over subordinate staff to include coaching, mentoring, daily monitoring, performance management (planning, reviewing and evaluating), resolving complaints/grievances at the informal level, responsibility for scheduling and leave approval, and providing input that could affect pay, status, or tenure. IMPORTANT INFORMATION The Assessment Process: Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum Qualifications (MQ's).

Applicants that meet MQ's will be included in the Comparative Analysis process. Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted through a comparative analysis which may include, but is not limited to, a suitability screening, Online Assessment, oral assessment, written performance assessment or it may include a review of your application material and your responses to any supplemental questions by a Subject Matter Expert (SME) to assess and rank applicants in order to establish an eligible list for referral to the hiring manager for final consideration. Be sure the "Work Experience" section of your application is complete and specifically addresses your qualifications, experience, and accomplishments as they relate to the Description of the Job, Minimum Qualifications, Required Competencies and Preferred Qualifications as listed above.

Resumes and "see resume" statements will not be accepted in lieu of the "Work Experience" section of the application. Failure to include adequate information or follow instructions by the closing date may result in your application not being accepted and/or may affect your score, rank or inclusion in the final pool of eligible applicants. Employees who are rehired or reinstated within six months of their separation will return at either their previous pay rate if hired into the same class level or based on their time in the class series, whichever is higher.

Those rehired or reinstated after six months' separation will be calculated using the same formula for new hires and promotions. Please note that while this change in role may constitute a change in title and/or responsibility, salary adjustments are not guaranteed and may be influenced by factors such as internal pay equity, budget constraints, market benchmarks, or the individual's current compensation level. Any changes to compensation will be determined separately and communicated accordingly.

If you have transcripts, a license or other relevant documentation regarding your qualifications, upload and attach copies to your application. If an unofficial copy of transcripts is being submitted at the time of application, transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be assessed for U.S. equivalency by a NACES educational credential evaluation service

This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and must be included as part of your application materials. Failure to provide a transcript or credential evaluation report may prevent your application from moving forward in the selection process. Under the Job Application Fairness Act (SB 23-058), applicants may redact information from certifications and transcripts that identify their age, date of birth or dates of attendance from an educational institution.

In order to process a background investigation, your application must include at least (10) ten years of the most current work experience unless experience related to the job for which you are applying is later than (10) years. Failure to provide this information could result in delays and/or elimination from the background investigation process. Toll Free Applicant Technical Support: If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g...


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