A career that changes lives, including your own<\/p>\n
Published 6:00 pm Sunday, April 12, 2026<\/p>\n
Matt Hawes found more than a job at BC Corrections \u2013 he found a calling rooted in compassion, connection and change<\/p>\n
In 2000, Matt Hawes attended a BC Corrections<\/a> info session to collect information for his brother. While his brother ended up choosing a different path, Hawes discovered something unexpected for himself there 2\u2013 a meaningful career that\u2019s now spanned 25 years.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d always enjoyed working with people and helping my community,\u201d says Hawes, now the Provincial Recruitment Officer with BC Corrections\u2019 Adult Custody Division. \u201cThat\u2019s really the foundation of what we do \u2013 supporting people in becoming contributing members of society again.\u201d<\/p>\n Hawes notes that the role of a correctional officer is often misunderstood.<\/p>\n \u201cCorrections work is about public safety and sometimes that includes being involved in high-stress situations. Our work happens inside the facility \u2013 building trust, developing strong working relationships, and supporting individuals in their personal growth. We see them every day and get to know them in a way others rarely do,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n The path to becoming a correctional officer starts with an application process, which includes written and physical assessments such as the Correctional Officer Physical Abilities Test (COPAT). The process, Hawes says, is designed to prepare candidates before they even begin training.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBy the time recruits enter our paid 33-day paid training program, they\u2019ve already demonstrated commitment and resilience,\u201d he says. \u201cThat training gives them the tools they need to start strong \u2013 and we continue building from there.\u201d <\/p>\n Upon successful completion of training, candidates are offered a full-time position. New officers begin with a six-month probationary period that includes mentorship and job-based coaching. Ongoing professional development is supported through a variety of learning and training opportunities, providing significant potential for both personal and professional growth, and for advancement within a fulfilling and dynamic career.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a typical 9-to-5,\u201d Hawes says. \u201cIt\u2019s dynamic, challenging and pushes you to grow in ways you never expected.\u201d<\/p>\n Over his 25 years with BC Corrections, many moments stand out but he recalls one in particular that shows the impact dedicated officers can have. While leading a woodworking program, Hawes mentored a young man awaiting sentencing. The man was later transferred to a federal facility.<\/p>\n \u201cHe wrote to me from federal custody,\u201d Hawes recalls. \u201cHe said I was like the father he never had. He thanked me for the impact I\u2019d made while he was under my supervision. It\u2019s a powerful reminder that success in our field isn\u2019t always about big, dramatic changes \u2013 sometimes it\u2019s one step forward that\u2019s never happened before. <\/p>\n \u201cFor many in our custody, this is the only support, structure and consistency they\u2019ve ever known. In some ways, it\u2019s easier for them to be here than out in the world. Our job is to help shift that mindset and give them the tools to succeed beyond our walls,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n Hawes believes that strong communication skills, fairness, integrity, empathy and authenticity are essential qualities in a correctional officer.<\/p>\n \u201cOur clients know when you\u2019re being genuine. They need people who are consistent, firm and real \u2013 that\u2019s where trust begins.\u201d<\/p>\n For those looking for a career with purpose, growth and the chance to make a lasting difference in the lives of others, BC Corrections offers more than a job \u2013 it offers a path forward.<\/p>\n Start your application today at<\/a> BC Corrections Careers<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A career that changes lives, including your own Published 6:00 pm Sunday, April 12, 2026 Matt Hawes found…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":600605,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194299],"tags":[49,48,87674],"class_list":["post-600604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-surrey","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-surrey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=600604"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/600604\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/600605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=600604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=600604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=600604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}