CHILLICOTHE, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Corrections wants to hire a lot of people to work in Chillicothe.

The department will host a career fair from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the Chillicothe High School.

“We need cooks, caseworkers, maintenance people and correctional officers,” said Brian Hauswirth, a spokesman for the department. “With a new $120 million women’s prison to be staffed, just about anyone with a skill may be able to fine employment.”

Corrections already hired 25 correctional officers and would like to hire another 150 for the new prison. Correctional officers also are needed in three other Northwest Missouri state prisons. The two state prisons in Cameron need a total of 60 correctional officers, with the facility in St. Joseph in need of four officers, Mr. Hauswirth said.

Correctional officers receive a starting salary of about $26,000 and the state provides a 3 percent raise in the new fiscal year that starts July 1. Individuals applying for correctional officer positions will need about three hours to interview, fill out forms, take a video test and participate in a basic agility test. They should bring a change of clothes and tennis shoes, Mr. Hauswirth said.

The prison in Chillicothe is about 85 percent complete, and construction workers have installed the perimeter fencing, he said. Corrections officials arranged for current employees to tour the new prison where they will work and it really improved employee morale, Mr. Hauswirth said.

The old prison in Chillicothe was built in 1887. That prison has been plagued with breaking equipment and other problems that included a collapsing sewer line, Mr. Hauswirth said.

Substantial completion of the new prison should happen before Sept. 1, he said. And then the department can start installing computers, furniture and other items, Mr. Hauswirth said.

The prison expects to open sometime late in 2008, but has announced no specific date.

Marshall White can be reached at marshall@npgco.com.