CDOC Correctional Officer I - Pueblo (SCCF & LVCF)

State of Colorado • Pueblo, CO

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Correctional Officer I maintains safety and security at Colorado Department of Corrections prison facilities and supports the department’s mission of preparing inmates for community reentry. Officers communicate professionally and respectfully with inmates, their families, coworkers, supervisors, managers, and the public; cooperate as a team; and manage a diverse inmate population. The positions in this announcement are assigned to La Vista Correctional Facility or San Carlos Correctional Facility in Pueblo, Colorado.

Duties include working directly with inmates in a locked facility; controlling facility access and inmate movement; staffing armed posts; monitoring facility perimeters and visiting areas; escorting and transporting inmates in authorized state vehicles; conducting counts, searches, and inspections; operating doors, alarms, security devices, and communications equipment; maintaining movement logs and tool and key controls; responding to emergencies; documenting incidents; and communicating pertinent information to coworkers and supervisors.

Facilities operate 24/7. Officers may be required to work additional hours and shifts, including rotating day, afternoon, and overnight schedules. The job involves a six-week Basic Training program, physical defensive-tactics training, exposure to Oleoresin Capsicum (pepper spray), and work in a correctional setting that may involve stressful or potentially violent situations, fluctuating noise and temperatures, and outdoor work in inclement weather.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• At least 18 years of age.
• Valid driver’s license; state drivers must maintain a valid, non-restricted Colorado driver’s license and meet driving-record criteria.
• No felony convictions as specified in the posting; applicants must also meet the stated disqualifying criteria related to sexual abuse or sexual misconduct involving incarcerated persons or victims.
• Valid U.S. work authorization at the time of application; the department cannot provide H-1B sponsorship.
• Successfully pass all modules of the six-week CDOC Basic Training, including English reading comprehension, competency assessments, and written and practical defensive-tactics exams.
• Ability to read and comprehend English and communicate fluently in English verbally and in writing.
• Ability to observe and hear, monitor inmate whereabouts, maintain accurate counts, and communicate relevant information.
• Sound judgment, reasoning, decision-making, self-control, integrity, accountability, dependability, and a strong work ethic.
• Ability to work effectively under stress and remain alert, emotionally stable, observant, and mentally resilient in potentially violent or high-stakes situations.
• Interpersonal and customer-service skills, attention to detail, and ability to cooperate with coworkers and promote teamwork.
• Knowledge of criminal justice systems and applicable inmate-treatment requirements, including state statutes, ADA, PREA, and department regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines.
• Intermediate computer keyboarding skills and ability to communicate using computer-based email.
• Ability to study information and produce comprehensive, legible written accounts of events.
• Ability and willingness to direct, instruct, monitor, and communicate respectfully with inmates, inmate families, the public, and people from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to conduct searches and detect object characteristics such as size, shape, and texture; ability to manipulate security equipment.
• Ability to safely operate and monitor mechanical doors and facility ingress and egress.
• Ability and willingness to learn and use firearms, restraints, security devices, and communications equipment professionally and safely.
• Ability to use and be exposed to chemical agents such as pepper spray.
• Ability to seize, hold, grasp, and turn objects; control or subdue violent or assaultive persons; use physical force when needed; and defend oneself or others to prevent injury.
• Physical ability to complete defensive-tactics activities, including lifting arms overhead, kicking to waist height, stabilizing another person during a controlled takedown, delivering blows, withstanding impact, using a baton, rotating to perform defensive actions, and repeatedly getting down on and up from the knees.
• Ability to climb stairs and walk on hard surfaces throughout a shift; demonstrate agility and strength in all four limbs.
• Willingness and ability to work outdoors in inclement weather and in environments with fluctuating noise and temperatures, including concrete-floor and concrete-wall settings.
• Willingness to follow the chain of command and established safety and security protocols, adhere to the CDOC Drug Deterrence Program, and respond quickly to emergencies.
• Willingness and ability to work various shifts, including rotating days, afternoons, and overnight shifts, and to travel.
• Pass a medical screening confirming ability to perform the essential functions of the position.
• Complete required tuberculosis screening upon hire.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual.
• Experience mentoring others and/or volunteer work.

Responsibilities

• Maintain the safety and security of the public, staff, and inmates.
• Work directly with inmates in a locked facility and control their movement throughout the daily schedule.
• Monitor and control access to the facility and restricted areas; staff armed posts and monitor the facility perimeter.
• Escort and transport inmates in authorized state vehicles and monitor visiting areas.
• Conduct formal, informal, and emergency counts; cross-check and maintain movement logs.
• Search for contraband, including conducting canine, metal detector, pat, perimeter, strip, and vehicle searches.
• Inspect facilities, cells, inmate mail, and inmate property to uphold safety, health, and sanitation standards.
• Operate mechanical doors, security devices, equipment, alarms, firearms, restraints, and communications equipment as required.
• Maintain proper tool and key control, storage, and documentation.
• Respond to emergencies such as fights, medical emergencies, fires, and escapes using established protocols.
• Document incidents using established reporting practices and communicate pertinent information to coworkers and supervisors.
• Attend roll call and cooperate with staff as part of a cohesive team.
• Respectfully communicate with inmates, their families, coworkers, supervisors, managers, and the public.
• Apply correctional methods to help prepare inmates for community reentry.
• Work additional hours and shifts as needed to maintain facility safety and security.

Benefits

• Career advancement opportunities throughout the state system.
• PERA defined benefit or defined contribution retirement plans, plus 401(k) and 457 plans; correctional officers 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED