Correctional Officer

City of Mansfield JobBoard•Mansfield, TX

47d•Onsite

About The Position

Under direct supervision and on an assigned shift, responsible for enforcing rules and regulations, preventing escapes, maintaining order and discipline among inmates, and for escorting inmates to and from their cells. The physical activity of this position involves ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms, with emphasis on body agility. It requires maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling and walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The role involves bending the body downward and forward by bending the spine at the waist, bending legs at the knee to come to a rest on knee or knees, and bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine. Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet, extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction for sustained periods, and moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another are also key physical aspects. The position requires using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward, and to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion. Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position, which requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles, is also part of the role. Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling, and applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm are essential. Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips, is required. The role also involves expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word, requiring the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly. Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and receiving detailed information through oral communication, and making discriminations in sound are also necessary. The physical requirements include heavy work, exerting up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects. The visual acuity requirements include close visual acuity to perform activities such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, and/or operation of machines (including inspection); using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication parts at distances close to the eyes. The worker is subject to environmental conditions, including protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes. Activities occur inside and outside. The worker is subject to hazards, including proximity to moving mechanical parts, moving vehicles, electrical current, working on scaffolding and high places, exposure to high heat or exposure to chemicals. The worker is frequently in close quarters, crawl spaces, shafts, man holes, small enclosed rooms, small sewage and line pipes, and other areas that could cause claustrophobia. The worker is required to function in narrow aisles or passageways. The City of Mansfield complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and it is their policy to ensure that no person is discriminated against based on their disability. The City of Mansfield offers equal employment opportunity to qualified individuals and strictly prohibits the discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability. The City of Mansfield shall provide reasonable accommodates to applicants and employees who are otherwise qualified to perform the essential job duties when doing so does not create an undue hardship for the city. The City of Mansfield is an Equal Opportunity Employer who is committed to hiring and retaining highly qualified persons and a diverse workforce. The City of Mansfield is mandated by federal law to provide a drug-free working environment for the safety of its employees and the public. All employment is contingent upon passing a post offer pre-employment drug test and/or physical. It is the policy of the city not to discriminate against any person in recruitment, examination, appointment, training, promotion, discipline or any other aspect of personnel administration because of religious opinions or affiliations, membership or non-membership in employee organizations, or because of race, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, age, gender, veteran, disability or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local laws.

Requirements

Must be at least 20 years of age
High school diploma or equivalent required
Knowledge of federal, state, and county laws as they relate to inmates, correctional department structure and function
Knowledge of department-written directives, rules and regulations, prisoner control and techniques of prisoner control and precautionary measures used in escorting and supervising prisoners work details
Ability to supervise and maintain physical control of inmates
Ability to write intelligible, complete, and concise reports
Ability to deal with situations requiring tact, diplomacy, understanding, fairness, firmness, and good judgment
Remain alert at all times and react quickly and calmly in emergency situations
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with inmates and associates
Ability to operate two-way radio, camera, and other electronic devices
Failure to submit the required personal history statement or any required documentation within the required timeframe (within 3 days of the initial review and/or 3 days within the 2nd review)
Willful misrepresentation or falsification of personal history
Presently under indictment or charges for any criminal offense other than a Class C traffic violation
Presently on court-ordered community supervision or probation for any offense, Class B misdemeanor or above
Failure to disclose any court-ordered community supervision or probation for any criminal offense
Convicted of a Class B misdemeanor within the past ten years
Conviction for a family violence offense, Class C or above
Conviction at any time for a Class A Misdemeanor or Felony offense
Is currently prohibited by state or federal law from operating a motor vehicle (if applicable)
Applicants are prohibited from having more than five convictions for moving violations or two at-fault motor vehicle accidents in the past three years (if applicable)
Multiple convictions (two or more) for failure to maintain financial responsibility within the past three years (if applicable)
Prohibited by state or federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition
Failure to disclose any use of an illegal drug
Any Distribution, Sale, or Manufacture after the age of 17 of a controlled substance, marijuana, or dangerous drugs as defined by the Texas Health and Safety Code
Dishonorable discharge from the military service
Deceptive polygraph results
Unfavorable background investigation
Unfavorable psychological exam
Unfavorable medical/drug screening results
Indicators of serious, repeated employment instability
Financial history indicating lack of judgment, dependability, or trustworthiness
Pending litigation, either criminal or civil, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis
Illegal drug use or the use of prescription medication without a prescription in the last ten years will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may result in disqualification
History of any drug use that amounts to more than experimentation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis
Tattoo Restrictions/Prohibitions: The following tattoos, body art, and brands are prejudicial to good order and are prohibited for all employees, regardless of visibility: Extremist, Indecent, Sexist, Racist
Officers are prohibited from having tattoos on any part of the visible neck area, face, head, eyelids, mouth, and ears, with the following exceptions: Permanent facial make-up for female employees on the eyebrows, eyeliner, and lips that is conservative
Body piercing of the face, head, neck, nose, mouth, and hands is prohibited for employees.
For all employees, alteration to any area of the body visible in any authorized uniform or civilian attire (while at work) that is distracting, inconsistent with a professional appearance or noticeably distorts normal anatomical features and that is not medically required, nor a reasonable elective cosmetic surgery performed by a licensed physician, is prohibited.
Gauging or gradually increasing the radius of an induced opening in the flesh in areas such as the earlobes, lips, cheeks, etc.
No holes larger than allowed to fit a stud style earring in an allowed area.

Nice To Haves

College degree in related field
Previous experience in corrections field

Responsibilities

Control inmates from stations or by patrolling in yards, grounds, cell houses, corridors, and work areas
Escort individuals or groups of inmates to work or other activities
Keep continued count of inmates assigned
Inspect cells, grounds, work locations, and other facilities for unauthorized objects or materials
Check on sanitary conditions, fire and safety hazards
Enforce rules of conduct, security, and labor standards by making verbal or written reports of significant violations as irregularities to supervisors
Assists in averting riots and escapes undertaken by prisoners
May assist in the supervision of inmates on transfer to other correctional facilities or on appearances in court
Accompany prisoners being transferred for psychiatric diagnosis or to treatment clinics
Attend sanity hearings in courtroom or hospital
Distribute cleaning and sanitation supplies; deliver commissary orders, medicines, and mail; pick up and deliver personal laundry and bedding for inmates
Operate electric jail doors; advise public on matters such as visiting hours or nature of articles that can be brought in for inmates, issue passes to attorneys, bondsmen, and relatives of inmates upon display of proper credentials; control admission of employees entering and exiting the jail
Perform other duties as may be required