About The Position

Supervises juveniles and provides security within the County’s detention facilities. This role involves maintaining group control during various activities, preventing escapes and violence, conducting regular checks on residents, processing new juveniles, and making decisions regarding detention or release based on statutes and department procedures after appropriate training. The officer also observes residents to analyze their needs, assists them in developing positive attitudes through counseling, manages crisis situations calmly, administers disciplinary actions fairly, and reports unusual behavior. Responsibilities include maintaining resident records, participating in shift meetings, performing room and personal searches for contraband, logging visitors, communicating with parents, evaluating facility procedures, organizing activities, and ensuring the facility is clean and well-maintained. Housekeeping duties, meal service, and other assigned tasks are also part of the role.

Requirements

  • Must be age 21 or older.
  • Must have a high school diploma or GED certificate.
  • Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
  • Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
  • Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
  • Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
  • Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
  • Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as proportions and percentages.
  • Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
  • Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
  • Knowledge of department policy, rules, and regulations.
  • Working knowledge of Family Code and juvenile justice system.
  • Ability to handle difficult situations among persons of widely divergent backgrounds.
  • Ability to communicate effectively with young people.
  • Emotional suitability for working with youth.
  • Knowledge of security procedures and techniques.
  • Ability to think and react quickly and carefully.
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, various law enforcement officials, attorneys, juveniles and their parents and the general public.
  • Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
  • Good physical condition.
  • Must have a valid Texas Driver License or current ID.

Nice To Haves

  • Experience working with youths in a residential setting, recreation program, volunteer capacity and/or schools.
  • Bachelor’s degrees in fields relevant to this position, such as psychology, sociology, education, and criminal justice.

Responsibilities

  • Supervises and maintains group control during all activities of detained juveniles, such as cleaning, attending classes, studying, doing homework, playing games, serving or eating meals, resting, watching television, participating in outdoor and indoor recreation and others.
  • Responsible for preventing escapes, suicide attempts and violent, aggressive behavior on the part of the detained juveniles.
  • Conducts regular visual checks on residents at all times they are in their rooms, documenting each check.
  • Receives new juveniles and processes them according to departmental rules and regulations, including searching them, logging and storing their belongings, issuing linens/clothing, conducting orientation, explaining policies, and preparing paperwork.
  • Screens referred juveniles and makes decisions regarding their detention or release based on statute and department procedure, after receiving appropriate training and authorization.
  • Observes residents to analyze their needs and address them on an individual and/or group basis.
  • Assists residents to develop a healthy and positive attitude about self through individual and group counseling and discussion.
  • Remains alert and aware of group dynamics and confronts crisis situations in a calm and professional manner, demonstrating skill in crisis counseling.
  • Administers disciplinary action in a fair and consistent manner, honoring and enforcing disciplinary consequences issued by previous shift(s).
  • Reports and unusual behavior of juveniles to appropriate Lead Detention Counselor, taking appropriate measures and documenting such actions.
  • Initiates and maintains current records/files on residents, making precise and well written notes and reports that contain all pertinent information.
  • Participates in group meetings at the beginning of morning and evening shifts where staff orient residents as to behavioral expectations and schedule for the shift.
  • Reports to Detention Counselor(s) of next shift any unusual occurrences during shift.
  • Performs room searches to control contraband, facility defacing and maintenance needs, taking appropriate action and documenting as needed.
  • Performs frisk and strip searches when necessary to control contraband.
  • Receives, screens and logs all incoming and outgoing telephone calls in the absence of the Receptionist; transfers incoming calls and takes messages as needed.
  • Logs any person entering or leaving the facility and oversees visitors who come to see detained juveniles.
  • Provides parents with appropriate information regarding residents' behavior and circumstances.
  • Analyzes and evaluates present facility procedures and submits ideas for improvements.
  • Shows initiative in organizing and implementing new activities for residents' enjoyment.
  • Ensures that the detention facility is maintained in a neat and clean manner by organizing residents in regular cleanup activities.
  • Performs housekeeping duties as needed, including upkeep of staff and public areas and immediate outside perimeter, and washing clothes (resident's and facility's) and linens.
  • Transports meals to facility and serves meals and snacks, following acceptable food handling practices.
  • Performs duties specific to shift, as determined by Superintendent or designee.
  • Performs any other such duties as may be assigned.

Benefits

  • Base Pay: $20.87 Hourly
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