Juvenile Justice Detention Officer I - 80081022
About The Position
The Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) is seeking dedicated individuals to serve as Juvenile Justice Detention Officers. This role is crucial for enhancing public safety by ensuring a safe and secure environment for troubled youth in a structured setting. DJJ aims to foster accountability for criminal actions while promoting a culture of dignity and respect, ultimately shaping youth into productive citizens. As a detention officer, you will be among the first DJJ professionals to interact with juvenile offenders, making leadership, coaching, mentoring, and a genuine desire to work with youth essential qualities for this position.
Requirements
- Be at least 19 years of age.
- Be a high school graduate or its equivalent.
- Not have been convicted of any felony or a misdemeanor involving perjury or false statement, or have received a dishonorable discharge from the Armed Forces.
- Abide by all provisions of s. 985.644 (1), regarding fingerprinting and background investigations and other screening requirements for personnel.
- Execute and submit an affidavit-of-application form attesting to compliance with the above requirements.
- Knowledge of Department policies and procedures and procedures for the care, custody and control of youth.
- Knowledge of Facility Operating Procedures.
- Knowledge of Safety procedures and conducting strip searches.
- Knowledge of Good hygiene and housekeeping tasks relating to maintaining the sanitary conditions of the facility.
- Skills in Recognizing signs of potential suicide or depression and changes in youth’s behavior.
- Skills in Addressing issues of youth who are experiencing problems.
- Ability to Determine appropriate level of use of force.
- Ability to Provide constructive feedback to correct behavior and use of conflict management skills.
- Ability to Add, subtract, multiply and divide rational numbers.
- Ability to Communicate both orally and in writing.
- Ability to effectively work with youth, co-workers, supervisors and the public.
- Must be agreeable to working shift schedules, including rotating shifts, evenings, weekends, and holidays with varying days off.
- Must be able to work unplanned overtime or unscheduled double shifts when necessary.
- All prospective candidates will be subject to a sex offender check, criminal background checks (state, local, and national) and pre-employment drug screening for direct care positions.
- Must obtain certification in accordance with the Department direct care training policy within 180 days of employment.
- For candidates not currently in the state system as a direct-care worker for DJJ, the top-ranking candidate(s) after the interview phase will be required to take and pass an Ergometric’s IMPACT Assessment and Training Test.
Nice To Haves
- Leadership qualities.
- Coaching abilities.
- Mentoring skills.
- A desire to work with youth.
Responsibilities
- Ensure public safety by providing a safe and secure environment for troubled youth in a structured setting.
- Hold youth accountable for their criminal actions.
- Treat each youth as an individual by providing the right services at the right time.
- Provide leadership, coaching, and mentoring to youth.
- Prepare and maintain reports and records relating to the supervision of youth.
Benefits
- 104 hours of paid vacation annually
- 96 hours of paid sick leave annually, with unlimited accrual of unused hours
- 9 paid holidays
- 1 personal day each year
- 6 paid credit hours per term at Florida’s colleges and universities
- Eligible for participation in student loan debt forgiveness program
- Participation in one of the best group health insurance and dental plans
- One of the most secure pension/investment plans
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
