JUVENILE JUSTICE DETENTION OFFICER I - 80004289

State of Florida • Gainesville, FL

1d • Onsite

About The Position

At DJJ our focus is to enhance public safety through high-quality effective services for youth and families delivered by world-class professionals dedicated to building a stronger, safer Florida. Working as a juvenile justice detention officer is one of the most rewarding and challenging career opportunities in the State of Florida. As an officer, your primary responsibility is to ensure public safety by providing a safe and secure environment for troubled youth in a structured setting. At DJJ, we expect youth to be accountable for their criminal actions while striving to sustain a culture that promotes dignity and respect. Our goal is to treat each youth in our care as an individual by providing the right services, at the right time, in order to shape youth to become productive citizens in society. As a detention officer, you are most often the first DJJ employee to interact with juvenile offenders. Therefore, leadership, coaching, mentoring, and a desire to work with youth are qualities that are essential.

Requirements

• Be at least 19 years of age.
• Be a high school graduate or its equivalent as determined by the department.
• Not have been convicted of any felony or a misdemeanor involving perjury or false statement, or have received a dishonorable discharge from any of the Armed Forces of the United States.
• Abide by all provisions of s. 985.644 (1), regarding fingerprinting and background investigations and other screening requirements for personnel.
• Execute and submit to the Department an affidavit-of-application form, adopted by the Department, attesting to his or her compliance with subparagraphs 1-4.
• 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 prepare and maintain reports and records relating to the supervision of youth.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide rational numbers.
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing and to effectively work with youth, co-workers, supervisors and the public.
• ALL EMPLOYMENT GAPS MUST BE EXPLAINED AND INCLUDED WITH WORK HISTORY WHEN APPLYING.
• Staff members must be agreeable to working shift schedules, including rotating shifts, evenings, weekends, and holidays with varying days off.
• 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.
• Successful candidate must be certified in accordance with the Department direct care training policy, and must obtain such certification within 180 days of employment.
• For those candidates, not currently in the state system as a direct-care worker for DJJ at the time of application, the top-ranking candidate(s) after the interview phase will be required to take and pass an Ergometric’s IMPACT Assessment and Training Test in order to be considered for the direct-care employment opportunity.
• When identified on a position description, a valid driver’s license is required. If initially hired with an out-of-state license, the Florida resident must obtain a valid Florida state driver’s license within 30 days of hire. Licenses suspended or revoked for any reason, work permits (Business purpose/Employment/education only licenses) and some types of restricted licenses are not acceptable. Licenses that have Corrective Lenses Restriction are acceptable, provided the driver wears corrective lenses while operating the vehicle.
• Positions that include the transportation of youth while performing any work or work-related functions on behalf of DJJ, require: (1) a valid driver’s license and (2) three-years acceptable driving record as defined in FDJJ Policy 1920.

Responsibilities

• Ensure public safety by providing a safe and secure environment for troubled youth in a structured setting.
• Interact with juvenile offenders as the first DJJ employee.
• Determine appropriate level of use of force.
• Provide constructive feedback to correct behavior and use of conflict management skills.
• Prepare and maintain reports and records relating to the supervision of youth.
• Communicate both orally and in writing and to effectively work with youth, co-workers, supervisors and the public.

Benefits

• 104 hours of paid vacation annually
• 96 hours of paid sick leave annually, with unlimited accrual of unused hours
• 9 paid holidays, and 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 - affordable payments and possible balance elimination
• Participation in one of the best group health insurance and dental plans offered by any employer
• One of the most secure pension/investment plans available

What This Job Offers

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