Sergeant - Prison

Effingham County Board of Commissioners • Springfield, GA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Provides first-line supervision of assigned correctional officers and directs inmate custody, security, counts, searches, intake, release, transport, facility services, work details, emergency response, and required records inside and outside the prison. The workbook nonexempt treatment is consistent with the position's substantial frontline correctional duties.

Requirements

• Knowledge of correctional first-line supervision, custody, counts, rounds, searches, intake, release, transport, work details, discipline, emergency response, medication controls, and applicable GDC and County procedures.
• Skill in shift coordination, de-escalation, report review, inmate movement, incident response, staff coaching, evidence preservation, and professional communication.
• Ability to make time-critical custody decisions, request backup and medical aid, use only authorized force, maintain impartial disciplinary processes, and document actions.
• Ability to distinguish staff recommendations from final HR, medical, legal, disciplinary, classification, or release decisions.
• Ability to protect inmate medical, personnel, force, disciplinary, and security records through access controls, audit trails, retention, and approved disclosure.
• High school diploma or GED.
• EIGHTEEN (18) MONTHS OF SATISFACTORY EXPERIENCE AS A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER II OR EQUIVALENT CERTIFIED CORRECTIONAL-OFFICER EXPERIENCE.
• Georgia POST certification appropriate to assigned correctional duties
• Firearms or Weapons certification
• Valid driver's license and County driving eligibility
• First aid/CPR, restraint, defensive-tactics, medication oversight, drug-testing, fire inspection, and supervisory training

Nice To Haves

• Advanced training in corrections, criminal justice, supervision, emergency response, de-escalation, or a related field.
• Experience leading correctional posts or shifts, training officers, reviewing reports, transporting inmates, and responding to critical incidents.

Responsibilities

• Conducts shift or post briefing, assigns duties, verifies staffing and qualifications, reviews schedules and leave requests within delegated authority, observes performance, provides coaching, and documents or recommends corrective action.
• Supervises inmate activity, counts, rounds, movement, meals, recreation, visitation, telephone use, mail, cleaning, maintenance, and work details under post orders and security procedures.
• Directs or performs lawful searches of inmates, property, mail, packages, vehicles, and secure areas within training, privacy, evidence, contraband, and reporting requirements.
• Receives, identifies, photographs, inventories, houses, escorts, transports, transfers, and releases inmates using independent verification, custody records, restraints, vehicle inspections, route controls, and chain-of-control procedures.
• Conducts security and fire inspections; checks locks, fences, alarms, tools, equipment, grounds, and supplies and immediately reports or corrects deficiencies within authority.
• Responds to disturbances, escapes, medical complaints, self-harm, fires, force incidents, and other emergencies; requests backup and uses only trained, necessary, proportionate, and authorized intervention.
• Ensures medication and first-aid activities are performed only by trained and authorized personnel under medical direction, verification, documentation, refusal, error, storage, and escalation procedures.
• Assists with inmate drug or alcohol testing only under written procedures governing authority, privacy, chain of custody, test controls, documentation, confirmatory testing, and review.
• Participates on disciplinary committees only when designated and impartial; compiles facts and recommendations without prejudging charges or bypassing required notice, hearing, documentation, and review.
• Completes and reviews counts, logs, incident and force reports, intake and release documents, transport records, medical referrals, searches, inventories, and other required records for accuracy, authorship, corrections, retention, and security.
• Maintains assigned equipment and reports security, sanitation, vehicle, technology, staffing, or facility deficiencies.
• Performs related correctional supervisory duties consistent with certification, staffing, post orders, and lawful authority.

Benefits

• All working time, including briefing, equipment issue, searches, required reports, training, holdover, and call-back, must be recorded and compensated.
• Overtime requires approval but must be reported and paid if worked.

What This Job Offers

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