Juvenile Detention Specialist

Incumbent works under the direction of the Douglas County Youth Center (DCYC) Superintendent or designee, supervising Youth Center detainees while maintaining adherence to established policies and procedures.

Responsibilities :

• Monitor daily activities of detainees in assigned unit, reviewing information from previous shift.
• Establish and maintain effective work relationships with clients, supervisors, County employees, elected officials, attorneys, law enforcement, judges, other agencies, and the public.
• Comply with Civil Service policies and regulations, collective bargaining agreements, County policies, department policies, and laws to create a cooperative, safe, respectful, and quality work environment.
• Familiarize new detainees with rules, regulations, and operating procedures.
• Provide positive reinforcement for detainees when appropriate, and serve as a role model for appropriate behavior.
• Regularly inspect assigned unit and conduct personal inspections of detainees to ensure the safety of detainees and security of the facility (e.

g., contraband, hazards, damage, or potential security breaches).

• Maintain knowledge of policies and procedures, including regulatory and accreditation requirements, state statutes, and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA).
• Maintain "watch sheet" for designated detainees (e.g., suicide, medical conditions).
• Report any unusual behavior, conditions, or activities to Duty Supervisor.
• Respond immediately to emergencies, restraining or restricting the action of combative or disruptive detainees using only necessary force.
• Document unusual activity or incidents, passing relevant information to oncoming shift.
• Coordinate and monitor individual and group activities and appointments.
• Keep track of detainee location and escort detainees to group activities outside of the unit.
• Monitor detainee medication intake as prescribed by the medical department.
• Respond to medical emergencies, consult with supervisor, alert medical staff to detainees' request or need for medical attention and take appropriate action.
• Communicate and establish rapport and trust with detainees to facilitate meaningful interactions, problem solving, and exchange of ideas.
• Provide input to supervisors on disciplinary matters and take action as directed.
• Maintain sanitation standards and ensure cleanliness in facility (e.g., prepare soiled items for laundry service, restock clean laundry and supplies, distribute personal hygiene items to detainees), taking action to correct any deficiencies.
• Prepare list of supplies needed for assigned unit.
• Prepare reports and attend meetings and training.
• Serve as acting shift supervisor as assigned.
• Safely operate a motor vehicle when required to travel on County business.
• Report to work with regular, consistent attendance.
• Perform other duties as assigned and directed.

Minimum Requirements :

• Associate’s degree from an accredited college or university in Criminal Justice, Behavioral Sciences, Sociology, or Psychology required.
• One (1) year work experience with adolescent youth required.
• Twenty-one (21) years of age or older required.
• Juvenile corrections experience preferred.
• Valid driver’s license and own transportation upon hire and maintained throughout employment required.
• Random drug testing required.
• Completion of a pre-employment criminal record check and conditional offer drug screen required.
• Equivalent combination of experience / education may be substituted for requirements on a year-for-year basis.

Work Environment :

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work is generally performed inside a correctional setting during an assigned shift supporting a 24 / 7 operation. Noise level is usually moderate to loud.

Work hours may vary (e.g., weekends, holidays, and overtime / extra hours, emergency call-in). Work may involve exposure to biohazards.

Work may be stressful when interacting with offender populations dealing with family members, or critical situations.

Work requires some physical activity including extended periods of standing and walking, frequent climbing, and occasional sitting, running, balancing, kneeling, bending, and reaching.

Work also requires the ability to frequently lift / carry / push / pull / grip objects weighing up to 20 pounds and occasionally up to 200 pounds.

Required sensory abilities include vision, hearing, and touch. Visual abilities, correctable to normal ranges, include close, distance, color and peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Communication abilities include the ability to talk and hear within normal ranges. Incumbents must possess the hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate computers and other equipment.

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