Detention Officer

Corrections Officer

The purpose of this position is to provide care, custody, and control of inmates, ensuring the safety and security of inmates, other officers, the facility, and the public. This position monitors inmates' behavior and the facility to ensure safety, taking steps to avoid violence and violation of rules. The role provides for inmates' physical care, supplying food and materials as well as transport to health appointments. Other duties involve processing bookings, releases, reclassifications and maintaining detainees' property and paperwork; and ensuring detention facilities are kept sanitary and in good working order.

Essential duties and responsibilities include observing inmates for rule violations and behavioral changes; maintaining appropriate use-of-force continuum as needed for self-defense or defense of another; scheduling, supervising, and controlling inmate activities and maintaining discipline; diffusing potentially violent situations; physically restraining uncooperative or disruptive inmates and taking steps to avert fights, assaults, riots and escapes; supervising safety and security of staff, inmates, visitors and detention facilities; performing constant inspections of all detention facility areas; providing care for inmates; conducting booking of inmates; and updating and maintaining a variety of files, records, event logs, charts, and other documents.

Minimum education required is a high school diploma or GED. Six (6) months relevant experience is required. Within one year of hire, must complete the Detention Officer Basic Course presented by the Arizona Detention Academy. Must pass semi-annual firearms course with assigned duty firearms, must maintain certification in CPR and other duty specific equipment and weapons. Must possess and maintain a valid Driver's License.

Knowledge required includes first aid, CPR, or lifeguard procedures, training, public safety and security, transportation, law enforcement, emergency management procedures. Skills required include effective negotiation, persuasion; analyzing complex detention issues and developing solutions; interpreting laws and regulations; effectively dealing with situations requiring diplomacy, understanding, fairness, firmness and sound judgment; writing and completing accurate reports and observations; interacting with people of different social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds. Abilities required include the ability to communicate verbally and in writing; ability to make independent judgment and initiative to carry out the workload; ability to multi-task, maintain mental response and quickness, and maintain calm demeanor in stressful situations. Ability to assign, supervise and evaluate the work of others; communicate with inmates, mediate difficult situations, and use effective custody and control procedures; escort prisoners to and from outside jail facilities, to and from court and other appointments; operate a personal computer and specialized software applications; care, maintain and safely operate a variety of weapons, impact weapons, handcuffs and waist chains, special locks and keys, and chemical agents; remain alert at all times and react quickly and calmly in emergency situations.

Incumbents in this position perform work in a jail environment and in correctional facilities; work involves intense concentration on activities going on around one's location on a constant basis throughout the entire work shift. Work occasionally involves personal danger, and potential exposure to hazardous, uncontrollable and life threatening situations; requires physical ability to subdue hostile individuals; and must be able to work in uniform during weekdays, weekends, and holidays on any assigned shift.