Chief of Security

Full-time, regular position within the Department of Corrections.

About the Role

Positions in this job family are responsible for the overall administration of a correctional security program at a state adult correctional facility or institution.

Responsibilities

• Plans, directs, and administers the overall security operations of a correctional facility or institution; supervises and directs the work of subordinate staff.
• Issues directives, periodic memoranda, and other information to subordinate personnel; conducts frequent inspections of all units to evaluate efficiency and operations.
• Holds regular staff meetings to review security operations, explain policies and procedures, or discuss security matters.
• Maintains cooperative working relationships with other law enforcement agencies; ensures compliance by contractual agencies with departmental rules and regulations.
• Serves as a member of the institution management staff and participates in the formulation of institutional policies and procedures; serves as a duty officer on a rotating basis with responsibilities for the management of the institution.
• Conducts interviews with inmates regarding work assignments, personnel problems, and other issues; counsels staff members on corrective discipline procedures.
• Establishes policies and procedures and directs shakedowns in search of contraband and other materials; directs riot control activities, correctional emergency response operations, and manhunts for escapees.
• Acts in the capacity of warden or deputy warden in their absence; may be in charge of the facility after normal business hours.

Requirements

• Knowledge of modern practices of prison management and the treatment of inmates.
• Knowledge of riot control techniques, administrative principles and practices, staffing patterns, and scheduling and distribution of staff and work assignments.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of security procedures, supervisory and management techniques, and the attitudes and general behavior of persons under restraint.
• Knowledge of the use and care of firearms.
• Ability to plan and direct a complex security program for a facility; to direct and review the work of subordinate personnel.
• Ability to gather facts and present meaningful reports; to analyze situations and adopt an effective course of action.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships; to communicate agency procedures and decisions in a clear and concise manner.

Qualifications

Education and experience requirements consist of the following:

• Minimum age of 20 years.
• Possession of thirty (30) semester hours from an accredited college or university; or
• Possession of a high school diploma or GED equivalent and graduation from a training course conducted or approved by the Department and certified by the Council on Law Enforcement Education, plus six years of experience in correctional or security work for a government agency or private corrections agency, including three years in a supervisory capacity in a correctional institution; or
• An equivalent combination of education and experience, substituting the successful completion of thirty semester hours from an accredited college or university (including six semester hours in any combination of penology, psychology, sociology, social work, law, corrections, counseling, criminology, family relations, guidance, or criminal justice) for each year of the required non-supervisory experience, with a maximum substitution of two years.

Special Requirements

• Must be of good moral character.
• Must complete an adequate training program for correctional officers and guards, as prescribed and approved by the State Board of Corrections, before going on duty alone.
• Must complete a physical examination annually, in keeping with the conditions of the job description and guidelines established by the Department of Corrections.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license at the time of appointment to perform necessary travel.
• Must meet the training and screening requirements conducted by the Department and certified by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training within twelve (12) months of employment.
• Must pass a drug test.
• No person convicted of a nonviolent felony or crime involving moral turpitude (without a full pardon), or any other felony offense, is eligible for employment.
• No person who has received a verdict of guilty, pled guilty, or nolo contendere to any offense requiring registration under the Sex Offender Registration Act is eligible for employment.
• No person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence (without pardon, expungement, or set-aside), subject to a restraining order involving harassment or threats, or dishonorably discharged from the armed services is eligible for employment.

Pay

$69,035.20 annually.