Correctional Officer, Juvenile

As a Juvenile Correctional Officer, you are responsible for the health, welfare, and programming of pre-adjudicated youth in a secure detention setting. The Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) is a Minnesota Department of Corrections licensed facility for youth ages 10 to 18+. Residents are not sentenced but are pending disposition of their court cases.

About the role

These positions are located at the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center at 510 Park Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415. Candidates must be available to work various full-time/part-time shifts, which include days, evenings, overnights, holidays, and weekend hours. Work hours for part-time positions will be up to 20 hours/week.

A shift differential of $1.10 per hour will be paid for nights when working 5 hours after 3 p.m. and an additional $2.00 per hour for weekends (Saturday and Sunday). Facility meals are provided, and a uniform allowance is given for qualifying positions.

These are full-time, part-time (benefit or non-benefit earning) positions internally classified as a Correctional Officer, Juvenile.

Responsibilities

• Directly supervise the daily activities of a diverse population of youth including school attendance, gym/recreation, programs and activities, visitation/phone calls, daily hygiene and cleanliness, and monitoring sleep hours.
• Serve as a mentor for residents by establishing healthy relationships, modeling respectful interactions, and helping youth to engage in prosocial behavior and decision-making.
• Foster a respectful group environment/dynamic among youth. Implement case plans related to identified therapeutic goals and behavioral plans.
• Set and maintain limits for youth related to the rules and expectations of the facility.
• Be responsive to the issues affecting this population including, trauma histories, cognitive and developmental delay, chemical dependency, and mental health.
• Ensure the safety and well-being of residents and staff by using motivational interviewing and verbal de-escalation techniques.
• Respond to emergency calls in the building and employ the appropriate use of restrictive procedures, when needed, to manage dysregulated youth.
• Accurately document resident activities and behaviors in log notes and critical incident reports.
• Uphold the safety and security policies of the facility including those related to resident counts, searches, contraband control, and resident well-being checks.
• Deliver Evidence Based Practices by co-facilitating cognitive behavioral groups, problem-solving and skills groups, and monitoring residents during volunteer or contracted programs/services.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of professionals including other JCOs, supervisors, managers, social workers, school staff, medical staff, probation officers, and justice partners.
• Receive and release juveniles from facility; transport residents as needed with a Hennepin County vehicle.

Requirements

One of the following:

• Two years or more (90 quarter/60 semester credits) of college or vocational/technical coursework in corrections, a related criminal justice or behavioral/social science field, or law enforcement.
• Related education and/or experience to equal two years or more.
• The Evidence Based Practice Corrections Professional Certificate from an approved school may be substituted for one year of relevant coursework or one year of relevant experience.
• Active military duty with an honorable discharge.

• Must be 21 years of age or older.
• A valid driver's license and the ability to obtain a Hennepin County driver's permit.
• Ability to stand, stoop, bend, reach, run, and walk both inside and outside with or without reasonable accommodation.

Qualifications

• Experience serving the needs of youth in group residential settings such as DOC or DHS licensed group homes, shelters, or treatment programs.
• Experience serving the needs of youth in the community such as in secondary school settings, outpatient counseling/day treatment programs, or community-based services or youth outreach programs (e.g., Boys and Girls Clubs/YMCA, etc.).
• Working in a correctional or detention setting which involved the direct care, supervision, and control of residents.
• Working with customers or clients from a variety of diverse backgrounds.
• Writing electronic documentation in various formats (i.e., reports, progress notes) in a timely and efficient manner.
• Commitment and dedication to the needs of adolescents and their families.
• Completion of an internship and/or have paid work experience for Hennepin County's Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCCR) or similar jurisdiction.
• Professional goals related to corrections, probation, counseling, or law enforcement.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally both verbally and in writing, both by hand and through electronic means.
• Knowledge of drivers of individual and interpersonal behavior in social systems.
• Knowledge of the impact of personal and collective trauma on individuals and communities.
• Knowledge of the juvenile justice system and its key stakeholders.
• Knowledge of Correctional Evidence Based Practices and programs.
• Knowledge of cultures and customs of Hispanic/Latinx, Asian, American Indian, African American, new immigrant, and/or other diverse communities.

Candidates with bilingual skills in Spanish, Somali, and/or Hmong are encouraged to apply. Bilingual candidates who pass a language assessment may qualify for additional bilingual pay and duties.

Benefits

Hennepin County employees receive a combination of competitive benefits and positive workplace culture, including meaningful work that impacts the community, competitive pay, work-life balance, a variety of benefits, and opportunities to grow.

About the department

The Department of Community Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCCR) works to enhance community safety, promote community restoration, and reduce the risk of re-offense. The department delivers sustainable correctional services to more than 26,000 adult and juvenile clients and is the largest community corrections organization in Minnesota.

Additional information

To remain in compliance with OSHA, candidates hired into Juvenile Correctional Officer positions are required to fit test annually for the use of a respirator. At any time, Juvenile Correctional Officers may be required to comply with facial hair styles that do not interfere with the proper fit of a respirator.

Some positions require enforcing security regulations, rules of conduct, and work rules of female residents, therefore those positions must be filled by a female applicant (BFOQ).

Under Minn. Stat. 144.445, subd. 2, an applicant or employee commissioned at the Hennepin County correctional facilities (Juvenile Detention Center and Adult Corrections Facility) are required to undergo tuberculosis (TB) testing. Under facility licensing requirements, positions at the Juvenile Detention Center are also required to undergo a Department of Human Services Background Study (MS 245C.13). Convictions for certain crimes will affect your ability to be hired according to the disqualification schedule listed in Minnesota Statute 245C.15. Individuals convicted for any level of Criminal Sexual Conduct are disqualified from being hired into any position within the DOCCR under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). Other past involvement with the criminal court system will not automatically disqualify you; individual circumstances are reviewed and evaluated confidentially.

Job offer will be contingent on passing a pre-employment physical (which will include physical strength and agility test), drug test*, employment history/reference check, criminal background check including fingerprinting, and driver's license check prior to employment. Final candidates will be required to pass a drug test that includes cannabis.