Correctional Officer (Temporary)

Temporary position with the South Dakota Department of Corrections at the Yankton Minimum Center. Salary: $25.60 per hour.

About the role

Maintains security by enforcing DOC policies and institutional post orders to ensure the safety and security of offenders and employees, and that confinement conditions are maintained. Service as a correctional officer is an excellent way to begin a law enforcement career and gain supervisory experience. New officers receive full training; no prior education or experience is necessary. Uniforms are provided.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and control access to the facility and restricted areas
• Man an armed post (requires annual firearms certification)
• Monitor facility perimeter
• Maintain a controlled movement schedule for offenders
• Escort and transport offenders in authorized state vehicles, while armed
• Monitor visiting areas
• Conduct formal, informal, and emergency counts
• Conduct searches per policy (general area, metal detector, pat, perimeter, strip, or vehicle)
• Inspect facility and cells to maintain health, safety, and sanitation standards
• Inspect inmate mail
• Utilize proper protocols when responding to emergency situations
• Follow established tool and key control, ensuring proper storage and documentation
• Attend shift briefings
• Document incidents utilizing established reporting practices
• Communicate pertinent information to coworkers and supervisors
• Operate and monitor ingress and egress mechanical doors
• Learn to operate communications equipment (e.g., two-way radio, telephone, public address equipment)
• Learn about and utilize firearms, restraints, chemical agents, and tasers safely and professionally

Requirements

• At least 18 years old with a valid Driver’s License
• High school diploma or GED
• Successfully pass all modules of the South Dakota Department of Corrections Basic Training, including:
  • English reading comprehension
  • Relevant competency assessments
  • Written/practical exams in Defensive Tactics and firearms/armed transport curriculum
• Possess the physical ability to successfully complete Defensive Tactics, including:
  • Lifting arms above head and kicking as high as own waist
  • Stabilizing another person to accomplish a controlled take down
  • Using arms, palms of hands, and feet to deliver blows
  • Withstanding impact on own body from strikes/blows
  • Rotating body 90 degrees with feet planted for striking or defensive tactics
  • Getting down on one or both knees and up again with multiple repetitions
  • Exposure to Oleoresin Capsicum (pepper spray) during training and on assignment
• Ability to:
  • See and hear to observe, address, and respond to potential breaches in safety and security
  • Seize, hold, control, or subdue violent or assaultive persons and defend oneself or others
  • Demonstrate body agility, strength in all four limbs, and consistent ability to walk and climb stairs
  • Work 12-hour rotating shifts, including holidays, weekends, and various times (days, afternoons, nights)
  • Work in situations involving assaultive behavior, physical control, or restraint
  • Deal with individuals with a range of moods and behaviors tactfully
  • Work with diverse populations, including people of the opposite sex, various racial/ethnic groups, and mentally ill or emotionally disturbed offenders
  • Communicate effectively by talking, listening, and signaling
  • Work in environments with fluctuating noise and temperature, including outdoors in inclement weather and concrete settings
  • Travel as required
• Knowledge of English grammar, spelling, and punctuation
• Ability to communicate fluently in English, both verbally and in writing
• Apply effective correctional methods to prepare inmates for community reentry
• Understand and apply state statutes, ADA, PREA, and department Administrative Regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines
• Visually observe and audibly hear to identify changes, inappropriate activity, hazards, or potential security breaches
• Monitor inmate whereabouts and maintain accurate counts
• Perform intermediate computer keyboarding and communicate via email
• Study information and recount events in a written, comprehensive, and legible manner
• Incorporate the South Dakota DOC Mission statement into daily duties
• Respectfully communicate with offender families and the public
• Control, direct, and instruct offenders individually and in groups
• Follow chain of command and established safety and security protocols
• Quickly respond to emergencies (e.g., fights, medical emergencies, fires, or escapes)
• Use physical force to control situations

Schedule

• 12-hour shifts, including weekdays and weekends
• Required to work every other weekend and some holidays
• Rotating shift schedule (days, afternoons, nights)

Conditions of Employment

• Must successfully pass an abuse and neglect screening
• Must pass a background investigation (arrest/conviction record will not necessarily bar employment)
• Must pass a drug screening
• Must verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States (E-Verify used)
• TB (tuberculosis) screening required upon hire