CORRECTIONS OFFICER

About the role

The position requires an additional Applicant Waiver and Applicant Questionnaire. Please ensure these are downloaded, completed, and attached to the application.

Responsibilities

• Complete required pre-service training at Horry County Human Resources Department and J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
• Satisfactorily complete the JRLDC Field Training Program.
• Attend and satisfactorily complete required training at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy within the first twelve months of employment.
• Participate in annual in-service training programs to maintain required certifications.
• Supervise inmates in direct and indirect supervision housing units.
• Conduct searches for contraband, inmate counts, supervise meal servings, conduct watch tours, maintain housing unit logbooks, and maintain an orderly housing unit operation.
• Provide custody and security of offenders, including observing actions, conducting pat-downs and strip searches, restraining and securing offenders, and transferring offenders.
• Respond to emergencies, including climbing stairs to search for escaped offenders, providing first aid, and transporting offenders.
• Read, review, and apply information from offender records related to health and safety and facility security.
• Provide leadership and technical guidance to other staff, enforce offender disciplinary rules, prepare and maintain records, forms, and reports.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Knowledge of HCSO JRL Detention Center policies and procedures.
• County policies and procedures.
• Prisoner detention principles, practices, methods, and equipment.
• Corrections practices and criminal justice system processes.
• Relevant laws, rules, regulations, and standards pertaining to confinement in a detention center and as applied to inmate rights.
• Ability to recognize and identify potential suicidal inmates, inmates with mental illnesses, and inmates with substance abuse detox issues and respond appropriately.
• Adult corrections including behavior observation techniques, principles, theories, and practices; knowledge of institutional procedures, crisis intervention, and verbal and physical intervention skills.
• Common safety rules, regulations, procedures, and practices to include effective restraint techniques, basic first aid and CPR.
• Maintain records and prepare reports.
• Qualify with issued lethal and/or non-lethal weapons, use restraint equipment, and operate general office equipment.
• Communicate orally and in writing.
• Operate keyboard equipment.
• Meet strenuous physical demands of criminal justice officials.
• Read, analyze, and interpret center policies, procedures, and directives, write reports, effectively present information, and respond to questions from groups of managers, inmates, and general public.
• Solve basic mathematical problems.
• Solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in a situation where only limited standardization exists.
• Evaluate and respond quickly to situations in a firm and tactful manner.
• Diffuse emotional situations and offer solutions.
• Consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Develop and maintain cooperative and professional relationships with employees, managers, and representatives from other departments and organizations.
• Share knowledge with staff for mutual and departmental benefit.
• Establish and implement effective administrative programs and procedures.
• Communicate ideas effectively, including the preparation of reports and logs.
• Handle a variety of inmate questions with tact and diplomacy and in a confidential manner.
• Anticipate, identify, and evaluate potentially dangerous, unusual, or deviating situations and exercise appropriate judgment to establish priorities and take prompt action for problem resolution.
• Exercise judgement in relating to people and in responding to changing situations.
• Demonstrate moral character, honesty, tact, fairness, lack of prejudice, and desire to help when dealing with people.
• Prepare clear, concise, accurate, and complete written and oral reports and maintain accurate records of work activities.
• Fulfill physical requirements of work assignments to include maintaining physical conditioning required for performance of work assignments; occasional - frequent moderate lifting of 25-50 lbs.; and confinement to secured areas.

Qualifications

• Minimum 18 years of age.
• Graduation from an accredited senior high school or equivalent or GED.
• Continued employment contingent upon satisfactory completion of pre-service, Field Training, and the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy Basic Jail Program.

Skills

• Knowledge of HCSO JRL Detention Center policies and procedures.
• County policies and procedures.
• Prisoner detention principles, practices, methods, and equipment.
• Corrections practices and criminal justice system processes.
• Relevant laws, rules, regulations, and standards pertaining to confinement in a detention center and as applied to inmate rights.
• Ability to recognize and identify potential suicidal inmates, inmates with mental illnesses, and inmates with substance abuse detox issues and respond appropriately.
• Adult corrections including behavior observation techniques, principles, theories, and practices; knowledge of institutional procedures, crisis intervention, and verbal and physical intervention skills.
• Common safety rules, regulations, procedures, and practices to include effective restraint techniques, basic first aid and CPR.
• Maintain records and prepare reports.
• Qualify with issued lethal and/or non-lethal weapons, use restraint equipment, and operate general office equipment.
• Communicate orally and in writing.
• Operate keyboard equipment.
• Meet strenuous physical demands of criminal justice officials.
• Read, analyze, and interpret center policies, procedures, and directives, write reports, effectively present information, and respond to questions from groups of managers, inmates, and general public.
• Solve basic mathematical problems.
• Solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in a situation where only limited standardization exists.
• Evaluate and respond quickly to situations in a firm and tactful manner.
• Diffuse emotional situations and offer solutions.
• Consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Develop and maintain cooperative and professional relationships with employees, managers, and representatives from other departments and organizations.
• Share knowledge with staff for mutual and departmental benefit.
• Establish and implement effective administrative programs and procedures.
• Communicate ideas effectively, including the preparation of reports and logs.
• Handle a variety of inmate questions with tact and diplomacy and in a confidential manner.
• Anticipate, identify, and evaluate potentially dangerous, unusual, or deviating situations and exercise appropriate judgment to establish priorities and take prompt action for problem resolution.
• Exercise judgement in relating to people and in responding to changing situations.
• Demonstrate moral character, honesty, tact, fairness, lack of prejudice, and desire to help when dealing with people.
• Prepare clear, concise, accurate, and complete written and oral reports and maintain accurate records of work activities.
• Fulfill physical requirements of work assignments to include maintaining physical conditioning required for performance of work assignments; occasional - frequent moderate lifting of 25-50 lbs.; and confinement to secured areas.

Benefits

• Retirement: Participate in the South Carolina State Retirement System with strong employer contributions (SCRS or PORS).
• Optional retirement saving: Take advantage of tax-favored 401(k)/457 accounts to further secure your future.
• Health & Insurance: Employer-funded health and dental insurance, plus employer-funded Long-Term Disability (LTD) and Basic Life Insurance coverage.
• Vision coverage and additional insurance options available for employees and dependents.
• Wellness: Total access to our Wellness Center, free gym, wellness incentives, and employee-family counseling via EAP.
• Paid Leave & Holidays: Benefit from generous paid leave accruals that grow over time, plus 13 paid holidays.

Pay

Details on pay are not specified in the job posting.

Schedule

Details on schedule are not specified in the job posting.