Youth Corrections Officer

This recruitment may fill regular full-time and/or part-time vacancies at the Juvenile Hall division of the Probation Department. Bilingual English/Spanish candidates are encouraged to apply.

About the role

Under general supervision, the primary responsibility is to supervise and provide for the custody, care, safety, treatment, recreation, and daily activities of youth detained in the Mendocino County Juvenile Hall.

Responsibilities

• Book youth into facility following prescribed procedures; assign rooms for youth; orient new arrivals; issue supplies to youth; process inmate discharges or transfers.
• Determine if youth is at risk of suicide or self-harm requiring evaluation by a professional.
• Monitor behavior of youth when going to and from school, cafeteria, while in living unit, during showers, during visits, and during outside recreation.
• Refer youth in crisis situations to appropriate specialists.
• Explain, monitor, and reinforce facility rules, policies, and procedures.
• Receive, maintain, and account for the personal property of youth; return or send personal property to youth upon discharge; maintain appropriate written records.
• Visually and physically search youth for prohibited possessions, contraband, weapons, or narcotics; inspect quarters of youth for contraband; inspect and direct cleaning activities of youth for maintenance of sanitation, orderliness, and safety.
• Promote acceptable attitude and behavior of youth to assist them in adjusting to confinement; confer with assigned supervisors or officers regarding behavioral or other inmate problems; hold youth accountable for their behavior.
• Communicate with Probation Officers, attorneys, and/or other law enforcement and social service agencies on youth cases.
• Write incident and crime reports as required and write special reports for Probation Officers and courts as requested.
• Counsel youth and/or their families on problems; develop treatment plans detailing behavioral goals.
• Conduct group sessions to resolve problems between youth and to structure shift activities.
• Dispense medically cleared prescription medications and over-the-counter medications.
• Transport youth to and from medical appointments, court, or other locations; transfer youth to other facilities.
• Perform laundry duties as required.
• Anticipate and avert potential problems; assist in suppressing and controlling problems that occur; report incidents in the prescribed manner.
• Enter and retrieve a variety of information from a computer; maintain daily logs and records on school attendance, medical treatment, unusual incidents, and the number and location of youth; write reports concerning juvenile activities and behavior.
• Answer inquiries from criminal justice stakeholders, program providers, and family members.
• Attend staff or other meetings.
• Assume responsibility for operation and security of unit when regular supervisor is unavailable.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent.
• A minimum of six (6) months of progressively responsible related experience is preferred but not required.
• Valid Driver’s License.
• State Corrections Authority (STC) Juvenile Corrections Officer Core Course (within the first year of job assignment).
• Preferred but not required (requires the ability to obtain within the first year of job assignment):
  • Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) Standards and Training for Corrections (STC) - Juvenile Corrections Officer Core Course, or applicable substitution as defined by BSCC.
  • Penal Code 832.
  • First Aid/CPR Certificate.
• Must be able to meet physical and psychological standards and pass a detailed background investigation.

Skills

• Methods and techniques of dealing with individuals in custody, including behavioral counseling techniques.
• First aid methods and techniques.
• Applicable state, federal, and local ordinances, laws, rules, and regulations.
• Arrest, search, and seizure procedures.
• County Court system and procedures.
• All computer applications and hardware related to performance of the essential functions of the job.
• Record keeping, report preparation, filing methods, and records management techniques.
• Preparing clear and concise reports, correspondence, and other written materials.
• Using tact, discretion, initiative, and independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Organizing work, setting priorities, meeting critical deadlines, and following up on assignments with a minimum of direction.
• Applying logical thinking to solve problems or accomplish tasks; to understand, interpret, and communicate complicated policies, procedures, and protocols.
• Communicating clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.

Physical and Mental Abilities

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of individuals.
• Maintain orderly conduct among youth.
• Make quick, effective, and reasonable decisions in emergency situations, and take appropriate action to include physically restraining violent youth.
• Write reports and correspondence.
• Solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• While performing the essential functions of this job, the employee is regularly required to:
  • Stand, walk, run, and sit.
  • Reach with hands and arms; use manual dexterity to operate machinery/tools.
  • Handle, seize, hold, or otherwise work with hands.
  • Climb, jump, and/or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
  • Speak and hear; use shape, sound, odor, and color perception and discrimination.
• Occasionally required to lift and/or move over 50 pounds and detain and/or physically restrain youth.

Benefits

• Salary: Compensation is based on a five-step salary range, with annual merit-based increases within the salary range.
• Retirement: Covered under Social Security and the 1937 Act; both employees and the County pay into the retirement fund.
• Holidays and Personal Leave: Mendocino County observes 11 paid holidays per year. Employees are granted 24 – 48 hours of personal leave annually, depending upon bargaining unit.
• Vacation: Accrues at the rate of two weeks per year for three years, three weeks per year after three years, four weeks after eight years, and five weeks after 15 years.
• Sick Leave: Paid sick leave accrues at the rate of 1.25 days per month, or 15 days per year. Accruals are pro-rated for part-time employees working at least 20 hours per week. Part-time employees working less than 20 hours per week, and extra-help employees receive up to 24 hours (or 3 days) of paid sick leave annually.
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance: The County and the employee share the cost of an employee-selected health care plan; enrollment in the plan includes $20,000 Life Insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program: Available for support and resources.
• Employee Wellness Program: Available for health and wellness initiatives.