Captain - JDC

State of South Carolina; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The State of South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice seeks a Captain to plan, direct, and coordinate the actions of all security staff in the assigned facility, ensuring safety and orderly operation. You will manage Lieutenants, Sergeants, and JCOs to foster a safe environment that supports rehabilitation and positive youth development.

Under limited supervision, you will help ensure compliance with agency policies, federal and state law, and guide shifts to maintain security and program

Responsibilities

• Engages with youth to ensure safety, security, rehabilitation, and well-being.
• Maintains frequent and helpful communication with youth throughout the day.
• Responds physically to emergency situations as needed.
• Conducts routine and unannounced security inspections per policy.
• Performs routine frisk searches after youth movement.
• Ensures basic needs of each youth are met.
• Stays informed on the security status of all youth assigned.
• Develops and implements an inspection program to detect and correct deficiencies in safety, sanitation, and maintenance.

Job description

Job Responsibilities

If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference and you have a passion for making a difference in the lives of South Carolina's youth, consider joining the dedicated people of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ).

Mission

It is the mission of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to impact and transform young lives, strengthen families, and support safer communities through targeted prevention and rehabilitation.

Job Purpose

Under limited supervision of the Assistant Facility Administrator, the Captain plans, directs, and coordinates the actions of all security staff in the assigned facility, while maintaining compliance with agency policy and procedures along with Federal and State Law. The captain provides direction and guidance to shift supervisors to ensure the safety and orderly operation of the facility. The captain manages Lieutenants, Sergeants and JCOs to provide youth with a safe and secure environment that fosters healthy decision‑making and is conducive to rehabilitation of at-risk youth. This position is assigned to specific facilities to ensure orderly facility operations and the safety and well‑being of all youth and staff. This position plays an essential role and the responsibilities directly impact the youth and the ability of the agency to provide safe and secure rehabilitative opportunities for youth. This position's purpose is to contribute positively to the youth's overall rehabilitative process through positive youth development framework and a positive facility culture.

Job Responsibilities

• Engages with youth throughout the day to ensure the safety, security, rehabilitation, and well‑being of youth.
• Ensures frequent and helpful communication with youth throughout the day.
• Physically responds appropriately to emergency situations.
• Conducts routine and unannounced security inspections per agency policy.
• Conducts routine and unannounced frisk searches of the youth after all youth movement.
• Ensures that each youth has their basic needs met.
• Remains knowledgeable and informed of the security status of all youth assigned.
• Develops, directs, and implements an inspection program to detect and correct deficiencies according to policy in a secured facility to include safety, sanitation and maintenance needs in the assigned facility.
• Ensures that all officers assigned to their shifts are given proper training in all operations.
• Makes unscheduled and unannounced inspections to determine if staff are properly performing assigned duties of custody, supervision, and security.
• Ensures proper control of all security keys and security equipment; to include but not limited to radios, handcuffs, leg irons, vehicles, keys, etc.
• Responds to and handles situations of concern to include making notifications, giving directions, responding in person and by phone, mediating conflict and ensuring safety.
• Assist in the creation of facility schedule and ensures staff and youth adhere to facility schedule.
• Ensures proper staffing to youth ratios facility wide.
• Evaluates staff's performance, instructs and counsels staff on required performance standards and when necessary, initiates/supervises/administers appropriate corrective or disciplinary actions for violations of laws, rules, regulations, policies and standard operating procedures.
• With assistance from the training department, ensures all staff are current on all required trainings and certifications.
• This includes collaborating with leadership on other shifts and facilities to allow staff to be released from coverage to attend training.
• Directs responses and responds to youth expressed problems, grievances and complaints and, when necessary, refers them to appropriate staff members for assistance or necessary actions.
• Mediates disputes between youth and JCOs.
• Ensures annual EPMS planning stages and reviews of supervised staff are prepared and submitted to the Office of Human Resources (OHR) in accordance with OHR standards.
• Attends team members meetings to discuss youth issues, treatment, and security and participates with employee recognition selection committee.
• Ensures that all assigned officers are informed about youth who require special supervision or pose a threat to the security and safety in the assigned facility.
• Oversees facility operations by supervising formal/informal headcounts, supervising unscheduled and/or scheduled shakedowns, attending random security briefings, supervising agency and PREA standards, and other security related duties when required by the supervisor, division or agency.
• Supervises/administers appropriate disciplinary actions for violation of laws, rules, regulations, policies and standard operating procedures.
• Supervises the preparation of and prepares recurring and special operational and administrative reports as well as security-related correspondence.
• Serves on various institutional committees and serves as a member of treatment staffing team and local team meetings.
• Participates and conducts interviews of applicants seeking employment as new security staff or seeking a promotion.

Performs Other Security‑related Duties When Required.

Serves as a member of the on‑call management