Correctional Officer

State of Iowa - Executive Branch; Mount Pleasant (IA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Dental insurance

Flexible spending

Life insurance

IPERS retirement

Job summary

The Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility in Iowa is seeking a dedicated Corrections Officer to maintain security, safety, and order for inmates and staff, while supporting reintegration efforts in the community. You will patrol, inspect areas, conduct counts, and supervise programs with professionalism and fairness.

Shifts available 2pm–10pm and/or 10pm–6am. The role offers opportunities for training, growth, and advancement within the department.

Qualifications

• Graduation from high school, GED, or equivalency.
• Background investigation check.
• Post-offer health screen by institutional physician.
• Urinalysis drug screen.
• New employee training during probationary period.
• CDL and endorsements must be obtained within the time determined by authority.

Responsibilities

• Provide security and care to incarcerated individuals; ensure safety of inmates and staff; enforce rules and regulations; maintain order; escort individuals; supervise activities and programs as required.
• Patrol facilities and conduct security checks; inspect areas for safety/security deficiencies; search individuals, vehicles, packages, mail, equipment, clothing, and living areas for contraband.
• Verify population counts in assigned areas at regular and irregular intervals; participate in counts.
• Observe behavior and interactions among inmates, staff, and visitors.
• Interact with inmates to develop problem-solving skills; provide positive reinforcement; administer sanctions when necessary under policy.
• Instruct inmates on policy, procedure, expectations; help develop attitudes and skills for adjustment within the institution.
• Supervise inmate work assignments and evaluate performance.
• All work performed under general supervision of a superior.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Verbal & written communication

Work without supervision

Multi-tasking & prioritization

Professional conduct

Creative thinking

Team collaboration

Education

High school diploma or GED

Commercial Driver's License (CDL) required

Job description

Job Description

The Iowa Department of Corrections' mission is ‘Creating Opportunities for Safer Communities’, and at Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility (MPCF), or mission is, ‘Helping People Become Their Best’. As a Correctional Officer you can help make a positive impact in incarcerated individuals lives and our community by supporting, motivating and influencing change in others. At MPCF you will be a part of a diverse team of employees working toward helping reintegrate individuals back into the neighborhoods of Iowa. If you see yourself as a positive role model and find fulfillment in helping others, this is the position for you!

Available shifts are 2pm - 10pm and/or 10pm-6am.

The Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility has a long history of helping people since 1861. Both staff and incarcerated individuals have opportunities to give back to the local surrounding communities through collaborative programs. MPCF is a minimum custody, male facility, that houses approximately 1150 incarcerated individuals. We are focused on re-entry efforts by providing treatment, work, education and apprenticeship opportunities to help with the success of our individuals returning to our communities.

Preferred Characteristics Of a Correctional Officer

• Ability to use interpersonal skills and appropriate communication to provide corrective action and guidance to incarcerated individuals while maintaining a safe environment.
• Listen openly to incarcerated individual questions or grievances to help resolve or refer problems/issues to appropriate staff.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to work without supervision and to make appropriate decisions.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritize and be flexible in work.
• Ability to work with outside agencies, co-workers, incarcerated individuals and the public in a professional manner.
• Possess creative thinking, self-confidence and strong role-modeling.

Opportunities

• Opportunities to provide input into the treatment of incarcerated individuals through reporting observations to other team members and departments such as treatment, medical and education.
• Opportunities to make an impact on the lives of incarcerated individuals who are going through a more difficult moment in their lives.
• Opportunities for professional development, personal growth and skill development through continuous training.
• Opportunities to join specialty teams such as Crisis Negotiation or Crisis Emergency Response.
• Opportunities for promotion.

Typical Responsibilities Of a Correctional Officer

• Our officers are responsible for providing security and care to incarcerated individuals, ensuring incarcerated individual and staff safety, enforcing rules and regulations, maintaining order, escorting individuals, and supervising other activities and programs as required.
• Patrol facilities and makes security checks; inspects all areas of the institution (control center, cell areas, rooms, halls, dormitories, recreation/work areas and grounds) for safety/security deficiencies; searches individuals, vehicles, packages, mail, equipment, clothing and living areas for contraband items.
• Verifies incarcerated individual population in an assigned area at regular/irregular intervals and participates in incarcerated individuals counts.
• Observes incarcerated individuals behavior/interaction with staff, other incarcerated individuals, and visitors.
• Continuously interacts with incarcerated individuals, assisting in the development of problem solving skills, providing positive reinforcement when appropriate, and instituting corrective measures (informal counseling or sanctions, formal disciplinary action, or physical force) when necessary and as authorized by law/policy.
• Instructs incarcerated individuals in policy, procedure, expectations, and assists incarcerated individuals in the development of attitudes and skills necessary for successful adaptation to life within an institution.
• Supervises incarcerated individuals work assignments and evaluates work performance.
• All work is performed under general supervision of a superior.

What We Offer The Selected Candidate

• Excellent pay and benefits package including health, dental, flexible spending and life insurance
• Bi-weekly vacation accrual and separate sick leave
• Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) retirement package
• Optional 401A plan with employer contributions

E-Verify and Right to Work

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Graduation from high school, GED, or equivalency.

Additional Qualification Requirements

• Psychological tests
• A background investigation check.
• A post-offer health screen administered by an institutional physician.
• A urinalysis screen for drugs.
• All new employee training during the probationary period, including local orientation, new employee orientation, and emergency preparedness training.
• Designated positions in this job class require applicants to obtain a Commercial Driver's License and endorsements within a period of time as determined by the appointing authority at the time of hire.