***Corrections Sponsorship will open for applications on Monday, October 26, 2026***

Sarasota County Sheriff's Office; Sarasota (FL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free confidential mental healthCounsel

Equal Opportunity Employer

Job summary

Sarasota County Sheriff's Office is seeking a Corrections Deputy Recruit to join the Corrections Academy, which starts May 10, 2027. The recruit is civilian until passing the state exam and becoming a CERTIFIED Corrections Deputy.

Recruit pay is $30.66 per hour, with official annual starting pay of $76,558 after certification. The corrections deputy will perform duties including care, custody, and control of inmates, escorting inmates, overseeing activities, preparing reports, and mentoring

Qualifications

• Must be at least 19 years old.
• US Citizen (naturalized citizenship papers if applicable).
• Valid High School Diploma/GED and Valid Driver License.
• Wonderlic scores: Verbal 267+ and Quantitative 241+ if no associate degree or credits.
• Prior military service with Honorable Discharge considered case by case if contract not completed.
• No felonies or misdemeanors involving perjury or false statement.
• Must meet agency Physical Abilities Test standards.
• Must pass oral review board and authorize psychological examination.
• Must pass state-required physical exam including drug, hearing and vision screening.
• Oath of Office required upon appointment; Civilian employees take loyalty oath.

Responsibilities

• Care, custody and control of inmates.
• Escort inmates to housing locations and supervise inmate activities.
• Prepare and file written reports; maintain logs and respond to emergencies.
• Conduct inmate movements, searches and counts; prevent escapes and conduct transports.
• Mentor and counsel inmates and participate in rehabilitation and reentry efforts.

Skills

Wonderlic Basic Skills Test

Oral review board

Psychological screening

Physical Fitness Test

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Associate’s Degree or 60 college hours

Job description

All applicants are required to upload the following documents with their application submission: Drivers License with current address, signed Social Security card, birth certificate issued by state or local government authority, High School diploma/GED, College transcript, DD214 Member-4, Name change documents, FDLE certification documents (certified positions), official arrest/charge documents. If a document does not apply to you, please upload an attachment with N/A, if a document is unavailable at the time of application, please list status of documentation (ordered, requested, in search of, etc.). If ALL requested documentation is not uploaded, your application will not be processed.

SCSO is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Applicants who are found to be untruthful or omitted information on the application or during the background investigation process will be automatically disqualified and will not be eligible for future employment with the agency.

Applicants who are disqualified during the application process for not meeting the standards of the agency at the time of application submittal, or during the background investigation process will be eligible to reapply in one (1) year.

The term \"experience,\" refers to active full-time employment, either in the same position, or directly related to the position applied for. The experience must have occurred within the three (3) years prior to application with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

Forms Required For Application

RAP BACK

CREDIT WAIVER

Job Description

• This is just a placeholder to inform you of the future posting date for the next corrections sponsorship****
• The academy will start May 10, 2027*

The corrections deputy recruit will attend the Corrections academy. The recruit is considered civilian until passing the state exam and becoming a CERTIFIED Corrections Deputy. Recruit pay is $30.66 per hour. Once certified, Corrections Deputy annual starting pay is $76,558 (based on 2190.5 hours annually).

The corrections deputy will be responsible for a wide variety of duties including, but not limited to, care, custody, and control of inmates; assist and facilitate access in rehabilitation, recovery, and reentry of inmates; escorting inmates to and from their housing locations; overseeing various inmate activities to include hospital watches; controlling and resolving inmate incidents; conducting searches, monitoring security, and conducting inmate counts; preventing escapes; participating in facility transports; preparing appropriate reports; mentoring and counseling inmates; responding to inmate requests; responding to emergencies; and performing any other related duties as needed.

General Description of Duties

Tasks: Complete assignments as directed, maintain work areas, inmate movement, interaction with inmates, searches, patrol work areas, conduct inmate intake procedures, written reports, supervise inmates, maintaining and updating logs, report security breaches, responds to emergency situations, use of restraint devices, direct supervision.

Minimum Requirements

• Candidate must be at least nineteen (19) years of age.
• Candidate must be a U.S. Citizen. If naturalized, citizenship papers are required.
• Candidate must possess a valid High School Diploma or G.E.D.
• Candidate must possess a valid Driver License.
• Candidates without at least an Associate’s Degree or the equivalent amount of credits from an accredited institution must successfully complete the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test and achieve a score of 267 or higher in Verbal Skills and 241 or higher in Quantitative Skills (math).
• If the candidate has prior military service, he/she must have received an \"Honorable Discharge\" (Form DD 214 required) and have completed his/her military contract. For purposes of meeting the eligibility requirement, candidates who have prior military service with an Honorable Discharge; however, did not complete their military contract shall be considered on a case by case basis.
• Candidate must never have been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor involving perjury or false statement.
• Candidate must meet the minimum standards of the agency approved Physical Abilities Test (P.A.T.).
• Candidate must successfully complete an oral review board.
• Candidate must submit to a psychological screening exam with satisfactory results. Exam shall be administered by a licensed professional provided by the Sheriff’s Office.
• Candidate must submit to a complete physical examination meeting FDLE requirements, to include but not limited to: drug screening, hearing and vision screening, and EKG testing.
• Oath of Office: Upon appointment, after state certification is acquired, and before being assigned to any duties in the Sheriff’s Office, all deputies shall take and subscribe to an oath of office to enforce the laws and uphold both the Florida State and U.S. Constitutions. Civilian employees shall take and subscribe to an oath of loyalty. Deputies shall also abide by the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics, which is adopted by this agency. All oaths and the code of ethics are located in General Order 1.1 [CFA 13.01]

Physical Fitness Program

• The Corrections Training Academy Physical Fitness Program is a very vigorous program. We will conduct PT almost every day between 1500-1600. The workouts will consist of a combination of cardiovascular training such as running the track, running the Parking garage stairs, circuit training, and utilizing the Cardio machines in the gym. In between the cardio days we will lift weights in the gym conducting circuits, targeting individual muscle groups. We typically have a timer going and we do 30 seconds of work and 45 seconds of rest. Please do not wait to start getting physically fit for the Academy, start training NOW!!!The profession you are applying for is inheritably dangerous, so preparation is key.

Hours and Schedule

• During the Academy our schedule will change throughout depending on the topic being taught. The duration of the full Corrections Deputy training academy is 14 weeks. Most teaching days will be held at the Sarasota Training Academy on 2020 Main St. Location. The hours at the Main Campus will be 0730-1600. When we train offsite for high liability topics the hours typically will be 0700-1730 including the weekends. Please keep your schedule flexible during the Academy in case of schedule changes due to unforeseen complications.

High Liability Training

• During the Firearms portion you will have to perform numerous Pistol proficiency drills and qualifications (Day time and Low Light). Please safely familiarize yourself with how a semiautomatic pistol functions/operates.
• During the Defensive Tactics Portion you will have to perform daily warmups and stretching. You will also have to perform takedowns and have takedowns performed on yourself.
• During First Aid you will be subject to graphic lifesaving videos such as applying tourniquets. You will also have to perform Emergency Drags and have them performed on you.

Additional Information

• After successful completion of the Academy and passing the State Officers Certification Exam, you will spend approximately 11 weeks in field training experiencing day and night shifts during this time. After the full 26 weeks of training, you will be assigned to 12-hour rotational shifts which will include night shifts, weekends, and holidays (based on the needs of the Correctional Facility and then re-evaluated every year during shift-bid). The schedule is 0545-1800 for day shift and 1745-0600 for night shift; however, there are situations when an individual may have to remain longer than their designated shift (ex. Hospital duty, event that requires a report prior to leaving…)

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office requires all employees to have either an associates degree, 60 equivalent hours from an accredited college or university or the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test. The Wonderlic Basic Skills Test measures verbal and quantitative skills. Sworn Law Enforcement and Corrections Deputies must achieve a minimum passing score of Verbal - 267 and Quantitative - 241. Civilians must achieve a minimum passing score of Verbal - 248 and Quantitative - 241.

Law Enforcement Deputies/Recruits must meet additional requirements to qualify.

Local institution to administer the Wonderlic: Suncoast Technical College 941-924-1365 ext. 62322. Fee $40 Hours of Operations: Monday through Thursday 7:30am to 3:00pm Friday 7:30am to 2:00pm. TESTING IS SCHEDULED BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

If you are out of town, please contact your local technical institute. A complete report of passing scores must be submitted directly to the SCSO.

In compliance with the American Disabilities Act should you require any reasonable accomodation(s) to participate in the exam process, please advise the administering office and supply documentation so they may attempt to satisfy any special needs expeditiously.

If chosen for processing you will be required to submit to the following screening procedures: a comprehensive background investigation, a polygraph examination, medical examinations, drug and tobacco screening, psychological examination (certified and communications positions). By submitting this application you are agreeing to have a background investigator with the SCSO review any social networking websites that you might belong to. If you are not willing to submit to the above mentioned procedures, please do not submit an application.

Applicants who are found to be untruthful or omitted information on the application or during the background investigation process will be automatically disqualified and will not be eligible for future employment with the agency.

Applicants who are disqualified during the application process for not meeting the standards of the agency at the time of application submittal, or during the background investigation process will be eligible to reapply in one (1) year.

SCSO Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

The SCSO now offers free, onsite, confidential mental health counseling services to all employees in addition to traditional EAP services.