Detention Officer

Harris County Sheriff's Office; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits

Paid biweekly

Job summary

Harris County Sheriff's Office seeks Detention Officers to join the Criminal Justice Command. The role involves maintaining care, custody, and control over inmates housed in the Harris County Jail, under supervision of Sergeants, Lieutenants, and Captains.

Applicants must complete the seven-week Basic Jailers Course and may pursue Texas COLE corrections certification at no cost through the HCSO Academy. The position offers biweekly pay and benefits.

Qualifications

• Minimum requirements include a High School Diploma or G.E.D.
• Must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen (with exceptions)
• Valid Driver's License or State-ID
• Eyesight correctable to 20/20 and normal color and peripheral vision
• Correctable audibility in both ears
• High stress tolerance and ability to work with inmates

Responsibilities

• Reports to and receives assignments from Sergeants, Lieutenants, and Captains.
• Reads pass-on logs and monitors jail inmates.
• Controls and directs inmates during transfers, meals, recreation, etc.
• Books inmates, conducts searches for contraband, and prepares jail activity logs.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Standing for extended periods

Bend, stoop and kneel

Finger dexterity

Eye-hand coordination

Auditory capabilities

Verbal comprehension

Education

High School Diploma or G.E.D.

Job description

Position Overview

Join The Team!

We appreciate your interest in joining our family! We are the largest sheriff's office in Texas and the third largest in the nation.

Position Overview

The Harris County Sheriff's Office is hiring Detention Officers within the Criminal Justice Command

Join The Team!

We appreciate your interest in joining our family! We are the largest sheriff's office in Texas and the third largest in the nation.

The mission of the Harris County Sheriff's Office is "To enhance the safety and protect the trust of the citizens of Harris County by enforcing the law with integrity and professionalism".

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office's primary responsibility to Harris County citizens is to house individuals awaiting trial or commitment to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

As a Detention Officer of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, you are a vital team member responsible for maintaining care, custody, and control over individuals housed in the Harris County Jail.

Detention Command Career Paths

• Armed Detention Officer - responsible for transporting and securing inmates to and at hospitals or clinics.
• Detention Sergeant - responsible for supervising detention officers assigned to their area.
• Detention Lieutenant - responsible for supervising all personnel assigned to their shift.
• Detention Captain - responsible for supervising all personnel assigned to their facility.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Reports to and receives assignments, instructions, and direction from Sergeants, Lieutenants, and Captains.
• Reads pass-on logs and receives activity briefings from off-going shift personnel.
• Observes and monitors jail inmates and detects and deters improper or unacceptable behavior.
• Controls and directs inmates while out of cell areas during transfers, work assignments, meals, recreation, etc.
• Books inmates into the Inmate Processing Center and performs searches of individuals and jail cells to locate weapons or contraband.
• Prepares logs, records, and reports of jail activities.
• Performs other duties and assignments as required and/or necessary.

The Detention Officer (Jailer) Position is a Civil Service-protected position with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

This Job Description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Management may, at its discretion, assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Minimum Requirements

• High School Diploma or G.E.D.
• A minimum of 18 years of age
• Must be a U. S. Citizen (See General Information for exceptions)
• Valid Driver's License or State-Issued ID
• Eyesight must be correctable to 20/20 vision, normal color vision, and peripheral vision
• Correctable normal audible range in both ears

Testing

• Pass pre-employment testing - Written exam (examples: Spelling and Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Attention to Detail, etc.)
• Physical Agility (Squats, Walking Lunges, 165 lbs. dummy drag)

• Passing a thorough background investigation
• (Criminal background check, fingerprinting, personal interview, etc.)
• Passing a psychological evaluation
• Passing drug screening

Ability To

• Work in a standing position for extended periods while observing and monitoring inmates, checking cells, escorting inmates, etc.
• Bend, stoop, and kneel when checking under tables, beds, and mattresses during cell searches.
• Finger dexterity and hand and arm steadiness when adjusting knobs and switches and operating a computer keyboard.
• Eye, hand, and arm coordination when fingerprinting individuals.

Training:

Successful completion of the (7) week Basic Jailers Course is required for continued employment as a Detention Officer with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

• The Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) provides its employees with the ability to obtain the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) Corrections Officer (Jailers) Certification at no cost through the HCSO Academy.
• If selected, PAID employment begins the first day of the required (7) week Basic Jailers Course at the Harris County Sheriff's Office Academy.

NOTE:

• The Texas Workforce Commission offers FREE assistance to job seekers through their WorkSource offices located throughout Harris and surrounding counties
• The WorkSource offers FREE use of computers, copiers, printers, and scanners as well as assistance in completing job applications
• Harris County Public Libraries also offer FREE use of computers at all their locations throughout Harris County

PREFERENCES

• Graduates of Law Enforcement High School Program or Participation in a Law Enforcement Explorers program
• Previous Law Enforcement or Corrections work experience
• Honorable discharge from the United States Armed Forces

GENERAL INFORMATION

Common Disqualifiers

• Written Comprehension.1. Ability to read and comprehend narrative handwritten materials, including pass-on logs, round sheets, caution tags, cell search logs, etc.
• Ability to read and comprehend printed materials, such as Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s), fire procedures, and the Inmate Handbook.
• Ability to read and comprehend computer screen information and data when booking individuals.
• Ability to prepare handwritten activity logs and narrative incident and offense reports in a legible and grammatically acceptable manner to permit comprehension by the receiving party.
• Verbal Comprehension.
• Ability to understand and exchange information with supervisors and co-workers when receiving assignments, instructions, and shift change information, and while performing assigned duties and tasks.
• Ability to understand and exchange information with the public, including attorneys, jail visitors, and maintenance personnel.
• Ability to interact with inmates and to understand and comprehend inmate responses to questions.
• Ability to provide verbal direction to inmates to affect conformance to rules, regulations, and other directives.
• Mathematical Capabilities.
• Ability to add and subtract when taking prisoner counts and reconciling discrepancies.
• Visual Capabilities.
• Ability to detect abnormal behavior and extraordinary activities when observing the actions of an inmate or group of inmates.
• Ability to identify colors when preparing personal descriptions requiring entry of the color of eyes, preparing the written description of personal property in describing the color of jewelry, and observing armbands to identify the classification of inmates.
• Ability to detect smoke from cigarettes, electrical fires, etc.
• Visual acuity must be correctable to 20/20 for both eyes.
• Color vision must be normal.
• Auditory Capabilities.
• Ability to hear alarms.
• Ability to hear and understand the information received over the telephone and intercom.
• Ability to distinguish between normal jail sounds and sounds indicating impending, improper, or unacceptable inmate behavior such as altercations, fights, assaults, etc.
• Must have hearing that is within the normal range as defined by nationally recognized audiometric standards, or that surpasses the normal range.
• Olfactory Capabilities.
• Ability to detect the presence of smoke from cigarettes, electrical fires, etc.
• Ability to detect the presence of alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs.

Location:

• 1200 Baker St, Houston, TX 77002, Texas

Citizenship Exceptions:

Per SB 252, you may be eligible for TCOLE licensure if you have fulfilled all the following requirements:

• Must be a permanent legal resident.
• Must be an honorably discharged veteran from the United States armed forces with at least two years of active service. (Must have a DD-214 that reflects service time and discharge status)
• Must provide evidence that they have applied for United States Citizenship.

Work Environment & Physical CapabilitiesWork Environment

• Direct interaction with inmates.
• May require working under stressful conditions.
• Job duties may result in possible exposure to communicable diseases or body fluids.

Physical Capabilities: Ability to lift weights to 40 pounds when lifting and positioning Scott Air Pack on back. Ability to climb stairs when moving within cell blocks.

Position Type and Typical Hours of Work

• Working a minimum of 40 hours per week is an essential function for all Detention Officer positions.
• Includes Nights, Weekends, and Holidays.
• Mandatory Overtime as deemed necessary to fulfill operational needs.
• Maintains punctual and reliable attendance to ensure proper staffing levels and continuous facility operations, adhering to all departmental scheduling, call-in, and reporting procedures.

Salary and Incentive Pay:

• Paid biweekly based on 26 pay periods per year, plus benefits
• Up to 12 years of credit for service as a TCOLE Certified Jailer upon hire (Restrictions Apply)

Paid Incentives: (Annually, based on 26 pay periods)