Job Description
Juvenile correctional officers in recreation roles plan activities like sports, arts, and games to promote rehabilitation and skill development for youth in custody. This work fosters positive engagement, reducing behavioral incidents and aiding reintegration into society. Officers oversee daily programs, ensuring safety while building life skills like teamwork and discipline.
Texas Juvenile Justice Department manages rehabilitation for adjudicated youth across over 20 facilities statewide. The agency focuses on education, vocational training, and recreation to lower recidivism rates among 90% of its wards.
Officers plan and implement special events, holiday activities, intramurals, enrichment programs, and incentive dorm uses; maintain equipment inventories and report faults; collaborate with staff for supervision during activities; provide mentoring and coaching; handle inventory and safety reporting; complete documentation in accurate, timely records. They work cooperatively, often in evenings or weekends, with constraints from carrying variable workloads and requiring physical restraint certifications.
Compensation starts at $4,568.72 escalating to $5,561.91 monthly based on experience. Full-time roles at locations like Gainesville, Texas offer 40 hours weekly with potential weekends, holidays, and on-call. Benefits include paid health insurance, retirement, holidays, vacation, sick leave, longevity pay, assistance programs, and hazardous duty pay for designated positions. Requires drug tests and background checks.
Responsibilities
- Plan and implement recreational activities including sports and games
- Maintain inventory of equipment and ensure safety compliance
- Supervise youth during activities and provide guidance
- Collaborate with staff on program delivery and supervision
- Document activities and complete required paperwork
- Assist in training junior staff and offering support
- Readjust schedules based on safety or needs
- Report safety hazards and follow incident procedures
Requirements
- 21 years old minimum
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Valid driver's license
- 1 year experience with youth ages 10-17, or bachelor's in related field, or 2 years active military
- Certain experience leading recreational activities preferred