CORRECTIONAL POLICE SERGEANT

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under the general supervision of a Correctional Police Lieutenant or other supervisory official in the Department of Corrections, assists in the supervision of the custody work program of an institution, in a designated building or area; acts in the place of a Correctional Police Lieutenant as assigned; does other related duties as required.

Examples of work

• Exercises full police powers and acts as a peace officer at all times for the detection, apprehension, arrest, and conviction of offenders against the law.
• Supervises the work involved in the performance of assigned tasks, in accordance with established policies, regulations, and procedures.
• Cooperates with members of the treatment staff in supporting and maintaining rehabilitation programs. Takes an active part in such rehabilitation programs as inmate counseling and supportive S.E.T. teams.
• During a tour of duty, relays orders and other communications to the correctional police officers and civilian staff.
• Supervises the work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for employee evaluations, and for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting, and/or disciplining of employees.
• Responsible for the blotter or daily work report sheets, including noting the various correctional police officer assignments and unusual occurrences/significant conditions.
• During a tour of duty, has a leading part in supervising the work of the institution, including the behavior of inmates and correctional police officers, civilian employees, and visitors.
• Supervises the work of the main control point and sees that correctional police officers, inmates, and visitors do not leave or enter the institution without the proper authority.
• Responsible for overseeing contact visits between visitors and inmates; ensures that all visitors have proper identification and have been approved to visit within the institution; ensures that all visitors entering the institution are not carrying any contraband, and if so, ensures that all reports are filed; has the responsibility for contacting and completing incident reports for the proper authorities, including police reports when the arrest of a visitor is necessary.
• Oversees all areas of the mail and package program within the institution; ensures that all mail received in the institution is distributed in accordance with federal rules and regulations.
• As assigned, is responsible for the operation of an institutional computer program utilized to develop and monitor officer scheduling by shift, overtime lists, vacation schedules, and training and attendance records.
• Responsible for the recording and marking of all incoming personal property of inmates that is received by mail at the institution; oversees the distribution of this personal property.
• Responsible for the counts of inmates and searches to be made for missing inmates.
• Maintains order in the building and on the grounds of the institution.
• Notes suspicious persons and behavior and takes appropriate action; notes and reports dangers and hazards and takes steps to correct such conditions to ensure order.
• Maintains good order and the discipline in specified areas of the institution.
• During a tour of duty, is responsible for such areas as the vocational shops, dining halls, indoor, and outdoor recreation, and inmates housing units.
• Responsible for all institution search teams and ensures that correctional police officers complete proper forms for the seizure of contraband resulting from these searches.
• During a tour of duty, investigates charges of inmate misconduct; ensures that all witnesses are interviewed and statements from the witnesses are recorded; sees that all charges after being investigated are sent to the Adjustment Committee for adjudication.
• During some investigations, completes pre-hearing detention forms and separates inmates who are a threat to the institution from the general population.
• Responsible for preparing daily work schedules for correctional police officers, ensuring that all post assignments are covered; gives correctional police officers instructions at time of reporting and supervises their work.
• During a tour of duty, completes roll call of officers of the institution and assigns them to their posts; provides special instruction for work assignments.
• During a tour of duty, oversees the return of all keys (maximum, minimum, and non-security keys) used by the various correctional police officers and civilian staff in the institution.
• Notifies the medical staff of inmates who require immediate medical attention, and ensures that all inmates who have been injured or sick report to the hospital for medical treatment.
• Ensures that incident reports are submitted to the proper authority when an inmate's behavior pattern indicates that he may attempt to harm himself or others.
• Investigates complaints made by inmates or correctional police officers and prepares reports with recommendations for remedial action.
• Makes reports in cases of absence or misconduct of employees.
• Files reports on correctional police officers under supervision, probationary reports on correctional police officers, and the correctional police officer Performance Assessment Review (PAR) ratings.
• Provides counseling to subordinate correctional police officers in areas where assistance may be needed.
• As a member of a group, attends formal classes and receives instructions in the principles, practices, and terminology of the modern correction and penology methods.
• Oversees the operation of outside full minimum facility.
• Ensures that all inmates assigned to satellite units abide by the rules and regulations that govern such units.
• Supervises the programs that operate from the unit, such as work release, school programs outside of the unit, and all community activities.
• Oversees institutional training in the use of all security equipment that will be used in the performance of duties related to the correctional police officer.
• At an institution and at the Correctional Police Officer Training Academy, is responsible for training all custody staff in the proper and safe use of firearms that are used in the daily performance of duties.
• At an institutional firearms range, develops and supervises a program to provide firearms qualification and annual re-qualification of all custody staff for both on-duty weapons in accordance with policy and regulations of the State Police Commission on Firearms Training.
• Carries a firearm and other restraint/defense equipment while performing duties or off-duty; is responsible for the care, use, and security of firearms and equipment.
• At the Department Training Center, organizes training courses in prison administration and supervises the establishment of institution training programs; schedules training of probationary correctional police officers, including obtaining suitable quarters and equipment, instructors, and instruction in the care, housing, custody, and rehabilitation of inmates and the use of protective equipment.
• Will be required to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Education

Possession of a High School Diploma or its equivalent.

Experience

Three (3) years of experience in the care and custody of inmates in a correctional institution.

License

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of the laws, rules, regulations, standards, policies, and procedures relating to the operation of a penal or correctional institution.
• Knowledge of the procedures used in supervising the custody of inmates.
• Knowledge of how to maintain discipline among the officers, employees, inmates, and visitors, and methods used in preventing unauthorized persons from entering and leaving restricted areas.
• Knowledge of the problems involved in the social rehabilitation, care, and custody of varied types of persons deprived of their liberty.
• Knowledge of the problems involved in assimilating factual material of a technical nature and in compiling and utilizing essential facts presented in demonstrations and/or lecture.
• Knowledge of approved use of force, chemical mace, firefighting equipment, and other emergency equipment and firearms.
• Knowledge of the procedures used in maintaining extensive records and files.
• Knowledge of the principles of criminal justice and their applications to inmate custody and correction.
• Ability to exercise full police powers and act as a peace officer at all times for the detection, apprehension, arrest, and conviction of offenders against the law.
• Ability to carry a weapon while on duty.
• Ability to acquire knowledge of due process laws with some knowledge of 2C laws and court procedures used in testifying at trials.
• Ability to develop proper work procedures and give appropriate assignments and instructions to correctional police officers, and supervise the performance of their work.
• Ability to understand, remember, and carry out oral and written directions, and to learn quickly from oral and written explanations and from demonstrations.
• Ability to organize assigned custodial work and develop effective work methods.
• Ability to work effectively with superiors, associates, subordinates, and visitors and groups engaged in or interested in work concerning the problems of persons deprived of their liberty.
• Ability to give clear and explicit directions, and to follow loosely prescribed procedures.
• Ability to perform repetitive work without loss of equanimity, patience, or courtesy, to remain calm and decisive in emergency situations, and to retain emotional stability.
• Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate, and informative reports of significant conditions and actions taken.
• Ability to keep accurate and extensive records.
• Ability to successfully complete special firearms instructor courses such as Smith & Wesson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy Methods of Instruction for Firearms.
• Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.

Appointees to this position shall be required to qualify in the use of firearms on an annual basis.

The responsibility for ensuring that employees possess the required motor vehicle license, commensurate with the class and type of vehicles they operate, rests with the Appointing Authority.