CORRECTIONAL POLICE LIEUTENANT, YOUTH JUSTICE COMMISSION

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 direction of a higher level supervisory Correctional Police official in the Youth Justice Commission, has charge of custodial work programs at an institution, facility, or boot camp housing juvenile offenders; functions as a Principal Training Officer and/or secondary level supervisor over correctional police officers of a lesser grade; performs other administrative and custody 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 work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for the preparation of employee performance assessment reviews and evaluations, and recommending the appointment, retention, promotion, demotion, reassignment, separation, and disciplining of employees. Supervises workload assignments and delegation of responsibilities to subordinate correctional police officers assigned to custody programs and related activities in accordance with established laws, rules, regulations, policies, directives, practices, and procedures governing juvenile correctional institutions, facilities, boot camps, and satellite locations. Provides input for the counseling of juvenile offenders. Interacts with various medical, professional, and support services personnel in providing and maintaining rehabilitation and educational programs for juvenile offenders. Oversees military style training and regimented activities associated with close order drill, physical fitness conditioning, and facility training requirements for juvenile offenders. Oversees the completion of administrative log recordings and daily personnel deployment worksheet notations of recorded events, unusual occurrences, or happenings during the shift. Reviews programming objectives and reinforcement initiatives with lesser grade correctional police officers and other facility personnel who function as members on the adjustment and/or classification committees of the multidisciplinary teams of the facility. Develops correctional police officers' schedules to ensure adequate staffing levels for each shift, and oversees the scheduling of overtime, as necessitated. Oversees the application, security, and utilization of an institutional or facility computer system designed to enhance facilitation of various agency programs. During a tour of duty, renders instructions, orders, and other communications to lesser grade correctional police officers during roll call for each reporting shift; updates subordinates on prevailing agency directives and policies. Oversees assigned work responsibilities, custody programs, and post assignments from the main control center. Reviews incident reports submitted by varying levels of correctional police officers and other facility personnel on inappropriate actions and behavior committed by juvenile offenders. Assigns officers to investigate recorded incidents warranting investigation, reviews findings of investigations, and includes recommendations to superiors for appropriate action. Functions as a hearing officer in the disciplinary processing against juvenile offenders and provides a finding of facts, conclusions, and recommendations to superiors for recommended action. Prepares reports in cases of unauthorized absences or misconduct by employees. Updates and endorses the entries to daily logs and worksheets. Reviews reports of unusual occurrences or events from prior shifts and determines whether appropriate action was taken or whether further investigation is required. Oversees investigative activities when a visitor is apprehended attempting to introduce contraband onto the grounds of the institution or facility. Prepares arrest warrants for endorsement signature as required, and ensures all reports and forms are correctly completed. Oversees the facility process for recording all incoming mail and packages and the recorded markings of all personal property and items received for juvenile offenders' usage, which is authorized to be maintained at an institution or facility. Oversees, verifies, and endorses the shift and daily counts of juvenile offenders and the necessary deployment of correctional police officers to search for missing juveniles, notifies proper authorities, and completes appropriate reports for further action by superiors. Responds to reports of suspicious persons, dangerous or hazardous situations, or disturbances by juvenile offenders; takes appropriate action and redeploys correctional police officers as necessary to ensure conditions are corrected and order is resumed. Issues disciplinary actions to juvenile offenders and correctional police officers when appropriate. Authorizes all surveillance and search teams' activities in the seizure of contraband and other unauthorized articles found as a result of conducted searches. Supervises the investigative activities regarding alleged incidents of reported misconduct by correctional police officers and other institution or facility employees. Oversees the notification and interaction with medical personnel regarding juvenile offenders who require immediate medical attention or report sick to the medical area for treatment. Arranges the transportation for injured juveniles or employees needing hospitalization. Notifies proper authorities when juveniles' behavior patterns indicate potential harm to themselves or others. Oversees the work requirements and movement of correctional police officers, employees, visitors, and juvenile offenders on the grounds and in the buildings of the institution or facility. Oversees specific phases of agency training requirements and firearms, firefighting, and emergency equipment training programs to be utilized by all correctional police officers in the performance of their assigned duties. Oversees all custody programs and ensures that procedures are adhered to in accordance with commission policies and directives related to work release, boot camps, school and vocational training attendance participation, outdoor work details, off grounds and community activities, transport of juvenile offenders, and home visitation programs. Ensures compliance with the facility's procedures for monitoring enforcement programs and ensuring the rights of juvenile offenders are not violated. Composes memoranda, communications, correspondence, and oversees the preparation of official documents and completion of statistical and monthly reports. Acts as a witness for the State and testifies before formal hearings, Grand Juries, Courts of Law, administrative hearings, or other judicial bodies. Oversees the deployment and redeployment of correctional police officers in searches for escaped juvenile offenders and the issuance of firearms. Interacts with State and local law enforcement officers in the successful apprehension and arrest of offenders against the law. Endorses and/or revises supervisory subordinate correctional police officers' evaluations, ratings, and reviews of other lesser grade correctional police officers' job performance under their supervision. Instructs others in the use of electronic communications, computer information systems, other types of recording equipment, devices, and manual recordings used by the agency, institutions, facilities, satellite locations, and other related units. Recognizes and rapidly evaluates potentially dangerous and hazardous situations involving correctional police officers' safety and well-being; exercises caution and good judgment in identifying these circumstances quickly to avoid personal injury to all parties, prevent endangerment to the general public, and/or property damage. Interacts with juvenile offenders' parents and/or guardians, associates, superiors, and other assigned employees to develop and maintain desired team leadership initiatives of positive reinforced values, incentives, and sanctions to address each juvenile's assessment needs, treatment, and educational requirements the facility can offer for rehabilitation objectives and goal attainment. Will be required to learn how 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

Four (4) years of experience in the supervision, care, and custody of juvenile or adult offenders assigned to a correctional institution, facility, and/or boot camp, one (1) year of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity.

License

Appointees must possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Knowledge of laws, rules, directives, regulations, standards, policies, and procedures relating to the operations and custody programs of a correctional institution or facility housing juvenile offenders. Knowledge of the problems and circumstances likely to be encountered in a work environment involving the social rehabilitation, care, well-being, and custody of juvenile offenders detained and deprived of specific freedoms throughout a custodial supervision period of confinement. Knowledge of the programs overseeing the care, usage, security, training, and integrity of firearms, other restraints, and defense equipment. Knowledge of the electronic communications equipment and database software utilized in the performance of assigned duties. Knowledge of surveillance methods and procedures. Knowledge of the administrative and law enforcement procedures for reporting violations of applicable laws, rules, regulations, and directives. Knowledge of the methods and techniques for performing investigations of recorded juvenile offenders' inappropriate actions and violations to stipulated programming directives, governing rules, regulations, and established standards. Knowledge of the methods and procedures governing the preparation and issuance of arrest warrants. Knowledge of the procedures for recording statements attained from witnesses during the course of an investigation. Knowledge of the principles and techniques of employee supervision, evaluations, and performance assessments. Knowledge of the principles and practices of conducting needs assessments. Knowledge of the principles and techniques of mediation. Knowledge of the methods in developing proper work procedures and in delegating work assignments, instructions, and directions to lesser grade correctional police officers. Knowledge of authorized force techniques utilized in controlling disturbances, and when and how approved usage of chemical mace may be deployed. Knowledge of the directives and operating procedures governing the usage of firearms and identifying ascending force factors leading to that point of using deadly force. Knowledge of the procedures utilized in maintaining extensive records and filing systems. Knowledge of the principles and practices in applying criminal justice applications and standards to juvenile offenders housed in correctional institutions and facilities. Knowledge of the procedures governing rules of evidence. Knowledge of the due process in the application of applying law enforcement powers, and court proceedings and procedures in testifying at trials. Knowledge of the procedures for preparing affidavits and/or sworn testimonies obtained during the course of an investigation. Ability to supervise assigned staff and plan, organize, and implement project within the unit. 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 ensure the integrity and validity of evidence collected during the course of an investigation. Ability to oversee and train others in the assertiveness techniques and methods utilized in a confined work environment with persons of varying ethnic and language backgrounds, education, abilities, and personalities. Ability to establish and maintain cooperative relationships with juvenile offenders, their family members, associates, subordinates, and superiors. Ability to instruct others and utilize positive reinforcement methods to gain the confidence and respect of juvenile offenders, and to assist and provide guidance with their personal development and emotional stability during their period of incarceration. Ability to communicate with juvenile offenders to foster self-assurance attitudes and personal esteem for themselves and toward others. Ability to recognize and utilize varying levels of supervision methods and coaching techniques with lesser grade correctional police officers. Ability to oversee and perform military style inspections of living areas and quarters, proper clothing/uniform attire, appropriate self-hygiene habits, safety issues, and liabilities of juvenile offenders. Ability to develop, oversee, and implement agency training programs and courses of study for correctional police officers who shall have the responsibility for the appropriate care, well-being, security, and custody in the rehabilitation efforts of juvenile offenders. Ability to provide instructions to others in applying the principles and practices of commission directives as they apply to custody related juvenile delinquency problems and issues. Ability to recognize suspicious persons and/or events or circumstances. Ability to initiate decisive action and develop and disseminate clear orders for others to follow. Ability to utilize and to train others in the proper usage of firefighting equipment and emergency procedures. Ability to develop and preside over specific modular intensive training programs and methods developed exclusively for agency requirements. Ability to problem solve daily work-related situations learned from experience, training classes and workshop demonstrations gleaned useful for custody supervision work, and programming initiatives in an institution or facility housing juvenile offenders. Ability to prepare and provide detailed reports of any issues, problems, or conditions warranting specific action and the action taken. Ability to perform repetitive work assignments without loss of equanimity, patience, and courtesy, and to remain calm and decisive in emergency situations. Ability to develop and monitor a program for firearms training and qualification requirements as authorized by the NJ Police Training Commission. Ability to utilize and to instruct others in the proper usage of electronic communications, computer information systems, other types of recording equipment, devices, and manual recordings used by the agency, institutions, facilities, satellite locations, and other related units. Ability to evaluate the reliability and credibility of witnesses' oral or written statements. Ability to prepare detailed correspondence, reports, memoranda, and communications on custody issues and problems and other programming needs. Ability to identify and recognize where juvenile offenders may hide after successful escapes from custody. Ability to recognize and identify specific instances to instruct correctional police officers of potentially dangerous and hazardous situations involving juvenile offenders and to evaluate available options for handling these circumstances. Ability to supervise the gathering, collection, collating, maintaining, and dissemination of statistical information. Ability to make decisions and determine when circumstances should be referred to superiors for appropriate action. Ability to learn how 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, and 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 if they can perform the 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. 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. AGE: Minimum of eighteen (18) years of age. CITIZENSHIP: Must be a United States' citizen at the time of appointment. At time of appointment, eligible candidates for this position must submit acceptable proof of meeting the above indicated requirements. Appointees must have successfully completed the New Jersey Police Training Commission and agency training course standards for custody, supervision, investigations, and related law enforcement requirements. Appointees shall be required to qualify in the use of firearms on a semi-annual basis. Selected eligible candidates shall meet the qualifications for juvenile correctional police officers and shall be employed as juvenile correctional police officers pursuant to Section 6 of P.L. 1995 c. 284 (NJSA 52:17B-174).