Description

Job Summary and Essential Functions

This position typically provides administrative oversight and planning for the Detention Center in order to ensure the proper detention and care of persons lawfully incarcerated; ensures compliance with all guidelines and standards established by the Sheriff, County and the S.C. Department of Corrections; manages department budget, ensuring cost-effective operations; supervises professional, technical, clerical and maintenance staff; reviews work of subordinates for completeness and accuracy; and works under stressful, high-risk conditions. This position meets the definition of a Peace Officer under State statue Section 24-1-280 and qualifies for the State’s police officer retirement system.
 
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:  

• Assists in overseeing the operation of the Detention Center of the Sheriff’s Office.
• Assigns, directs, supervises and oversees duties of assigned staff, reviews job performance and evaluates and makes recommendations as appropriate.
• Receives, reviews and/or transmits management information reports.
• Plans daily and long-range goals and conducts frequent studies to compare actual achievements against goals.
• Stresses to subordinates the importance of following established safety rules and procedures.
• Conducts sanitation inspections of the Housing Units ensuring the submission of maintenance and repair requests, and monitor maintenance requirements as needed.
• Assumes the responsibilities and duties of the Detention Center Major or Director in their absence to ensure safe and efficient operations with the Detention Facility at all times.
• Communicate with the public in a professional and courteous manner, to include addressing issues or concerns of inmates, families, medical personal, attorneys and others.
• Stays abreast of all aspects of emergency action plans to ensure preparedness if execution is required.
• Provides advice, instruction, and counsel to subordinate and related support personnel.  
• Attends meetings, conferences, workshops and training sessions and review publications and audiovisual materials to become and remain current on the principles, practices, and new developments.
• Address and responds to questions and comments from citizens or inmate families in a courteous and timely manner.
• Communicates and coordinates regularly with appropriate others to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of interdepartmental operations and activities.
• Works on an on-call 24-hour basis, is subject to deployment into the field during emergency incidents or crises.
• Maintains required level of proficiency in the use of firearms and maintains weapons and equipment in functional and presentable condition.
• Operates and maintains County vehicle and two-way radio.
• Conducts tours.
• Provide supervision of the mail room.  Approve or disapprove of items mailed into inmates, including religious items or publications of all kinds.
• Coordinate jail inspections of all types, including the State Minimum Standards inspection, Fire Marshal inspections, and DHEC inspections.  Keep all associated records and make sure they are updated and able to be produced to the inspectors.  
• Address and respond to inmate requests or grievances as required.  This includes inmate requests for non-medical special diets and/or religious accommodations of all types.  
• Work with the jail Administrative Assistant to satisfy FOIA requests.
• Work with County lawyers to prepare for the jail’s defense against lawsuits, including producing any required documents and helping prepare for affidavits and depositions.   
• Approve invoices for payment.
• Participate in the process of preparing the annual budget request, including getting quotes, reviewing expenditures, coordinating requests from other staff members, and preparing documents for submission.
• Participate in the annual process of submitting operating, staffing, technology, and capital budget requests.  Research the proposed projects, acquire bids and prepare documentation.  Once capital items are approved, manage the project through to completion, including working with venders.  
• Work closely with Berkeley County IT to make sure all the jail’s technology is functioning and operational.  
• Monitor the maintenance and repair concerns that are reported by jail staff and make sure the issues are resolved in a timely fashion.  This also includes the overall sanitation of the jail facility.
• Manage the contracts with the jail’s food service provider, commissary provider, and phone service provider, and handle the day-to-day issues and concerns.
• Assist the Major and Director in managing the contract with the jail’s medical provider.
• Submit the required reports to the State Jail Inspector following critical incidents of all types. 
• Assist the Major and Director in the recruitment and hiring process for new employees. 
• Serve as the volunteer coordinator for the jail. 
• Conduct the yearly review of the policy and procedure manual. 
• Assist with the collection and compiling of statistics. 
• Actively participate in the jail’s preparation for and response to emergencies such as hurricanes.  
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements to Perform Work

• High School diploma or equivalent;
• Six (6) years of experience;

Special Requirements: 

• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license for South Carolina with safe driving record;
• Initial testing consists of an interview, extensive background check and a polygraph test,
• Post offer drug testing, psychological exam, pre-placement physical and a functional evaluation capacity test will be required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Knowledge of personal computer experience including Microsoft Office applications, especially Word and Excel.  
• Ability to restrain prisoners and run in order to apprehend a person.
• Ability to make budget recommendations and manage the budget.
• Ability to supervise employees, establish policies and create plans.
• Ability to lead and inspire confidence among officers and employees supervised.
• Ability to understand and carry out oral and written instructions.
• Ability to effectively deal with a potentially dangerous inmate population, while maintaining a degree of empathy for their imprisoned state.
• Ability to function within a corrections environment, which may involve dangerous situations involving inmate violence, suicide and/or riots.
• Ability to communicate effectively with others, both orally and in writing, using both technical and non-technical language.
• Ability to prepare and present accurate and reliable reports containing findings and recommendations.
• Ability to operate a personal computer using standard or customized software applications appropriate to assigned task.
• Ability to use logical and creative thought process to develop solutions according to written specifications and/or oral instructions.
• Ability to perform a wide variety of duties and responsibilities with accuracy and speed under the pressure of time-sensitive deadlines.

Physical Demands

This position requires the employee to sit, walk, stand and use hands and fingers to handle, feel, finger, grasp objects such as weapons, handcuffs, etc.; reach, pull and push with hands and arms; kneel and bend at the waist; use mental acuity and repetitive motion; and walk, talk and hear. The employee must lift and carry up to seventy-five (75) pounds and move one hundred fifty (150) pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Conditions

The work is regularly performed in a dynamic environment that requires sensitivity to change and responsiveness to changing goals, priorities and needs. Thirty-seven and one half (37.5) hours per week. Normal operating hours are Monday through Friday 8:00am until 5:00pm with the ability to work flexible hours when necessary. Scheduled hours/days, job location, duties and any other information contained herein is subject to change. May be required to work extra hours and to perform extra or different duties during emergency situations.