CLASS SPECIFICATION

C O R R E C T I O N A L U N I T C O M M A N D E R - C A P T A I N

DEFINITION OF CLASS:

This is correctional work supervising a principal unit in a correctional facility. Employees in this class manage the activities and processes related to custody, care, and security of the inmate/arrestee population and carried out by subordinate Correctional Officers on a twenty-four hour basis within the unit. Contacts include department managers and staff; various local, state, and federal law enforcement and public safety officials; court and legal representatives; representatives of other County departments and agencies; chaplains; and program volunteers. The purpose of contacts is to discuss issues of mutual concern, exchange information; coordinate action; and resolve problems involving individual/groups of inmates or unit/facility systems and operations. Employees in this class are focused primarily on an assigned unit's operations during all shifts, i.e., planning, implementing, and supervising safety, care, and security measures to maintain control within the unit; direct "hands on" inmate care and custody is limited.
An employee in this class is responsible for round the clock operation of a unit which typically consists of multiple inmate housing, processing, and/or activity posts/stations staffed by a large number of Correctional Officers and subordinate Correctional Officer supervisors. Work involves ongoing guidance to staff and review of and recommended adjustments to unit procedures and operations based on written and verbal incident reports, observations made during daily safety and security inspections; and/or problems referred by subordinates. Employees independently coordinate work and staff coverage within the unit, provide guidance and instruction to staff, and handle the more difficult problems and unusual situations that arise in the unit in accordance with established regulations, policies, practices, and precedents. Work is subject to review for conformity to established requirements, policies, and procedures and accomplishment of established objectives and goals. Unit operations are governed by a variety of Federal and State regulations and standards; national association standards; County laws and regulations; and departmental policies, rules, directives, and procedures. The employee works in compliance with these established guides but has latitude to seek guidance from source documents or other sources or from operational experience and make recommendations concerning changes in departmental policies and procedures to address problems or deficiencies and improve overall operational effectiveness and efficiency. The complexity of this class of work is characterized by the variety of tasks and decisions involved in maintaining standards of operation among staff and between shifts to ensure security and safety of staff and inmates within the assigned unit. This includes maintaining adequate staff coverage and determining overtime needs if necessary, timely scheduling of training, recommending additional training as necessary, managing incidents and emergencies, investigating staff and inmate conflicts, authorizing immediate housing relocation of inmates as warranted, resolving problems with inmate transports, determining need for and level of planned use of force to control inmate behavior, reviewing actions of subordinates regarding inmate grievances, initiating action on unresolved inmate grievances, making decisions on inmate disciplinary action in conjunction with a correctional specialist, maintaining sanitation standards, responding to building maintenance problems, and implementing new policies and directives. The purpose of the work is to maintain security, safety, and control within the assigned unit. The employee's work impacts the safety and well being of inmates, staff, visitors, volunteers, and, ultimately, the community. Employees in this class have daily contact with the inmate population which puts them at considerable risk and for which safety precautions are established and followed. The work of this class requires employees to spend a portion of their normal work day on their feet to observe, inspect, and otherwise move about and be aware of all activities taking place throughout an assigned unit.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES: (Illustrative Only)
Is responsible on a twenty-four hour basis for supervising a correctional facility unit comprised of multiple posts staffed by 50+ subordinate supervisory and non-supervisory Correctional Officers as well as additional support staff that maintain and/or facilitate security, custody, care, and control of inmates.
Conducts regular safety and security inspections within the unit and reviews all written and verbal reports (i.e., pass-on logs, incident logs, and grievances) covering all shifts within the unit in order to assess institutional mood and sources of tension; assess staff application of appropriate actions and control measures, including application of direct-supervision methods and techniques; analyze inmate trends in terms of adjustment problems, disciplinary actions, racial balance, etc.; and, initiate corrective and/or disciplinary actions to prevent/minimize problems.
Meets regularly with subordinate supervisors to discuss procedural and operational difficulties, to maintain consistency between shifts, and to provide instruction concerning the inmate population; reviews, revises, and develops operational and personnel procedures based on experience encountered during daily operations; determines changes and adjustments needed and advises supervisor of adjustments made or makes recommendations to supervisor of more global changes; ensures Correctional Officers and Correctional Specialists are knowledgeable of and comply with operational procedures;
Determines number and mix of subordinate supervisory and non-supervisory correctional officer ranks sufficient to provide coverage at the various posts within the unit; authorizes overtime usage as necessary to assure adequate coverage on each shift; prepares statistics on overtime usage for budget and planning purposes.
Conducts investigations and prepares written reports and recommendations concerning custody and security matters or staff-related issues including personnel actions, unusual incidents, alleged improprieties involving personnel or inmates, possible criminal activity, etc.
Ensures Correctional Officers are scheduled and assigned training to satisfy mandated training requirements to include specialized training coordinated with the department's training staff; provides special training and instruction when needed on matters not covered by specialized training or established procedures.
Ensures that all administrative records are properly maintained to include payroll, training, monthly operational statistics, and supervisory personnel files; receives and reviews budget reports and staff scheduling in order to control overtime, spot abuse of leave privileges, and prevent unnecessary expenditures.
Prepare performance appraisal evaluations for subordinate supervisory personnel and reviews performance evaluations for all other custody and security staff assigned to the unit; reviews employment applications for entry Correctional Officer positions, conducts screening interviews, develops promotional examination questions, and evaluates candidates.
Responds to emergency requests for assistance from Correctional Officer(s); identifies, analyzes, and activates emergency preparedness plans in case of riot, fire, or escape.
Coordinates use of computer and technology as a resource to store, track, access and share data.
Testifies in court as required.
Serves as acting Deputy Warden as required.
Performs related duties as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience: One (1) year of satisfactory experience as a Montgomery County Correctional Shift Commander - Lieutenant, or equivalent experience with another employer.
Education: Possession of an Associate of Arts Degree or sixty (60) acceptable semester hours toward a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university.
Equivalency: Additional education beyond that required may not be substituted for the one (1) year within grade experience requirement. However, each additional year of experience at the Correctional Shift Commander - Lieutenant level or an equivalent level of experience with another employer may be substituted for each year of college or 30 acceptable semester hours of education.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Thorough knowledge of the national, state, and county laws, principles, practices, and methods of corrections related to maintaining institutional security and discipline and understanding and modifying behavior patterns and attitudes of individuals in custody.
Thorough knowledge of the rules, regulations, standards, requirements, and procedures pertaining to all of the various posts within the unit of assignment and within the broader correctional facility; ability to provide coverage and supervision to other units, as required. Considerable knowledge of the direct supervision method of controlling an inmate housing unit.
Considerable knowledge of interpersonal communication skills and ability to interact effectively with people from diverse backgrounds (i.e., staff, inmate population, general public).
Knowledge of Correctional Officer job requirements combined with knowledge of County personnel regulations, the collection bargaining agreement, and related personnel-related regulations in order to supervise and train staff.
Ability to exercise good judgment in devising control measures to resolve problems related to the inmate population, e.g., particularly unruly or uncooperative behavior.
Ability to administer first aid quickly, calmly, and effectively.
Skill in the use of lethal and non-lethal offensive and defensive weapons, emergency equipment, and self-defense tactics.
Comprehensive understanding of various computerized data systems as well as various security, alarm, and communication systems common to correctional facility operations sufficient to operation systems and resolve recurring, standard operational problems/
Skill in written communication in order to prepare reports, directives, and general correspondence.

LICENSE:

Possession of a valid motor vehicle operator's license
Possession of State of Maryland Correctional Officer Certification
Firearms Certification
First Aid, CPR, and Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) Certification

CITIZENSHIP AND AGE:

Individuals appointed to this position must be at least 18 years of age on the date of appointment and be either a citizen of the United States or a resident alien.

Individuals appointed to a position in this class will be required to serve a probationary period of twelve months and, if promoted to a position in this class, will be required to serve a probationary period of six months. Performance will be carefully evaluated during the probationary period. Continuation in this class will be contingent upon successful completion of the probationary period.

MEDICAL PROTOCOL: Core I Exam and Drug/Alcohol Screen

Class Established: July, 1979
Revised: October, 1979
July, 1983
September, 1986
April, 1988
September,1988 April, 1989 October 1994 (M)
February, 1998
April, 2005(M)