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Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Onsite
Job Posting Title:
Corrections Officer- Metropolitan Detention CenterDepartment:
Metropolitan Detention CenterLocation:
100 DEPUTY DEAN MIERA DR SWPay:
During Academy $22.59Close Date:
December 24, 2026Employees at Bernalillo County enjoy the ability to team up with each other to build a high quality of life for our county residents, communities, and businesses. In addition to being an organization with a strong focus on work-life balance, building a culture of flexibility, learning, and belonging the County offers many benefits. Employees of Bernalillo County enjoy many thoughtful rewards such as, but not limited to generous leave accruals; career development opportunities; remote & flex-work options as appropriate; longevity pay; education assistance program; health benefits; lucrative retirement; and so much more.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Assist in the searching, booking, fingerprinting and photographing of inmates, and other procedures that are involved in the initial processing of inmates.
2. Coordinate arrangements for bond, legal representation and for personal assistance for inmates; schedule court appearances.
3. Maintain order and report unusual conditions, policy violations, disturbances or indication of potential disorder to superiors.
4. Patrol designated areas of the detention facility, control traffic to and from assigned areas, maintain security and inspect facility to ensure the safety and security of inmates, take periodic resident counts in the detention levels, work details, and other inmate holding areas; account for inmates under his/her supervision.
5. Provide or arrange for personal grooming of inmates and supervise sanitation practices.
6. Administer emergency first aid if necessary; refer inmates to medical assistant; psychiatric service unit and/or counselors.
7. Participate in fire and safety drills, lockdown incidents and related emergency situations.
8. Participate in the discharge process of inmates, issuance of clothing and transportation arrangements.
9. May be required to transport inmates, and to supervise inmate work details and community custody programs.
10. Maintain logs and write reports as required by policy and standard operating procedures.
11. Respond to public inquiries in a courteous manner; provide information within area of assignment; resolve complaints in an efficient and timely manner.
*The above information on this job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities required of all employees assigned to this job.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
1. High School diploma or GED; OR have met the requirements of the MDC Lateral Entry Program, plus one (1) year experience in the field of corrections or law enforcement is desirable.
2. Employee must have a valid New Mexico driver's license and maintain a valid NM driver's license while employed in this position. Candidates with a valid out-of-state driver's license must obtain a New Mexico driver's license within 30 days of hire.
3. Employee must be 18 years of age or older by the start of the Corrections Officer Training Academy– there is no upper age limit.
4. Employee must be a United States Citizen or a permanent resident and must provide an Alien Registration number.
PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSA'S)
1. Preferred knowledge of and the experience in the operations, services and activities of a corrections and detention program.
2. Preferred knowledge of the principles and practices of the criminal justice system, law enforcement, modern booking procedures, corrections and detention theory and practice.
3. Preferred knowledge of correctional institution security and inmate security practices, occupational hazards and standard safety practices.
4. Preferred knowledge of pertinent federal, state, and local codes, laws, and regulations and the ability to interpret and apply them.
5. Preferred able to apply knowledge of laws, regulations and procedures concerning safety, security and corrections operations.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSA'S)
1. Skill in performing basic computer functions.
2. May require skills in the use and care of weapons, including firearms.
3. Ability to develop skills in restraint and self-defense tactics.
4. Ability to develop skills in the techniques of obtaining information through interrogation, investigations, and corrections observation.
5. Ability to apply first aid, CPR and related emergency practices and techniques.
6. Ability to analyze hazardous situations in a rational, mature and confident manner to act effectively; to remain calm and effective under stressful situations.
7. Ability to prepare clear and concise administrative reports.
8. Ability to read, interpret, enforce, apply and explain corrections laws, regulations, policies and procedures.
9. Ability to communicate and interact effectively and professionally with superiors, other officers, department personnel and the general public.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Applicants successfully completing the background and interview requirements will then be scheduled to attend and must pass a written and oral psychological examination, drug screen and physical examination.
2. Employee must meet the minimum vision and hearing standards as identified in the medical screening form for Corrections Officers.
3. Vision acuity may not be worse that 20/30 (corrected) or 20/200 (uncorrected) in either eye and must pass the following vision screening for Correction Officers.
4. Must be able to quickly distinguish visual between the colors red and green, without errors, when viewing ¼ diameter LED indicator light on a control panel or a ¾ inch square icon on a computer monitor.
5. Must be able to quickly distinguish visually between the colors red and yellow, when viewing a 1" of ½" cylinder key-ring marker using the Ishihara testing.
6. Must be able to quickly distinguish visually without errors between red, orange, blue, white and yellow inmate uniforms.
7. Must be able to identify inmate classification by looking at color coded uniforms (red, orange, blue, yellow, white).The average hearing level (HL) at the test frequencies 500, 1000 and 2000 Hz will not exceed 25 dB in either ear, aided or unaided and no single hearing level will exceed 30 dB at any of these test frequencies in either ear, aided or unaided. Hearing loss at 3000 Hz will not exceed 40 dB HL in either ear aided or unaided.
8. Employee must comply with Bernalillo County safety guidelines.
9. Employee must pass the physical agility test and maintain a fitness for duty status by testing yearly.
10. Successful completion of the Corrections Department probationary period and MDC Training Academy.
11. Successful applicants completing all the requirements described above may be notified by Bernalillo County of an official offer of employment. If accepted, the applicant will be hired as a County employee and scheduled into the next available Cadet Training Academy. Upon completion of the 10 week training program, graduating cadets will receive post orders and begin service for Bernalillo County Corrections.
WORKING CONDITIONS
1. Shift work is required.
2. The majority of essential duties are performed indoors in a temperature-controlled environment.
3. Outdoor duties are sometimes required in performance of essential duties and worker is exposed to natural weather conditions while performing outdoor duties.
4. Worker may be exposed to intermittent noise and vibration, a variety of fumes and odors, contagious diseases and potentially hostile and dangerous situations.
5. Indoor working surface is even and may be carpeted or tiled.
6. Indoor surfaces are typically dry and may involve the use of stairs. Outdoor surface may be even or uneven and may be wet or dry.
7. Outdoor duties may involve the use of stairs or ladders and may be performed on inclines or hills.
8. Outdoor surfaces may include natural ground, asphalt, or concrete.
9. Worker may perform duties with or without directions from a supervisor.
10. Worker may perform duties alone, or as part of a select team.
11. Work hazards include high stress level of job, operation of a vehicle.
EQUIPMENT, TOOLS AND MATERIALS
1. Equipment typically used to perform administrative duties include the telephone, computer, telefax machine, typewriter, photocopy machine, pager and two-way radio.
2. Utilizes security equipment, restraint equipment, and mace as necessary, and weapons based on assignment.
3. Utilizes first aid equipment, oxygen, fire extinguishers and other safety equipment on an as needed basis.
4. Operates a county vehicle as assigned.
5. Materials and products typically handled in the performance of administrative duties include a wide variety of forms and paperwork, reports, various writing utensils and a wide assortment of other basic office supplies and materials.
FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS
**NOTE: You are not required to disclose information about physical or mental limitations that you believe will not interfere with your capability to do the job. On the other hand, if you want the employer to consider special arrangements to accommodate a physical or mental impairment, you may identify that impairment in the space provided and suggest the kind of accommodation that you believe would be appropriate.
MENTAL FUNCTIONS
1. Must be able to ask questions of supervisors and be able to listen to and follow verbal directions in English.
2. Must be able to communicate orally and in writing with superiors, subordinates, co-workers and the general public.
3. Employee must be able to read and understand written directions in English.
4. Must be able to write reports and narrative in proper format using correct punctuation, spelling and grammar.
5. Must be able to speak effectively before a group of people using correct English.
6. Must be able to understand such concepts as ratios, proportions and percentages.
7. Must possess basic math and computer skills.
8. Must be able to plan and direct the work of others as well as being able to plan own work.
9. Must be able to use tact and courtesy in working with a wide range of individuals, sometimes under tense or extreme circumstances.
10. Must possess good judgment for quick action in emergency situations.
11. Must possess the adaptability to perform a variety of duties, often changing from one task to another task of a different nature without loss of efficiency or composure.
12. Must possess the ability to understand and apply knowledge of policies and procedures of the Corrections Department, County Ordinances.
13. Must possess the ability to analyze situations in order to take effective and reasonable courses of action.
14. Ability to analyze hazardous situations in a rational, mature and confident manner and to act effectively; to remain calm and effective under stressful situations.
PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS
1. Must be able to stand/walk for up to eight hours per day with periodic breaks.
2. Must be able to sit up to eight hours per day with periodic breaks.
3. Must be able to sprint in pursuits.
4. Must be able to run in pursuit for over two minutes.
5. Must be able to run over uneven terrain.
6. Must be able to run up/down stairs.
7. Must be able to kneel and crouch for short periods on an occasional basis as needed when performing essential duties.
8. Must be able to crawl.
9. Must be able to jump over obstacles.
10. Must be able to vault over obstacles.
11. Must be able to pull self over obstacles.
12. Must be able to enter, drive and exit vehicle as necessary.
13. Must be able to drive in pursuits.
14. Must be able to bend at the waist and reach, twist/rotate waist as needed on a frequent basis when performing essential duties.
15. Must be able to drag victims to safety OR May be called upon to drag, push, lift or carry heavy objects, assisted or unassisted, in routine and emergency circumstances.
16. Must be able to extract victims.
17. Must be able to push heavy objects.
18. Must be able to push/pull with arms with sufficient force to drag or restrain persons of varying strengths and size as needed.
19. Must be able to work with arms extended on a frequent basis.
20. Must be able to lift (light <25 lbs.). Must be able to lift (moderate 26-100 lbs.) Must be able to lift (heavy > 100 lbs.) Must be able to carry (light <25 lbs.) up to 170 ft.
21. Must be able to carry (moderate 26-50 lbs.) up to 110 ft.
22. Must be able to carry (heavy > 50 lbs) up to 75 ft.
23. Must be able to carry equipment up and down stairs.
24. Must be able to use force less than 1 minute.
25. Must be able to use force more than 1 minute.
26. Must be able to use restraints.
27. Must be able to use control holds.
28. Must be able to use hands and feet.
29. Must be able to force entry using pulling/pushing.
30. Must be able to force entry using tools.
31. Must be able to use legs to lift, restrain, or drag individuals as needed.
32. Must be able to use legs to maintain balance in the performance of essential duties, sometimes in emergency situations.
33. Must be able to use hands and fingers to grasp/manipulate equipment, persons, and materials as needed in performance of essential duties.
34. Must be able to coordinate the use of hands and eyes in the operation of a vehicle, operation of equipment, and the performance of other essential duties.
35. Must be able to dodge obstacles.
36. Must be able to climb over obstacles.
37. Must be able to climb over ledges.
38. Must be able to climb through windows(s).
39. Must be able to climb ladders.
40. Must be able to climb fences.
41. Must be able to maintain balance in the performance of essential duties and emergency situations.
42. Must be able to react quickly to unpredictable situations with inmates, which may require rapid or heavy physical exertion.
43. Ability to apply first aid, CPR and related emergency practices and techniques.
44. Must be able to safely and effectively utilize firearms when assigned to perform duties as a Transport Officer.
45. Upon graduation from the MDC Correctional Officer Academy, must be able to pass the physical ability test involving the following activities in the timeframe deemed appropriate: Jump 13.5 inches vertically, bench press 63% of body weight; perform agility run in 18.8 seconds, run 300 M in 67 seconds, perform 11 push-ups, perform 23 sit-ups in 1 minute, run 1.5 miles within 19 minutes and 53 seconds.