Do you have what it takes to be a Juvenile Detention Officer?

Juvenile Detention Officers can make a positive difference in the lives of detained youth. Our agency believes all youth are capable of success with no exceptions. This is accomplished by not giving up on our youth, ensuring all youth are connected to a caring adult, and continuously reinforcing the power of hope for their future. Due to the nature of the work, it is important that candidates assess whether they are a match to the skills and personal characteristics necessary to excel in this position. Candidates are asked to consider the following information carefully.

Are you:

  • A person of integrity? Applicants must have sound moral and ethical principles, be trustworthy, reliable, and accountable for their actions. They should act with honor and truthfulness.
  • Motivational in order to support and encourage behavior change?
  • A clear communicator? You must interact effectively with support and respect, listen actively, and engage youth in the process in order to solicit the need to change.
  • A strong writer? You’ll be required to document activity, decisions, progress, etc.; clearly, credibly, and concisely.
  • Able to work any time? This is not a Monday-Friday, 8 to 5 job. You will be asked to work rotating shifts that include holidays and weekends.
  • Personable and relationship-oriented? You’ll spend all of your time with detained youth to build quality relationships in order to be an effective behavior-change agent.
  • Comfortable with uncertain situations? You could find yourself in a situation where your safety may be compromised.
  • Emotionally stable? You should be able to draw clear and healthy emotional boundaries.
  • A critical thinker? You’ll be required to analyze complex information in order to form judgments and draw conclusions while considering the implications and consequences of all options.
  • A decision-maker? You’ll be required to select logical and optimal choices from all available options.

 

If you think you have what it takes to make a difference in this position, we welcome your application. Please read this page in its entirety.

Minimum Requirements

The following are the minimum requirements for Juvenile Detention Officers:

  • At minimum, possess a High School Diploma or GED
  • Be a minimum age of 21 years
  • Must test negative for Tuberculosis – Testing information will be provided to you if you are selected for the position.

Pay

The starting pay for the Juvenile Detention Officer position is $25.26 per hour. Candidates with previous detention officer or corrections officer experience may be placed at a higher rate of pay.

Want to know what a Juvenile Detention Officer does?

Check out our video to see what our Detention Officers love about their job.

Detention Center Tours and Detention Officer Questions

If you are interested in talking to someone about a career as a Juvenile Detention Officer, please call or email Cameil Kimble at 602-372-1174 or Cameil.Kimble@jbazmc.maricopa.gov.

Juvenile Detention Officer Recruitment Process:

The process will generally take 6-8 weeks but may take longer to complete. Applicants will only advance to the next stage of the process once they have successfully completed and passed the previous step. 

 A timeline of the process:

  • Application must be submitted online during the posting period on our website.
  • Qualified applicants will be invited to an assessment day where they will complete several assessments, participate in an interview, receive in-depth information about the position, and receive a tour of the detention facility.
  • Qualified applicants will receive an email link to our online background packet to be completed and returned within 7 days. This is an extensive questionnaire that requires you to fill out personal information and provide supporting documents. This step will likely take you 2-3 hours to complete. You will also be asked to upload supporting documents. The documents you will need are listed on the upper right-hand side of this page.
  • Background investigations are conducted and usually take 2-4 weeks but may take longer. During this time, job history will be validated, and references will be contacted.
  • Background interviews are conducted.
  • Polygraphs are performed by our polygraph vendors. Results can take up to a week to receive. Out-of-state candidates must be here in person to take the polygraph at their own expense.
  • Psychological Evaluation. The Psychological Evaluation is usually administered over 2 separate days. The first day involves a series of psychological tests that can last up to 4 hours, and the second day involves an interview with our staff Psychologist. Out-of-state candidates must be here in person to take the psychological evaluation at their own expense. The polygraph and the psychological evaluation cannot be combined into one trip. Results are sent to the Chief Probation Officer for final determination.
  • Start dates are coordinated.

Juvenile Detention Officer Academies for Successful Hires:

Detention Officer Academies are conducted quarterly. Our Academies are mainly conducted at the Durango Probation offices Monday through Friday during standard business hours of 8 am to 5 pm. Hires who start prior to the academy will work in a shadowing capacity with an experienced officer.

The Academy is 4 weeks long and consists of both Detention Observation and classroom training on:

  • Professional Boundaries
  • Safety and Security
  • Manipulation
  • Adolescent Development
  • Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
  • Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA)
  • Behavior Management
  • Programming
  • Performance-Based Standards
  • Gangs
  • The Mandt System (Crisis Prevention & De-escalation)
  • Handle With Care techniques
  • Incident Report Writing
  • Searches
  • Juvenile Supervision

Communications

Most of our communications for the Juvenile Detention Officer position are done by email. Please make sure you are checking your email and junk mail regularly if you are involved in one of our open recruitments.

If you have any additional questions about this recruitment, please contact us at 602-372-9675.

Required Documentation

You will need to submit the following documents during the Juvenile Detention Officer background process. Please start collecting these documents now, as once instructed, you will need to submit them by the deadline you are given by the Staffing Analyst:

  • A legible copy of your Arizona Driver License (Out of state Candidates submit their current state license)
  • A copy of your High School Diploma, High School Transcripts, GED, or a copy of College Transcripts that indicate you have at least a high school diploma
  • A copy of your Member 4 DD-214 (or comparable paperwork) if you served in the military

Juvenile Detention Officer Frequently Asked Questions

Almost all new employees will start on the 12 pm to 10 pm shift and will work 4 consecutive 10-hour shifts with 3 days off per week. The set of consecutive days you will be assigned at a time is dependent upon the needs of the department. Assignments will generally rotate every 4 months.

There is usually overtime work available.

Yes, the detention facility is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year operation. Work will be performed on weekends and holidays.

The starting pay for Juvenile Detention Officers is $24.05 per hour. Applicants who have experience in corrections or detention may be placed at a higher rate.

Merit increases must be approved by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, and employees must be in good standing. Typically employees will receive a merit increase at one year, and each subsequent July if approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Additionally, all Detention Officers will have a mandatory contribution to the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS). You can select a contribution as low as 5% or as high as the IRS maximum contribution rate. Information about the benefits of PSPRS can be found here.

Successful candidates are eligible to receive a Sign-On Incentive in the amount of $3,000. The first $1,500 is paid after successful completion of 6 months of employment as a Juvenile Detention Officer. The second $1,500 is paid after successful completion of 18 months of employment as a Juvenile Detention Officer. Employees who voluntarily separate employment will be required to repay any sign-on incentives received during the last 12 months prior to their separation date.

We offer good benefits with low premium costs for medical, dental, and vision. We have other benefits available as well. Check out our benefits information here.

In addition, full-time employees will accrue at least 120 hours of paid time off per year depending on their years of service.

Each Detention Officer is provided with uniform shirts and a jacket. Detention Officers are expected to provide their own jeans, slacks, or other work-appropriate pants that align with the department’s dress code. Closed-toe shoes are required. They can be a tennis shoe or work boot/shoe, but steel toe shoes are NOT allowed.

The Academy is conducted at the Juvenile Probation Offices at the Durango Complex located at 3125 West Durango Street, Phoenix Arizona 85009

The Juvenile Detention Center is located at the Durango complex located at 3131 West Durango Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85009, but assignments are made based on the needs of the department.

We have multiple positions available.