To become a juvenile detention officer, you need patience, good communication skills, and the ability to make quick decisions. A high school diploma is usually required, but experience in police work, security, or probation is also valuable. Training is provided, and knowledge of psychology, sociology, and the legal system is helpful. The job involves monitoring residents, enforcing rules, and performing minor tasks.
When youths run into trouble with the law but are too young for an adult correctional facility, they are sent to a juvenile detention facility. If you want to become a juvenile detention officer, you must be able to work with young boys and girls to help them learn to follow the law and to rehabilitate themselves. You’ll need patience and more to complete the variety of tasks required to keep a juvenile detention center in order.
For most correctional institutions, the only educational requirement needed to become a juvenile detention officer is a high school diploma. Many facilities, however, value faculty work and will use classroom time as a substitute for work experience. Psychology, sociology, anthropology and other studies of human behavior are very valuable when dealing with youth in detention facilities. Other classes that might be useful include anything that deals with the legal and judicial system, such as political science.
In lieu of classroom knowledge, many correctional officers have experience in the areas of police work, security, and probation. Many correctional facilities understand that you may not have direct experience in this field and will offer training to someone who wants to work as a juvenile detention officer. These classes run for several weeks and fully prepare you for the job, from the daily grind and fights to proper protocols and actions.
You will have to cultivate a wide variety of skills to monitor residents after becoming a juvenile detention officer. Patience is by far the most important skill to learn because many of these young people test you and try to get you to lose your temper verbally or physically. Being a strong communicator who can rationally discuss actions and consequences with inmates is an essential skill. You must also be able to make quick decisions in this role, because an officer may only have a matter of seconds to end a conflict before it spirals out of control. You must also be physically fit to subdue violent individuals.
These skills will help you to perform all the important tasks that you must fulfill to become a juvenile detention officer. Your main responsibility will be to monitor residents to ensure they follow the rules and are where they are supposed to be. If they aren’t following rules, you should know how to maintain discipline by actions like revoking privileges. You must also be an expert in detention center rules to know when to apply discipline. In addition, you must be able to perform minor tasks such as admitting new residents and escorting others to court dates and other meetings.
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