Easter Seals Jobs

Summary:

The Director of the Department of Corrections is responsible for the safe, secure, and constitutionally compliant housing of all persons committed to the Department or waiting in central booking for an initial appearance before the District Court Commissioner.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Represents the interests of the County in all matters of detention, incarceration, housing, rehabilitation, and remediation of both pre-trial and sentenced incarcerated individuals.
• Leads, plans, directs, and controls all operations of the Talbot County Detention Center.
• Develops, establishes, and communicates policies and procedures for the management, operation, and maintenance of the Detention Center.
• Provides opportunities to change criminal thinking patterns and promote pro-social behaviors through education with a cognitive behavioral focus, with the objective of a decreased likelihood of re-incarceration.
• Ensures the Center is adequately staffed and all staff members are trained and certified as required; by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission; establishes and communicates standards of work performance, work hours, and personnel rules and regulations, ensures effective supervision of staff; provides for the safety, security, and compensation of staff members; resolves personnel problems and initiates disciplinary action as needed; instructs correctional personnel in new procedures.
• Ensures the Detention Center is inspected daily to certify employees and incarcerated individuals adhere to departmental policies, procedures, and practices.
• Provides for the periodic inspection and repair of all center facilities, incarcerated individuals areas, and equipment; oversees the periodic searches of all areas of the facility and ensures the confiscation of prohibited items.
• Prepares and presents the Departments operating and capital budgets to the County Manager and County Council. Administers operating and capital budgets as adopted by the County Council. FY25 approved Operating and Capital Budgets is $7,755,000.00.
• Represents Talbot County as a member of the Maryland Correctional Administrators Association. Monitors, studies, and briefs County leadership on specific legislation proposed by the Maryland General Assembly and the potential impact on the County and the Department of Corrections, if passed.
• Serves as the primary point of contact and liaison for Talbot County with various County, State, and Federal court officials; US Marshalls Service, state and local law enforcement and correctional officials; other federal and state officials, contractors, and vendors in connection with Departmental activities. Within County government, fosters and maintains positive working relationships with the County Manager, County Council, States Attorneys Office, Sheriffs Office, and other County department directors.
• Ensures compliance with Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), all applicable Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR), the Annotated Code of Maryland, the Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards and all other statutes and case law pertaining to federal and state constitutional rights of incarcerated persons, regulations of the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and other applicable statutes, standards and County ordinances and codes.
• Develops and presents policy recommendations relating to correctional and security services to the County Manager and County Council. Ensures that all County personnel regulations are adhered to by all County employees. Seeks clarification on policy issues from Administrative Services as necessary.
• Conducts and/or coordinates required investigation into serious breaches of the law, policy and procedures, rules, and regulations, whether by staff or incarcerated individuals. Coordinates such investigations with appropriate law enforcement agencies and the States Attor eys Office.
• Accounts for the control, safety, and security of visitors to the center, the public and detainees.
• Accounts for the receipt, processing, custody, safety, security, care, transport, and release of incarcerated individuals; provides for incarcerated individuals services such as medical care, food services, educational opportunities, laundry, etc.; ensures that incarcerated individuals rights are not abridged; interviews troubled individuals and resolves problems; establishes and ensures enforcement of standards of incarcerated individuals behavior.
• Responds to questions, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, inquiries, complaints, and the press as necessary and maintains a permanent record of all responses.
• Develops Strategic Planning Reports and other related reports as required.
• Performs related work as required.

Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university in criminal justice, social sciences, or public administration or a combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in the administration, management, and oversight of a correctional facility.
• Possess excellent communication skills, verbal and written. Possess the ability to read, analyze, and interpret highly detailed and complex documents.
• Must be familiar with current and emerging best practices pertaining to reducing recidivism.
• Must have the ability to write and edit detailed and complex reports, policies, procedures, and correspondence.
• Be able to respond appropriately and effectively when handling highly confidential and/or sensitive inquiries or complaints.
• Ability to make effective and persuasive speeches and presentations on controversial or complex topics to the County Council and various governmental agencies, committees, boards, and other public groups.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with subordinates, incarcerated individuals, lawyers, the public, and officials of County, State and Federal agencies.
• Ability to maintain records and prepare financial reports.
• Ability to communicate calmly and effectively with all incarcerated individuals and their family members in all situations.

Physical Demands:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were written out in this job description.