State of Maryland

The DJS Youth Transportation Officer I is the intermediate level of work transporting and escorting youth who have been detained or placed in a facility operated by the Department of Juvenile Services.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a DJS Youth Transportation Officer Supervisor or other designated administrator until fully certified by the Maryland Correctional Training Commission.  Employees may be required to work days, evenings, weekends or holidays.  Employees may be subject to call-in on a twenty-four hour basis based on staffing needs.  Employees may be exposed to youth who are abusive and hostile.  Employees are required to physically subdue violent youth, intervene to prevent situations from escalating and prevent escapes if needed.  Employees will be required to apply and remove mechanical restraining devices.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work Sections of the class specification.

The DJS Youth Transportation Officer Trainee, DJS Youth Transportation Officer I and DJS Youth Transportation Officer II are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The DJS Youth Transportation Officer Trainee learns performs duties under close supervision,.   The DJS Youth Transportation Officer I performs duties under close supervision until fully certified and then performs a limited range of duties with some independence at times and under close supervision at other times, depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The DJS Youth Transportation Officer II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Transports youth in the care of the Department of Juvenile Services to and from juvenile courts, youth facilities or other designated locations using State vehicles, such as ten passenger vans;

Ensures the safety and security of youth being transported by providing supervision, care and crisis intervention during their transportation, escort and temporary detention in juvenile courts;

Maintains assigned vehicles by scheduling preventive maintenance, ensuring cleanliness and following start-up and operating procedures;

Applies and removes mechanical restraining devices, such as handcuffs, waist chains and leg shackles, on youth;

Ensures that passenger vans are equipped with an adequate number of working restraining devices;

Conducts searches of youth, vehicles and holding areas;

Observes, supervises and controls youth in court detention areas;

Escorts youth to courtrooms in a secure manner and provides a security presence in the courtroom;

Subdues unruly youth and attempts to prevent escapes or runaways;

Coordinates with officials of juvenile institutions, regional probation offices, sheriff’s offices, police departments and juvenile courts regarding the transportation and temporary detention of youth;

Attends in-service training on relevant topics, such as crisis prevention, suicide prevention, emergency medical treatments and behavioral modification models to maintain knowledge of childcare needs, counseling methods and trends in the juvenile justice field and to maintain certification;

Maintains vehicle maintenance logs and prepares incident reports;

May provide training on transportation unit procedures to new transportation officers;

May dispense, pick up and deliver medications;

May perform intake or admissions functions such as drug testing of newly admitted youth;

May supervise youth in a facility during emergency situations;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of Maryland traffic laws and regulations;

Knowledge of policies, regulations and procedures for transporting, escorting and temporarily supervising youth in the care of the Department of Juvenile Services;

Knowledge of vehicle maintenance and preventive care;

Skill in operating vehicles such as ten passenger vans;

Skill in using road maps;

Ability to use crisis intervention techniques with youth who may be unruly, violent or emotionally overwrought;

Ability to maintain logs and to prepare reports;

Ability to communicate effectively with youth detained by the Department of Juvenile Services;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with officials of juvenile institutions, regional probation offices, sheriff’s offices, police departments, juvenile courts, detained youth and their families or guardians.

Education: Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate acceptable to the Maryland State Board of Education as described in the Maryland Correctional Training Commission regulation.

Experience: One year of experience working with groups of children or youth in a structured environment, such as a recreation center or school setting.

Notes:

1. The above educational requirement is set by the Maryland Correctional Training Commission in accordance with the Correctional Services Article, Section 8-209, Annotated Code of Maryland.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in Social Services Aid and Assistant classifications or Social Services Aid and Assistant specialty codes in the Social Science, Psychology and Welfare field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

1. Employees in this classification must complete and successfully pass the Entrance Level Training Course for DJS support staff required for Correctional Training Commission certificate during the probationary period.

2. Employees in this classification will be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

1. In accordance with the Correctional Services Article, Section 8-209 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, the Maryland Correctional Training Commission shall establish the minimum qualifications for probationary or permanent appointment of a Department of Juvenile Services employee in a mandated position. These requirements are listed in detail in the Code of Maryland Regulations 12.10.01.04, general regulations of the Maryland Correctional Training Commission, and include:

U.S. Citizenship or Resident Alien status

Must be at least 21 years of age

A thorough background check, including fingerprinting and drug testing

An oral interview, and

Physical and psychological examinations.

2. Employees in this classification may be subject to call-in 24 hours a day and, therefore, may be supplied with a pager or may be required to provide the employing agency with a telephone number at which they can be reached.

3. Employees in this classification are subject to substance abuse testing inaccordance with Code of Maryland Regulation 17.04.09 – Testing for Illegal Use of Drugs.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit H, Public Safety and Security classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime as provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance levels in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class as defined in the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.