State of Maryland

A Correctional Recreation Officer I is the entry level of work providing recreational activities for adult inmates confined in a correctional facility.  This work involves the custody, security and supervision of inmates participating in recreation programs.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other Correctional Recreation Officers.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a Correctional Recreation Supervisor or other designated official.  Employees in this classification may be required to work evenings, weekends and holidays.  Work is performed primarily in a correctional facility and employees are continually exposed to inmates who may be abusive and hostile.  Employees may be required to physically subdue and restrain inmates during fights and escape attempts.

Positions in this classification are evaluated 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 Correctional Recreation Officer I and Correctional Recreation Officer II are differentiated on the basis of the degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over the employees.  The Correctional Recreation Officer I learns to perform duties under close supervision.  The Correctional Recreation Officer II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision within established guidelines.

Attends formal training courses at the Correctional Training Academy;

Learns correctional regulations and institutional rules and policies;

Learns to coordinate recreation activities with security staff in order to avoid security problems;

Learns how to maintain control and discipline among the inmate participants by enforcing safety, sanitary, custody and security regulations;

Learns how to keep continual count of inmates;

Learns how to perform searches of inmates for concealment of drugs, weapons, equipment and other unauthorized items;

Learns how and when to prepare reports of infractions;

Learns how to subdue and restrain inmates during fights and escape attempts;

Organizes and directs sporting events and recreational activities, such as talent shows and theatrical presentations designed to assist inmates in developing respect for authority, punctuality, cooperation and good sportsmanship;

Distributes and accounts for all sporting equipment issued to inmates;

Directs the activities of inmate athletic aides in the maintenance and upkeep of fields and in maintaining the cleanliness of athletic facilities;

Trains inmate athletic aides in score-keeping, officiating, and coaching;

Conducts periodic inventory of recreational equipment and requisitions new items in order to maintain necessary equipment levels;

Consults with inmate classification staff and security staff about the hiring and retention of inmate athletic aides;

Renders emergency first aid;

May act as a liaison with community groups;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the principles of physical education and the methods of group recreation;

Knowledge of the rules of popular games and sports;

Knowledge of first aid and Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation;

Skill in organizing sporting/recreational events;

Ability to learn and follow detailed procedures contained in correctional regulations, institutional directives and post orders;

Ability to remain calm in stressful situations and respond in an appropriate manner according to prescribed rules and procedures;

Ability to observe and remember incidents and to recall details, such as identity of persons, location of items, conversations and sequence of events and actions taken during the incident;

Ability to work in an institutional setting where personal physical attack by convicted felons is a constant possibility and where the use of physical force to restrain inmates is a required part of the job;

Ability to prepare concise, accurate reports of events and incidents;

Ability to effectively communicate with assigned inmates, correctional officers and other institutional staff;

Ability to learn to direct and instruct groups of inmates with varying kinds of temperament and talent in games and sports;

Ability to teach the rules of popular games, score-keeping, officiating and coaching;

Ability to learn to supervise inmate workers.

Experience: Four years of experience in organizing recreational activities.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree in physical education or recreation from an accredited college or university for the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience in correctional institutional specialty codes in the criminal justice field of work at a rate of two years of military experience for the required experience.

1. Employees who have not already done so must meet the selection standards required and successfully complete the training prescribed by the Maryland Correctional Training Commission for institutional support staff during their probationary period. (Correctional Services Article, Section 8-209 of the Annotated Code of Maryland). Selection standards for institutional support staff training are listed in detail in the Code of Maryland Regulations Title 12, Subtitle 10, Chapter 01 and include the following:

U.S. Citizenship or Resident Alien status
Must be at least 21 years of age
Oral interview
A completed background investigation
Physical examination.

2. Employees in this classification are subject to substance abuse testing in accordance with the Code of Maryland Regulations 06.01.09, 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 specifically 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 the 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 the 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 level 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 by 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.