Juvenile Detention Specialist

Salary: $28.38 - $36.51 Hourly
Location : 1301 S. 41st Street, Omaha, NE, NE
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 10324
Department: Youth Center
Division: YOUTH CENTER
Opening Date: 09/15/2026
Closing Date: 9/29/2026 4:30 PM Central


The Position


Incumbent works under the direction of the Douglas County Youth Center (DCYC) Superintendent or designee, supervising Youth Center detainees while maintaining adherence to established policies and procedures.

Essential Functions

• Monitor daily activities of detainees in assigned unit, reviewing information from previous shift.
• Establish and maintain effective work relationships with clients, supervisors, County employees, elected officials, attorneys, law enforcement, judges, other agencies, and the public.
• Comply with Civil Service policies and regulations, collective bargaining agreements, County policies, department policies and laws to create a cooperative, safe, respectful and quality work environment.
• Familiarize new detainees with rules, regulations, and operating procedures.
• Provide positive reinforcement for detainees when appropriate, and serve as a role-model for appropriate behavior.
• Regularly inspect assigned unit and personal inspections of detainees to ensure the safety of detainees and security of the facility (e.g. contraband, hazards, damage, or potential security breaches).
• Maintain knowledge of policies and procedures, including regulatory and accreditation requirements, state statutes and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA).
• Maintain "watch sheet" for designated detainees (e.g. suicide, medical conditions).
• Report any unusual behavior, conditions, or activities to Duty Supervisor.
• Respond immediately to emergencies, restraining or restricting the action of combative or disruptive detainees using only necessary force.
• Document unusual activity or incidents, passing relevant information to oncoming shift.
• Coordinate and monitor individual and group activities and appointments.
• Keep track of detainee location and escort detainees to group activities outside of the unit.
• Monitor detainee medication intake as prescribed by the medical department.
• Respond to medical emergencies, consult with supervisor, alert medical staff to detainees' request or need for medical attention and take appropriate action
• Communicate and establish rapport and trust with detainees to facilitate meaningful interactions, problem solving, and exchange of ideas.
• Provide input to supervisors on disciplinary matters and take action as directed.
• Maintain sanitation standards and ensure cleanliness in facility (e.g. prepare soiled items for laundry service, restock clean laundry and supplies, distribute personal hygiene items to detainees), taking action to correct any deficiencies.
• Prepare list of supplies needed for assigned unit.
• Prepare reports and attend meetings and training.
• Serve as acting shift supervisor as assigned.
• Safely operate a motor vehicle when required to travel on County business.
• Report to work with regular, consistent attendance.
• Perform other duties as assigned and directed.

Education and Work Experience and Other Requirements

• Associate's degree from an accredited college or university in Criminal Justice, Behavioral Sciences, Sociology, or Psychology required.*
• One (1) year work experience with adolescent youth required.*
• Twenty-one (21) years of age or older required.
• Juvenile corrections experience preferred.
• Valid driver's license and own transportation upon hire and maintained throughout employment required.
• Random drug testing required.
• Completion of a pre-employment criminal record check and conditional offer drug screen required.
• *Equivalent combination of experience/education may be substituted for requirements on a year-for-year basis.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

• The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Work is generally performed inside a correctional setting during an assigned shift supporting a 24/7 operation. Noise level is usually moderate to loud. Work hours may vary (e.g. weekends, holidays, and overtime/extra hours, emergency call-in). Work may involve exposure to biohazards. Work may be stressful when interacting with offender populations dealing with family members, or critical situations.
• Work requires some physical activity including extended periods of standing and walking, frequent climbing, and occasional sitting, running, balancing, kneeling, bending, and reaching. Work also requires the ability to frequently lift/carry/push/pull/grip objects weighing up to 20 pounds and occasionally up to 200 pounds.
• Required sensory abilities include vision, hearing and touch. Visual abilities, correctable to normal ranges, include close, distance, color and peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Communication abilities include the ability to talk and hear within normal ranges. Incumbents must possess the hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate computers and other equipment.

Douglas County is an EOE - Disability/Veterans
Douglas County offers a comprehensive benefit package including:

• Insurance including health, dental, vision, and life
• Pension
• Sick Leave
• Vacation Leave
• 13 Holidays
• Flex Spending Accounts
• Deferred Income plans (457 plan)
• EAP
• Health Savings Accounts

01


What is the highest level of education you have completed?

• High school diploma/GED
• 1 year of college
• 2 years of college or Associate's Degree
• 3 or more years of college
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree

02


If your degree is in a field of study other than Criminal Justice, Behavioral Sciences, Sociology or Psychology, please specify your field of study.
03


How many years' experience do you have working with adolescent youth?

• Less than one year
• One year
• Two years
• Three years
• Four years
• Five or more years

04


This position requires you to be twenty-one (21) years of age or older. Do you meet this condition of employment?

• Yes
• No

05


You must possess a valid driver's license and own transportation upon hire and it must be maintained throughout employment. Do you understand this condition of employment?

• Yes
• No

06


Describe your experience with juvenile corrections.
07


If hired into this position you will be required to submit to random drug testing. Do you agree to this condition of employment?

• Yes
• No

08


Are you able to successfully perform the Essential Functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation?

• Yes
• No

09


Are you able to meet the Physical Requirements and Working Conditions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation?

• Yes
• No

10


This position requires the ability to deal effectively with individuals from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds and diverse cultures and ethnicity including individuals who may be maladjusted, emotionally or mentally disturbed, hostile, and physically and verbally abusive. Is this acceptable to you?

• Yes
• No

11


As outlined in the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 The Douglas County Department of Corrections shall ask all applicants and employees who may have contact with inmates directly about previous misconduct described in paragraph (a) of this section in written applications or interviews for hiring or promotions and in any interviews or written self-evaluations conducted as part of reviews of current employees the following questions.115.17(a) The agency shall not hire or promote anyone who may have contact with inmates, and shall not enlist the services of any contractor who may have contact with inmates, who--(1) Has engaged in sexual abuse in a prison, jail, lockup, community confinement facility, juvenile facility, or other institution (as defined in 42 U.S.C. 1997);(2) Has been convicted of engaging or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force, or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse; or(3) Has been civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in the activity described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.Have you ever engaged in sexual abuse in a prison, jail, lockup, community confinement facility, juvenile facility, or other institution? (If yes, explain)
12


Have you ever been convicted of engaging or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force, or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse? (If yes, explain)
13


Have you ever been civilly or administratively adjudicated for engaging or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force, or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse? (If yes, explain)
14


If you answer yes to claiming Veteran's Preference, you must attach to your application, before submission, a copy of your DD214 including page 4 identifying your character of service (and IF disabled, verification of disability from the VA), OR if you are a spouse of a 100% disabled veteran, you must attach a copy of your spouse's DD214, showing character of service, a copy of the veteran's disability verification from the Department of Veteran's Affairs demonstrating a 100% permanent disability rating, and proof of marriage to the veteran; OR if you are a spouse of an active service member, you must attach a copy of your spouse's active service orders and proof of marriage to the active service member.I understand this requirement that documents must be attached.

• Yes
• No
• I am not claiming Veteran's Preference

15


Have you ever been convicted of a violation of any criminal statute whether felony or misdemeanor, or do you currently have a charge pending for any felony, misdemeanor, or other criminal offense excluding minor traffic violations? NOTE: Applicants are not obligated to disclose a sealed juvenile record of arrest, custody, complaint, disposition, diversion, adjudication, or sentence.

• Yes
• No

16


If you answered "yes", please list offense(s) and date(s) of occurrence(s). NOTE: A conviction record is not an automatic bar to employment. Each case is considered in relation to the position applied for.
17


The Douglas County Youth Center operates on a 24 hour basis. Are you able to work any shift or day assigned including weekends, holidays, overtime, and emergency call-ins as needed?

• Yes
• No

18


The pay range salary for this position is $28.38 to $36.51 per hour. Is this acceptable to you?

• Yes
• No

Required Question