Recruiting Jailers

We live in a time when many people are struggling to find consistent work, but many stats show that the economy is turning around and businesses are beginning to hire again. One facility in Midland is looking for five new workers, and they're hiring immediately, but it's not always the easiest place to get applicants.

The Midland County Detention Center was built in 1990 because of a demand for a facility to house inmates. Now, 20 years after it was constructed, the facility continues to fill up. And that's exactly why staff at the detention center are currently looking for more help.

It may not be a glamorous job, but it is a job...a job that helps keep everyone safe. Lieutenant Timothy Telck is the Training Coordinator at the Midland County Detention Center, and he says they need more jailers for a variety of reasons.

"It helps keep the stress level down for the officers, especially if we're understaffed, we're working overtime and the officers are getting burned out, they're getting tired, and they start missing things...it makes it unsafe for them. It makes it unsafe for the fellow employees. It makes it unsafe for the inmates. It makes it unsafe for the public," Telck said.

Job responsibilities include checking on the inmates, maintaining sanitation, and conducting various state mandated services.

"Currently we have 60 jailers...we need 65. We're five short right now," Telck said. "We have to maintain a one to 48 ratio. The state mandates we have one corrections officer for every 48 inmates," he said.

More than that, and two officers are required. So what happens if they don't get the five they need?

"We'll be out of compliance with the state because we won't have enough officers to supervise inmates. We'll either have to start shipping them out...shipping inmates out to other counties, or paying overtime to the staff we do have left," Telck said.

They're currently taking applications for the job. You need to be 18 or older, have a clean criminal background, a high school diploma or GED, and you must pass a drug test. Telck said there is room for advancement. To apply, simply log onto their website...www.co.midland.tx.us, click the Human Resources tab, and print off the application.