NCJ Number
168826
Journal
American Jails Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Dated: March/April 1996 Pages: 18-20
Date Published
1996
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Sedgewick County Sheriff's Department (Kansas) seeks to hire, train, and maintain a diverse workforce that reflects the racial/ethnic composition of the community it serves.
Abstract
In employee recruitment and hiring, emphasis is given to hiring employees who are looking for a career in corrections; women and minorities are actively recruited for positions. Of the seven members of the last detention class, four were either women or minorities. New detention deputies are trained in an 8-week academy. In addition to traditional correctional training subjects, new employees receive training in cultural differences, equal employment opportunity policies, sexual harassment policies, interpersonal communication skills, conflict resolution skills, and ethics. The academy training is followed by 3 weeks in a field training deputy program, in which the new detention deputies learn from an experienced deputy in a hands-on environment at the Sedgwick County Adult Local Detention Facility. Promotion is based on a civil service system that consists of points awarded for length of service, performance evaluations, written examinations, oral review board, and formal education. The department attempts to keep the examination process both race and gender neutral. Many women and minority officers have achieved promotion under this system. Of the 17 supervisors currently assigned to the detention division, 29 percent are women or minorities. Another key part of operations in a culturally diverse community is maintaining a high-profile at various cultural celebrations in the community. Every effort is made to take into account cultural and ethnic differences in serving a diverse inmate population. As part of this effort Bibles are provided in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Korans are provided to Moslem inmates. 8-item bibliography