MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -
The Montgomery County Detention Facility needs more correctional officers. Officials are trying to fill 20 slots there at a time when jobs are needed most.
"The job is rewarding," says 12-year correctional officer Sgt. James Dill.
Dill believes some have been reluctant to apply there because of what they may think a jail environment would be like--hostile, perhaps, with criminals walking around.
But he says it's nothing like that.
"You kinda can give back. You can talk to some people that may have went to the wrong side of the track. When they enter this facility you're able to implement something they may have missed."
"It's a good working environment. Clean, everybody knows everybody," says Montgomery County Chief Deputy Derrick Cunningham.
He wants to paint a positive picture of the jail, but admits not everyone is qualified to work there.
Finding the ones that are has been difficult.
"We can't get people that have bad credit. We can't get people that owe a lot of people," says Cunningham.
But he says hiring more officers helps the ones they already have.
"Anytime you have employees that want to take vacation, comp, whatever, you need to have employees here so that they'll be able to take off."
"It would help because we would come off of these 12 hour shifts that we're on now," says Correctional officer Kimiya Harris.
Deputies say the starting salary is roughly $30,000 dollars and the county will pay for you to go to college.
Dill believes it's a no-brainer for job seekers.
"If you're out there, you're sitting there, you need employment...look into it."
For a link to the Montgomery County Detention Center Correctional Officer application click here.
Copyright 2012 WSFA 12 News. All rights reserved.
Sgt. James Dill checks inmate holding rooms at the Montgomery County Jail.
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