The other night I was working at the downtown jail, doing my routine duties. I was called down from the 3rd floor to the Control Room for visitors. I don’t get visitors at the jail, unless a pizza is being delivered so I had no idea who wanted to see me. Jail workers were guessing I was in trouble since this is a never happens occurrence.
To my surprise, the visitors were Sheriff Duchak and Jail Administrator Captain Norman. They were there to swear me in as a jail officer, civil deputy, corrections officer or whatever the appropriate title is needed for the function being performed on behalf of the Sheriff under color of Ohio Law. The patch I wear states, “Correction Officer” otherwise is the same Ohio patch worn by a “Sheriff Deputy” in all 55 counties in the State of Ohio.
The Ohio Revised Code Section 341.05(C) states, “(C) The jail administrator and civilian jail officers appointed by the sheriff shall have all the powers of police officers on the jail grounds as are necessary for the proper performance of the duties relating to their positions at the jail and as are consistent with their level of training.”
So I have traded in my 37 years as a police officer in a larger governmental jurisdiction like a city or township to a police officer in a smaller, more secure space with a lot more criminals to take care of. Only in the jail or out at the incarceration facility the ration can be 60 to 1. And I don’t have weapons as I did on the street.
With Duchak being the newly elected Sheriff, I am sworn in for the term of his office or until I decide to retire again. Since I am having fun dealing with the same people I dealt with and sometimes arrested on the street, I will probably be around a little while. I saw one of the inmates at the grocery the day after being duly sworn in and he seemed happy, said hello and told me he was getting his life straightened out. I told him I only want to see him at Kroger and not back in the jail. He laughed and agreed.
Following is the Ohio Revised Code Section dealing with Jail Officers:
341.05 Staff assignment and compensation.
(A) The sheriff shall assign sufficient staff to ensure the safe and secure operation of the county jail, but staff shall be assigned only to the extent such staff can be provided with funds appropriated to the sheriff at the discretion of the board of county commissioners. The staff may include any of the following:
(1) An administrator for the jail;
(2) Jail officers, including civilian jail officers who are not sheriff›s deputies, to conduct security duties;
(3) Other necessary employees to assist in the operation of the county jail.
(B) The sheriff shall employ a sufficient number of female staff to be available to perform all reception and release procedures for female prisoners. These female employees shall be on duty for the duration of the confinement of the female prisoners.
(C) The jail administrator and civilian jail officers appointed by the sheriff shall have all the powers of police officers on the jail grounds as are necessary for the proper performance of the duties relating to their positions at the jail and as are consistent with their level of training.
(D) The sheriff may authorize civilian jail officers to wear a standard uniform consistent with their prescribed authority, in accordance with section 311.281 of the Revised Code. Civilian jail officer uniforms shall be differentiated clearly from the uniforms worn by sheriff›s deputies.
(E) Except as provided in division (B) of section 341.25 of the Revised Code, the compensation of jail staff shall be payable from the general fund of the county, upon the warrant of the auditor, in accordance with standard county payroll procedures.
Effective Date: 10-16-1996; 2003 HB95 09-26-2003
