Oklahoma County Detention Center Hosting Job Fair

The Oklahoma Detention Center is facing a staff shortage; everything from clerical to support staff. But the center really needs detention officers; 30-to-40 of them. So, they’re holding a job fair Wednesday, August 12. 

“Jails are difficult places to work,” jail administrator Greg Williams admitted. “They’re not real rewarding in a lot of regards. They’re not the highest paying jobs, but it’s a place where you can really make a difference in people’s lives and you can change generations of people just by doing some good work.”

So, the Oklahoma County Detention Center is looking to hire dozens of officers right on the spot Wednesday. 

The pay starts at around $33,000 a year. Medical benefits and 401-K are offered. The center is short on staff because of the transition from the sheriff’s office to the jail trust taking over operations.

“We were really looking for different kinds of people. So, it was mutually agreed that he would stop hiring people at some point and give me a chance to bring on my people. And that created about a three- or four-week gap,” Williams said. “I don’t know if that’s a crisis. I mean it’s not like things are in dire straits, and all that kind of thing.”

Administrators said they’re looking for a certain type of person to be a detention officer.

“Somebody that has good judgement, somebody that can stay calm and collected under a high stressful situation…communication skills,” Williams said.

“Everybody has an opportunity to grow here. Inmates as well as officers. And it can change their lives and do better,” said Detention Officer Trainer Whitton White. “It is just as much our responsibility to help these people as it is theirs to help themselves.”

If you’re interested, you can stop by for an interview Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Or you can email: careers@okcountydc.net.