People as young as 18 now can apply to become correctional officers at the Hamilton County Jail, Sheriff Jim Hammond said Friday.
The minimum age requirement was previously 21, Hammond said, because state law sets that age as the minimum to carry a gun.
“It’s a simple argument,” he said. “We will take a young man who is 18 and give him a military uniform and a rifle and put him overseas to protect this nation and lives of people all over the world, but we don’t allow them to work as a correctional officer here because they’re not allowed to carry a weapon until they’re 21. You don’t need a weapon to work at the jail.”
Hamilton County sheriff’s deputies still will be required to be at least 21 years old, Hammond added.
The Tennessee Department of Correction requires all officers be at least 18 years of age, but the department has no authority over Hamilton County, which is run by local authorities, according to Robert Reburn, a TDOC East Tennessee region public information officer.
“Every state-operated/TDOC facility accepts applications for correctional officers so long as the applicant is the minimum of 18 years old on the day they apply,” he said.
The Hamilton County Jail is chronically understaffed and overcrowded, and Hammond hopes the move will alleviate some of the problem, which he said lowers the quality of life for both correctional officers and inmates.
As of Thursday, there were 616 inmates being guarded by only 137 correctional officers in the jail, which has a capacity of 505 inmates, according to Don Gorman, director of administration for the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
“Right now, one of my biggest issues is that I am about 30 officers short in the jail,” Hammond said. “We know that is a real problem for us.”
As the jail searches for more help, Hammond said that young officers could benefit from joining its team, as the position could give them a head-start on their careers.
“We’re taking a look at how to step forward and recruit even out of high school,” he said. “I do believe if you have a young man or young woman who says ‘I think I’d like a career in law enforcement,’ we ought to be offering them a chance for a career path in law enforcement.”
The maturity level of young applicants is also a concern, but the application process, background investigation, multiple exams and six weeks of training are rigorous enough to weed out unfit candidates, according to Gorman, who sees the decision as a way to keep young people out of trouble.
“There’s a lot of mature kids out there that we feel could be a benefit to us, and we’re finding out that a lot of the kids are getting into trouble between 18 and 21,” he said. “We’re trying to get them before they get to that point and groom them to be good citizens and good corrections officers.”
There’s a catch, though. If an 18- to 21-year-old has already been arrested and been charged with committing offenses such as domestic violence, drinking and driving, stalking, or carrying drugs, then they cannot be hired, Gorman said.
That makes it very difficult to find good candidates for working at the jail.
Those who are under 21 and are accepted will work within the jail at all times and will not be allowed to transport inmates or guard in places like Erlanger hospital, Gorman said.
“They will be the guys working the floors, working in booking, intake, visitation, laundry, the kitchen – the jobs actually inside the jail,” he said.
Since it is unlawful for anyone else working in the jail to carry a gun, corrections officers are allowed to only carry pepper spray and, if needed, a baton for “when the inmates are rowdy or out of control.”
People 18 years of age and older who wish to apply may submit an application to the sheriff’s office online, by mail or in person.
Gorman said a correctional officer position at the jail can provide valuable experience for those hoping to pursue a career in law enforcement, especially on the roadways.
“We get 90 percent of our road officers from the jail, so we think it’s a good head start for them,” he said. “They can make better patrol officers [since] they’re dealing with the same people in the jail that they’re gonna be dealing with out on the street, so it kind of gives them a heads-up about what they’re gonna be getting into.”
Staff writer Shelly Bradbury contributed to this story.
Contact staff writer Kim Sebring at news@timesfreepress.com.