Youth Specialist (Juvenile Correctional Officer)

Hiring for a New Class Beginning November 17th!

A walk-in interview event for Juvenile Correctional officers will take place on Thursday, October 9th, 2025, between 8am and 5pm. Come join our team!

New Youth Specialists receive their first pay increase after six (6) months of employment. No prior experience in corrections is necessary but we require a strong willingness to show up and give 100% every day!

We are transforming and saving lives at DYS!

A safer Ohio: one youth, one family and one community at a time.

About Us…

Our mission at the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) is to improve Ohio's future by habilitating youth and empowering families and communities. We believe that all youth will be given an opportunity to live up to their greatest potential and staff are our greatest resource. 

DYS is the juvenile corrections system for the state of Ohio. DYS is statutorily mandated to confine felony offenders, ages 10-21, who have been adjudicated and committed by one of Ohio's 88 county juvenile courts. During their stay with DYS, youth are engaged in programming that is designed to address their criminological and behavioral needs. DYS reaches thousands of youth in facilities and those on parole.

Our Guiding Principles…

• Demonstrate staff are our greatest resource
• Treat everyone with respect
• Cultivate a trauma responsive environment for staff and youth to thrive
• Provide the best support and services for youth and families
• Advance our culture of inclusion through understanding and appreciating staff and youth differences
• Commit to and encourage collaboration and continuous improvement to produce better outcomes for those we serve
• Celebrate collective successes and support one another through opportunities to improve

To learn more about DYS, please visit our website by clicking here.

Starting pay is over $50,000 per year. By working just two (2) overtime assignments per week, new staff can add an additional $30,000 salary per year. New Youth Specialists receive their first pay increase after six (6) months of employment.

What You'Ll Do:

DYS is seeking a Youth Specialist [Juvenile Correctional Officer] to join our diverse team! This person will oversee facility functions while providing valuable mentorship, experience, and knowledge to the youth in our care. The ideal candidate will be a strong leader with a solid background and a passion to habilitate youth.

Specifically, the Youth Specialist [Juvenile Correctional Officer] will:           

• Provide safety, security, custodial care, & surveillance of assigned youth
• Utilize provided training to observe, intervene, and de-escalation youth behavior and conflicts
• Manage and maintain security and a positive interaction during and after family visits
• Complete all required documents (reports, logs, evaluations etc.)
• Oversee movement on facility grounds and outside trips
• Monitor and instruct youth on general housekeeping duties
• Maintain awareness of unusual behavior and crisis situations
• Collaborate and provide information to division leadership

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

• High school diploma or G.E.D.; valid driver's license; must successfully complete Juvenile Correctional Officer assessment. Must be 21 years of age at time of application.
• -Or equivalent of minimum class qualifications for employment noted above. Probationary period is 365 days.
• Job Skills: Juvenile Corrections, Security, Criminology/Criminal Justice, Conflict Management, Reasoning, Observation, Attention to Detail, Situational Awareness

The final candidate selected for this position will be required to undergo a pre-employment drug screening and criminal background check that includes results from BCI & FBI, Public Safety, and State of Ohio Taxation. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration.   

All new candidates hired to the Department of Youth Services must partake in paid, mandatory 4 weeks of training. Week 1 is held at CJCF, weeks 2 through 4 are held in Orient, Ohio, 10-hour training days, Monday through Thursday.

DYS is a "qualifying employer" for the purposes of the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.