Westmoreland County prison hiring part-time correctional officers
Westmoreland County Prison officials are looking to fill nine vacancies for part-time correctional officers at their facility, which is located near Greensburg.
Warden John Walton reported that approximately 26 candidates are scheduled to come in Thursday for agility tests and interviews for the vacancies, but he is hopeful that a few more interested candidates will surface before Thursday.
Prison board officials accepted the resignations of two part-time correctional officers — Cody Henderson and Nicholas McGrew — and revoked the appointment of part-time correctional officer Trey Garrity at Monday’s meeting, making the need for additional candidates more significant.
Part-time correctional officers “monitor the activities of inmates and ensure the security of prison facilities,” according to the job posting. Duties include maintaining care, custody and control of inmates, maintaining security of the facility and processing new inmates.
Applicants must be a high school graduate or equivalent. They must also pass the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Training Academy.
To work at the prison, there is also a residency requirement, but employees who reside outside the county are given six months to move into the county after being hired. In fact, Walton noted that several candidates are from the Connellsville area, so he encouraged any interested individuals who would be willing to move into the county if hired to apply before Thursday.
After interviews and agility tests are completed, Walton said he and his staff will select the nine individuals for the open positions.
According to Walton, having a full complement of part-time officers is vital as they enter into the summer as full-time guards take vacations and part-time officers are needed to cover those shifts. In addition, part-time correctional officers have an opportunity to advance when full-time positions open up.
Although the deadline for applications was May 14, anyone interested can e-mail their resume, cover letter and references to Lisa Harkins, human resources manager, at lharkins@westmoreland.pa.us. Applicants must place “correctional officer” in the subject line to be considered.