So You Want to Be A Jailer?
State of Texas law mandates that an employee of a county jail must successfully complete a Basic Jailer's Course in order to work in a county jail. This course consists of 80 hours of basic jail operations, use of force options, human relations, state law, and report writing, to name a few main topics. This is in addition to meeting the standard requirements for employment in the Brazoria County Sheriff's Department.
In addition to the initial training the employee must receive, other courses are required either by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education or the Sheriff's Department policy. Some of these advanced courses are:
- Suicide Detection and Prevention
- Intermediate Use of Force
- Inmate Rights and Privileges
- Cultural Diversity
The Sheriff's Department Training Academy offers these courses in house, with no cost to the officer attending.
Officers assigned to the Jail Division are constantly in some type of training phase, year round, to improve themselves in the performance of their duties.
County Jailers have a responsibility to maintain custody of the inmates incarcerated in the jail, and to insure that the inmates are provided for, both physically and mentally.
Approximately half of the county jailers are licensed peace officers through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education, though it is not required to do so to become a jailer.