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CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Minimum Standards for all Applicants
1. Must be a U.S. citizen or an immigrant with lawful status,
who is authorized to work in the U.S.
2. Must be at least 18 years of age
3. Must possess a High School Diploma from an accredited
senior high school or equivalent or a state-issued General
Education Development (GED) certificate
4. Must not be on probation for any criminal offense
5. Must not have pending charges for any criminal offense or
have an outstanding warrant
6. Convicted felons (or those convicted of an equivalent
offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice) do not
become eligible for consideration until 10 years have
elapsed since termination of sentence.
7. Must not be on active duty in the military (persons on
terminal leave from active duty may apply)
8. Males, age 18 through 25, must be registered with the
Selective Service if required to do so by Federal Law.
9. Must be able to perform the essential functions of the
position applied for, with or without reasonable
accommodation
10. Must pass the TDCJ drug test
11. All applicants, who may have contact with offenders, are
ineligible for employment if they have committed any
activity described in questions 9b, 9c, or 9d.
Additional Minimum Standards for Correctional Officer
and other Security Applicants
1. Never have been convicted of a felony
2. Not have been convicted of a Class A misdemeanor, or the
equivalent, within the last 10 years
3. Not have been convicted of a Class B misdemeanor, or the
equivalent, within the last 3 years
4. Never have been convicted of an offense that involved
domestic violence
5. Not have been discharged from the Armed Forces under
dishonorable conditions
6. Must pass the TDCJ pre-employment test and physical
agility test
The Gun Control Act, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), makes it unlawful
for certain categories of persons to possess firearms or
ammunition, to include a person:
1. Who has been convicted in any court of a crime punishable
by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year;
2. Who is a fugitive from justice;
3. Who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled
substance (as defined in 21 U.S.C. § 802);
4. Who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been
committed to a mental institution;
5. Who is an illegal alien;
6. Who has been discharged from the Armed Forces under
dishonorable conditions;
7. Who has renounced his or her United States citizenship;
8. Who is subject to a court order restraining the person from
harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or
child of the intimate partner; or
9. Who has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor
crime of domestic violence.
Requirement to Report to Work in Emergency Situations
In an emergency situation that presents an immediate or potential
threat to public safety as determined by a Warden or Department
Head, it is mandatory that the following essential staff report to
work: a) correctional officers and supervisors; b) parole officers
and parole supervisory staff; and c) staff necessary to support
emergency operations. Employees may be required to work
overtime, have work schedules changed, have days off cancelled,
and be temporarily reassigned to a different work location. If an
employee is absent based on a claim of illness or injury on a day
or days the employee was required to report to duty during an
emergency response situation, the employee may be required to
furnish a health care provider’s statement within two workdays
after the employee returns to work.
Mandatory evacuation orders given by local or state officials
(e.g., for anticipated landfall of a hurricane) do not relieve
employees from the requirement to report to work as required by
their assigned daily schedule card or as directed by a supervisor
in emergency situations. Failure to report to duty or remain on
duty may result in disciplinary action up to and including
dismissal from employment.
Important Note
For purposes of employment with the TDCJ, convictions
include sentenced to confinement, paid fine, time served,
placed on probation (includes deferred adjudication) and
court-ordered restitution.
Additional Standards for Non-Security Applicants are stated
in job posting and position descriptions. In addition, Parole
Officers are required to have access to and be willing to use their
own transportation for work and that they carry liability
insurance. Parole Officers must not have been convicted of any
offense involving domestic violence, and must not have been
discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable
conditions. Minimum standards for entry level Substance
Abuse Counselor applicants will be explained by the contact
person listed on the job posting.
Assignments
Initial assignment locations within the TDCJ are determined by
applicant preference, consistent with the needs of the agency.
The TDCJ reserves the right to reassign employees to different
locations if necessary to meet its needs. Employees may submit
a request for reassignment to another location in accordance with
published procedures. However, there are many requests on file
for certain areas and the waiting time for reassignment to these
areas may be excessive.
Employee Drug and Alcohol Testing
All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug and
alcohol testing.
Overtime
Employees who are authorized overtime and required to work
overtime will be given Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
compensatory time. This compensatory time will be banked,
used, or cashed out consistent with TDCJ policy.
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