Corrections Lieutenant

Job  
• Agency:
Department of Corrections - South Dakota Women’s Prison
•

Location:

Pierre, SD
• Salary: $30.00 to $33.00 per hour
• Pay Grade: GI
• Closing Date:
Open Until Filled

This is a full‑time position with the Department of Corrections. For more information on the Department of Corrections, visit (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). . The South Dakota Department of Corrections is hiring! Join the DOC — view DOC Recruitment video here:  . The Corrections Lieutenant serves as the Shift Commander, maintaining absolute oversight of daily facility operations, safety, and security. This critical leadership role coordinates institutional services with medical, behavioral health, and administrative units to ensure operational continuity.

The Lieutenant enforces Department of Corrections (DOC) policies, institutional implementation adjustments, and emergency protocols. As the ranking institutional officer on nights, weekends, and holidays, this position directs all personnel, monitors offender activities, and serves as the primary authority during critical incidents.

• Minimum Qualifications
  • Standard Track:
    Three (3) years of progressively responsible corrections experience in a secure facility working directly with offenders, including at least one (1) year of active supervisory experience at the rank of Sergeant or higher, with documented oversight of correctional personnel.
  • Educational Track: A combination of relevant post‑secondary education (Criminal Justice, Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, or a closely related behavioral science field) and direct corrections experience totaling three (3) years.
• Experience Definitions & Core Competencies
  • Qualifying
    
    Experience:
    
    Active, direct service delivery within a secure environment to clients detained against their will. Qualifying fields include custody and control, institutional education, correctional social work, medical/nursing services, large‑scale food service, or general facility maintenance. Experience supervising offenders within correctional industries or specialized program implementations is also qualifying.
  • Non‑Qualifying
    
    Experience:
    
    Clerical support, administrative roles, and entry‑level officer experience without advanced oversight do not meet the qualification standard. Candidates must demonstrate prior authority in executing complex operational components, such as conducting classification hearings, participating in Institutional Classification Committees (ICC), leading multi‑disciplinary staffing, and vetting formal offender grievances.

Shift Command & Operational Continuity

• Daily Oversight:
  Serve as Shift Commander with complete operational authority over facility safety, security, and administrative functions during assigned shifts.
• Interdepartmental Liaison:
  Coordinate directly with medical, mental health, and program staff to facilitate required treatments and ensure secure offender access.
• Shift Handover:
  Collaborate with incoming and outgoing shift commanders to provide seamless operational transitions, comprehensive shift briefings, and intelligence sharing.
• Logistics & Records:
  Maintain meticulous, legally defensible daily institutional logs, incident reports, and operational records in compliance with DOC documentation standards.

Resource Allocation & Staff Supervision

• Personnel Scheduling:
  Manage, allocate, and adjust personnel schedules across all posts to maintain mandatory staffing levels and minimize unnecessary overtime.
• Post Inspections:
  Conduct continuous physical inspections of all facility posts to verify staff alertness, compliance with post orders, and proper equipment operation.
• Mentorship & Development:
  Act as a proactive mentor to both probationary and tenured staff, modeling professional boundaries and high ethical standards.
• Performance Management:
  Evaluate subordinate staff through formal performance appraisals, conduct daily shift briefings, deliver policy updates, and manage leave requests.
• Discipline & Grievances:
  Resolve internal staff conflicts, conduct initial investigations into policy violations, and recommend formal disciplinary actions when necessary.

Security, Tactical…