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Legal Issues in Detention Officer Applicant Investigations

NCJ Number
134847
Journal
American Jails Volume: 5 Issue: 6 Dated: (January-February 1992) Pages: 54-57
Author(s)
J P Harlan; P A Mueller
Date Published
1992
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Detention officer applicants are screened as part of the pre-employment process to determine if they meet minimum required standards for employment as law enforcement officers.
Abstract
Many certification or licensing authorities commonly have a name similar to Police Officer Standards and Training Commission or Council. Detention officer applicants are protected from arbitrary and discriminatory practices of the employing law enforcement agency by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The employing agency is provided with guidance on pre-employment screening standards under Section 703(e) of Title VII. This section defines the concept of Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications. In the detention facility screening process, the successful applicant must pass a number of stages. The first stage includes tests for mental ability and physical strength. In the second stage, the applicant should receive an oral interview and a psychological examination. The final stage of the screening process involves a background investigation. As part of the application/personal history statement, or as a supplement to it, the applicant should sign an all-purpose waiver of privacy with regard to the background investigation process. This waiver identifies a number of areas of personal privacy that are being waived such as financial, marital, and medical status and job history, education, driving record, and arrest record. 7 endnotes and 1 figure