Dallas County Youth Authority hosts job fair on Saturday

DALLAS COUNTY, Texas – If you meet a few basic requirements, you could leave the Dallas County Youth Services job fair on Saturday with a job offer in hand.

The troubled department is trying to improve under interim director Mike Griffiths, who led the department out of crisis in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Last month, the current director, Darryl Beatty, was asked to resign. Last week, the deputy director for detention, an area that has been the focus of state investigations, also resigned, citing allegations of neglect, abuse and even violations of state law.

“We are excited about the changes that have already been made and look forward to accomplishing even more in the immediate future,” Griffiths said.

Improvements require additional staff. Currently, around 20 percent of the positions in the department are vacant.

“We have over 100 vacancies and we really need the public’s response,” Griffiths said.

The department's job fair is looking for juvenile corrections officers and managers, as well as recreation coordinators. Salaries start at $21 an hour and can increase based on experience. The positions also come with benefits and other incentives.

“People who have the right qualifications can sign a qualified employment contract. That's another thing we're trying to do, to employ as many people as possible as quickly as possible,” Griffiths said.

The department ensures that applicants know what they are getting into.

“When they come into our jury room on the first floor, we can show them videos of what environment they'll be working in. I think that's important. It's structured, we have open campuses, we have closed campuses, so I think an applicant needs to know that depending on what job they're selected for, they could be working in a residential setting, but it could be in our youth village on a very nice open campus, or it could be here in our prison in a closed environment,” Griffiths said.

If all you care about is your paycheck, Griffiths says there's no reason for you to apply.

“We're looking for people who understand that the interactions you have with these young people when you work with them are literally helping to change their lives,” he said.

Dallas County Youth Department Job Fair

• Where: The Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center on Lone Star Drive in Dallas.

• When: Saturday, August 24, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

• What you should bring with you: Official university certificate, driving license

Applicants must be at least 21 years old.