Jail Cook

This position is responsible for  performing daily operations in the jail kitchen including food preparation, laundry services, and any other duties assigned by the Sheriff and/or their designee. 

Essential Functions

Under general direction, prepares meals for the inmates of the Knox County Jail. Reviews menus, plans cooking schedules, prepares meals and meets any special dietary needs of jail residents. Maintains sanitation and security standards for the kitchen.

General duties include, but are not limited to:

1. Enforce sanitary conditions within the correctional environment;
2. Act on and report inappropriate or illegal breeches of agency policies, the law, or jail procedures;
3. Remain on duty and fully conscious until the expiration of the shift, and/or relieved by a supervisor; 
4. Complete, and turn in before the end of each shift, all reports and necessary paperwork; 
5. Maintain sensitivity and provide equality to all races, religions, sexes, and cultural groups;
6. Establish and maintain positive, effective working relationships with co-workers, supervisors, other agencies, and the public;
7. Attend and complete all required training and demonstrations of proficiency; &
8. Abide by all lawful policies and procedures, orders, and instructions issued by superiors of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

Specific Duties:
In addition to the essential functions outlined above, the jail cook staff performs the following specific duties;

1. Upon assuming duties each shift, review post orders, directives, general orders, and policies and procedures for recent changes;
2. Monitor and control access and egress to the detention area, to include exclusion of all firearms, sharp objects, or banned items;
3. Reviews menu plans to determine types and quantities of food necessary for meals. Receives food from vendors and ensures that items are accounted for and in good condition;
4. Performs and oversees food preparation activities such as cleaning, paring, chopping, slicing, and mixing foods;
5. Prepares and cooks main courses, side dishes and desserts. Records cooking temperatures as required;
6. Performs and oversees the portioning of food to inmates. Ensures appropriate temperature and quality is maintained;
7. Prepares meals in accordance to medical recommendations such as diabetic, low sodium, low cholesterol, high fiber and other conditions;
8. Maintains sanitary and orderly cooking conditions by ensuring proper cleaning procedures are followed in the kitchen and storage areas;
9. Assists in operating the laundry appliances including washers and dryers;
10. Folds and places into storage inmate clothing and bedding; 
11. On occasion, may be requested to assist with pat down searches of inmates;  
12. Any other lawful duty assigned by a supervisor.

Job Standards

• Must possess a high school diploma or equivalent (GED)
• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Demonstrate reading and comprehension skills in the English language to at least the 12th grade level through interviews and written demonstration of proficiency;
• Demonstrate honesty and integrity by successfully completing pre-employment polygraph and drug testing;

Candidates must pass a pre-employment drug screening and comprehensive background check, including but not limited to personal interviews by agency personnel, pre-employment polygraph, and fingerprinting.  

Physical Requirements: 

1. Ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, stoop and stretch in order to retrieve supplies and operate standard kitchen equipment.
2. Prolonged standing is required. 
3. Ability to lift, hold and carry objects weighing up to 50 pounds.
4. Ability to communicate and respond to co-worker and customer inquiries both in person and over the phone. 
5. Ability to operate a PC/ laptop and other equipment as described. 
6. Ability to handle varying and occasional high levels of stress. 

 
Working Conditions:

1. The working environment is based in an industrial kitchen environment where safe work practices are extremely important.
2. Use of protective gear is required.
3. Exposure to extreme temperatures, tight spaces, slippery floors, moving mechanical parts, sharp kitchen utensils, high noise levels and cleaning compounds. 

Supplemental Information

Hours of work are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

This is a commercial kitchen environment; inmate workers or trustees are not utilized.  Jail division deputies are responsible for delivering meals. Kitchen staff is not responsible for serving or passing meals