Corrections Position

Kent Police Department - Jail/Corrections

 

PROFILE DISCLAIMER

The information herein is provided by the respective agency and is only as accurate and as up-to-date as the agency representative(s) update this information. PST is not responsible for the veracity of this data as it is provided directly from the agency. It is ultimately the applicant's responsibility to verify any information about the agency with the agency.

Kent Police Department - Jail/Corrections

Last updated on February 03, 2026
PST Partner Agency since October 19, 2011

Vacancies: 3

Community Information

The City of Kent was incorporated in 1889 and has steadily grown from an area of agriculture and farming into a city of production and manufacturing. The City has 3 main areas: the West Hill is a combination of residential and commercial services; the Valley which is a mixture of residential, warehousing, manufacturing, and commercial services, and the East Hill, which is primarily residential with commercial services. Our static population is approximately 136,000 but grows to approximately 400,000 during the day. We are currently the 6th largest city in the state of Washington.

Department Information

The Kent Police Department is a full service department, consisting of 3 divisions: Patrol, Support Services/Investigations, and Corrections. The City of Kent Corrections Facility has 28 trained professional Corrections Officers/Sergeants and two additional civilian personnel. The corrections facility is known as the largest municipal jail in the northwest, housing 122 misdemeanor inmates on average each day and providing alternative programming to those who qualify. Specialty assignments include Field Training Officer, Accreditation Officer, Trustee Coordinator, Programs Coordinator and Work Crew Coordinator.

Area Information

County: King
Population: 136,000
# of Staff: 26

Hiring Status

Kent Police Department - Jail/Corrections has 3 vacancies.

Number of current openings: 2

Salary Information

  • Starting pay: $76,829 - $93,457 a year ( depending on experience, qualifications)
  • Average non-ranking officer earned over $119,000 in 2023
  • Education Incentive ($900 – $1,440 a year)
  • Accreditation Incentive (1.0%)
  • Specialty Premiums (3.5%)
  • Longevity Premiums (2.0% – 8.0%)
  • Instructor Premiums ($900 a year)
  • Bi-Lingual Premiums ($1,200 a year)
  • Replenishable Compensatory Time Bank up to 100 Hours
  • Up to $5,000 signing bonus for Lateral Officers

Benefit Information

PERS retirement, 2 deferred compensation programs, 4 medical plan options to choose from. 96 hours of sick leave earned annually, 96 hours of vacation earned annually and increasing based on longevity. Employees accrue 12 holidays and have the option to cash out unused hours at the end of each year. The department provides all equipment and training.


Kent Police Department - Jail/Corrections Requirements

Category Requirement Required at time of...
    Test Hire
Written Examination Yes, required
LEO/CO Physical Ability Test (PAT) Yes, required

Your physical ability test must be completed 180 days (~6 months) before or after your passing written exam.

PST Personal History Statement

We do not require a PHS through PST, however we request the ability to access PHS through PST for a period of 7 months. This is due to the fact that we often compare our PHQ with the PST’s PHS for discrepancies. The reason we ask for 7 months is because candidates can remain on our eligibility list for up to 6 months before their scores expire, and sometimes it can take a month before they land on our eligibility list.

 
Minimum Age Applicants must be 20 years old at the time of application.
Citizenship US Citizen / Lawful Permanent Resident / DACA-Recipient
High School Grad/ GED Yes
Driver's License Required Must have a valid Washington State Driver's License or the ability to obtain one, within 30 days of hire.  
Felony Conviction(s) as an Adult None.
Ability to Read, Speak & Write the English Language Yes
Vision Requirements Correctable to 20/20
Veterans Preference Points Yes
Current Hiring Status We are hiring for 1 vacancy.
Other
Multiple Scores from Same Applicant We consider all the scores from the same applicant

Kent Police Department - Jail/Corrections Disqualifiers

The following are automatic and potential disqualifiers. Applicants should not apply to our agency if they indicate any of the automatic disqualifiers. Potential disqualifiers will be considered on a case by case basis.

Category Disqualifier
Driving
Automatic Currently prohibited from driving a vehicle by virtue of a suspended or revoked driver’s license in Washington or any other state.
Automatic

DUI / DWI (alcohol or drugs) within the past 3 years.

Automatic The Driver Evaluation Point System is a point system to determine if current employees or potential new employees are eligible to operate a motor vehicle within the scope of their employment, based on their driving history. Compare the moving violations listed on your driver's abstract (a five year record review is used) to this rating guide. Please follow the link below to review the Driver Evaluation Point System:
Click Here!

If your driving record is under 6 points, continue the application.
Questions should be directed to the Civil Service Office (253) 856-5280.
Automatic

Revocation of Driver's License, Denial of Driver's License, Reckless driving, DWLS 1 or 2, negligent driving w/ collision, negligent homicide, or hit-and-run (occupied or unoccupied), speeding 25+ within past 3 years.

Drug Usage
Automatic

Use, possession, or purchase of illegal drugs (other than marijuana), including: Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Opiates, Hallucinogens, Club Drugs, Inhalants within the past 3 years.

Automatic

Use of THC or any THC-derived substance, regardless of legality under state law within the past 6 months.

Automatic

Manufacture, cultivation, or distribution of illegal drugs or controlled substances, or any substance represented as illegal or prescription-only within the past 10 years.

Automatic

Misuse of prescription medications (non-therapeutic, recreational, or intoxicating purposes) within the past 3 years. Other reasonable use may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may not result in disqualification.

Criminal Activity
Automatic Any felony conviction in Washington or in any other state.
Automatic Any conviction for a federal criminal offense.
Automatic

Any conviction of any domestic violence offense.

Automatic

Conviction of any offense requiring sex offender registration.

Automatic

Any conviction for a misdemeanor crime of deception, fraud, dishonesty, or cheating of any sort.

Automatic Any prohibition, by any law, from possessing a firearm.
Automatic Ever used the internet as an adult (18 years of age or older) to intentionally search for and access images or videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct outside of an official duty as a law enforcement officer.
Automatic

Conviction of any crime after application process begins

Employment
Automatic

Revocation/denial of law enforcement certification or certification under review for disqualifying conduct.

Automatic

Sustained finding of dishonesty while employed in law enforcement.

Automatic

Materially false statement, omission, or fraud in any employment application.

Automatic Ever received a dishonorable discharge from any branch of the military.
Automatic

Listed on “Brady,” “Laurie,” or similar integrity list.

Financial
Potential Current credit accounts or unresolved accounts in collection will be carefully reviewed.
Other
Automatic

Association/affiliation with criminal enterprise, hate group, or violent/discriminatory organization.

Automatic

Any tattoo signifying any prior membership in, association or affiliation with, any criminal enterprise, hate group, street gang, or other group that advocates violence or discrimination against individuals because of their race, religion, political affiliation, ethnic origin, nationality, gender, sexual preference, or disability.