I worked for the California state system, starting as a Correctional Officer and retiring as a Lieutenant in 2005. I now write for the PacoVilla blog which is concerned with what could broadly be called The Correctional System.
It depends on the jurisdiction and the exact circumstances I expect. My GUESS is that one bad test for weed would get you a nasty note in your personnel file. One bad test for coke or heroin might get you fired. Of course the tests are not 100% reliable and, if the person being tested protested his innocence they might very well put him/her on the mandatory test list for a few months. Unless the agency has a hard and fast policy there is a lot of wiggle room and good, long term employees are too valuable to be discarded lightly.
The system I worked for had almost zero cells that held more than two people. The procedure is pretty much the same. Sound an alarm. WAIT FOR BACKUP. (Inmates sometimes stage fights to draw officers into an area in order to attack them, steal keys, etc.) Often chemical agents are deployed before the cell is entered. When it seems appropriate you go in, separate and restrain (usually handcuff) the combatants and haul them to medical before throwing them into ad. seg.
Good communication skills, a thick skin and to be process oriented (rather than outcome oriented).
In Ca yes. I think it is 13 weeks right now. I suspect there is some sort of legally mandatory minimum training in all states for peace officers.
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No. Never interested in it.
Minimum age depends. As far as I know to be a peace officer in the U.S. you must be 21. Often they will hire you at 20 `1/2 so you are 21 when you actually get out of the academy and go to work. If you are a :"jailer" (non peace officer) you can be hired at 18 in most states.
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