Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office

Sheriff McGuffey

Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey is a lifelong Cincinnatian and a 35-year veteran of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Prior to being elected sheriff in November 2020, she held the rank of sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and major. Sheriff McGuffey took office on January 4, 2021 and is the highest ranking woman in the history of the Hamilton County, OH, Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff McGuffey has worked in nearly all facets of the Sheriff’s Office including as the Academy Commander for the Ohio Peace Officer Corrections Academy, serving as lead hostage negotiator for the Sheriff’s Special Response Team, and as Commander of the Sheriff’s Honor Guard. Sheriff McGuffey provided training for law enforcement officers throughout the State of Ohio and is an accomplished self-defense instructor.

During her tenure as major of Jail and Court Services, Sheriff McGuffey was credited with leading reforms in the jail to reduce the likelihood of people returning to jail. She was also credited with bringing the jail from the worst ranking in the State of Ohio to the top ranking.

As major, Sheriff McGuffey was named local and regional “Law Enforcement Officer of the Year” and was honored by the Ohio House of Representatives for being named the 2016 Public Citizen of the Year by the Ohio Chapter of National Association of Social Workers. She was included in the 2013 Cincinnati Enquirer’s list of Professional Women to Watch. In 2021, Sheriff McGuffey was recognized by the Cincinnati Business Courier in its Women Who Mean Business event and in March 2022, Sheriff McGuffey was one of 25 women featured in Cincinnati Magazine’s Our Future is Women edition.

Sheriff McGuffey is a reformer and effective leader committed to move our justice system from one of hard incarceration to one that offers opportunities for rehabilitation. Sheriff McGuffey is committed to public safety and to ensuring accountability, transparency, and engagement with the community as the foundation of the work in the Sheriff’s Office. 

Sheriff McGuffey is a member of the Human Rights Campaign and a graduate of Leadership Cincinnati 39.

“I am honored to be your Sheriff and proud to serve with the good people of the Sheriff’s Office. I am grateful to the citizens of Hamilton County for your confidence in me. Eager and ready to work together, I look forward to enhancing community safety and to ensure that all citizens of Hamilton County believe that the justice system works for them.”

—Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey 

If you wake up with a heart and mind to serve your community, we’re looking for you. Serving in the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office can be the most fulfilling career opportunity you will ever experience. At the Sheriff’s Office, our goal is to recruit a high-quality, diverse group of candidates that reflects the community we serve for our staff positions.

HAMILTON COUNTY SHERIFF

Charmaine McGuffey

1000 Sycamore Street

Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

513-946-6400

Copyright © 2022

Hamilton County Sheriffs Office

Legal Disclaimer

Jail Services

Corrections Officers play a critical role in the custody, security, and treatment of inmates or detainees while learning and developing the interpersonal skills required to perform a range of corrections officer assignments. Working in the jail provides valuable experience, knowledge, and communication to prepare Deputies to move into various roles within the Sheriff’s Office.

Our employment process is rigorous, and we only select those few who are passionate about engaging with their community and serving those around them. Due to the significance of the sworn position, applicants must always be truthful in their application responses and during the entire certification/hiring process. Failure to be truthful during the certification/employment process may disqualify an applicant. Truthfulness and candor in this application process are important requirements for becoming a Correctional Officer.

Corrections Academy

Corrections Officers are hired into our 10-week, paid Corrections Academy, where they learn Teamwork, Inmate communication/de-escalation tactics, Teamwork, physical conditioning, defensive tactics, first aid, and laws/regulations. Students must meet the testing, attendance, and physical conditioning requirements to complete the Academy successfully. Recruits learn a sense of community and Accountability the HCSO way:

Minimum Requirements:

  • Candidate must have a High School Diplo9ma or GED equivalence
  • Candidate must possess a valid driver’s license and a clean driving history
  • Candidate must be able to pass a drug screening, medical examination by a licensed physician, and a CVSA (lie detector)
  • Candidate must be 18 years of age prior to the hire date
  • Candidate must be a U.S. citizen or Naturalization Certified
  • Candidate must have a clean criminal record, including no felony convictions
  • Candidate must not have had a DUI conviction within the past five years and no more than two in a lifetime
  • Candidate must have an Honorable Military Discharge, if applicable

Applicants may be disqualified from consideration for certification/employment as a Correctional Officer if it is determined that the applicant:

  • Was untruthful, deliberately omitted, concealed, or falsified relevant facts during the certification/employment consideration process;
  • Been convicted of a felony;
  • Committed serious employment-related crimes;
  • Sold illegal drugs;
  • Used illegal drugs within a specific period of time; OR
  • Acquired extensive debt or evidence of extreme financial negligence


Schedule:

Corrections Officers work 12-hour shifts: 7 am – 7 pm or 7 pm to 7 am. There is occasionally mandatory overtime in 4-hour increments. There is also a mandatory shift that is worked once every 30 days.

Please note:  If you apply for a corrections officer position, most communication(s) from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office will be via email. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to ensure your email address is current in your online profile and that you check your email, including “Spam” and “Junk” folders, to ensure you do not miss any notifications. In addition to checking your personal email account, you may also check for notifications by logging in to the online application system and utilizing your login and password.