Pretrial Program Specialist

TCSA; Stockton, Northern (CA, KY); Sur place; USD 59 000 - 71 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

The San Joaquin County Probation Department is seeking a Pre-Trial Program Specialist to support the Pre-Trial Services Unit. You will interview defendants, verify information, and prepare reports and court documents to assess eligibility for release while maintaining public safety.

Qualifications include 60 semester units with 18 in social/behavioral sciences and at least one year in social services, law enforcement, or criminal justice.

Qualifications

• Education: Completion of 60 semester units at an accredited college or university, including at least 18 units in the social or behavioral sciences.
• Experience: One year in a social services, law enforcement or criminal justice setting involving interviewing clients or establishing program eligibility.
• Licenses: Valid driver’s license.

Responsabilités

• Interviews criminal defendants and others to obtain accurate information for eligibility for release.
• Verifies information by contacting references and researching criminal justice databases.
• Prepares reports, court/legal forms, and Pre-Trial packets; transports documents as needed.
• Responds to inquiries from judges, officers, attorneys and other members of the criminal justice community.

Connaissances

Interviewing

Communication

Behavioral psychology

Judicial process knowledge

Formation

60 semester units including 18 in social/behavioral sciences

Description du poste

This examination is being given to fill 4 vacancies in the Probation Department and to establish an eligible list that may be used to fill future vacancies. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of an application. A completed application must be postmarked or received online by the final filing deadline.

NOTE: All correspondences relating to this recruitment will be delivered via e-mail. The e-mail account used will be the one provided on your employment application during time of submittal. Please be sure to check your e-mail often for updates. If you do not have an e-mail account on file, Human Resources will send you correspondences via US Mail.

Pre-Employment Drug Screening: Potential new hires into this classification are required to successfully passa pre-employment drug screen as a condition of employment. Final appointmentcannot be made unless the eligible has passed the drug screen. The Countypays for the initial drug screen.

Human Resources

Human Resources

44 N San Joaquin St, Third Floor,
Suite 330

Have Recruitment Questions?

Phone [phone]

The San Joaquin County Probation Department is a key player in the justice system,
providing safe custodial care for juveniles and adults to enhance public safety.
Acting as a vital link between the Courts, the detention system, and the community,
the department offers crucial prevention, investigation, and supervision services.
Their core values emphasize excellence, professionalism, integrity, and a safe
environment, while fostering teamwork and ethical conduct.

As a Pre-Trial Program Specialist, you will play a vital role in supporting the Pre-Trial
Services Unit of the Probation Department. In this position, you’ll use your strong
interviewing skills, attention to detail, and knowledge of social and behavioral
sciences to gather and verify critical information about pre-arraignment defendants.
Your work directly impacts important judicial decisions, helping courts determine
eligibility for release wh ile ensuring public safety. This role offers a mix of
investigative, analytical, and interpersonal work, from preparing reports and court
documents to interacting with judges, attorneys, and clients. It’s an ideal
opportunity for someone who is motivated by meaningful, hands‑on work in the
criminal justice system and enjoys combining careful analysis with compassionate
human interaction.

Career Opportunity

salary $5,269.62-$6,405.26 MONTHLY

salary $5,269.62-$6,405.26 MONTHLY

November 13 , 2026 AT 11:59 P.M.

November 13 , 2026 AT 11:59 P.M.

pretrial PROGRAM specialist

pretrial PROGRAM specialist

PROBATION DEPARTMENT

PROBATION DEPARTMENT

Recruitment #:1026-RL0505-01

Recruitment #:1026-RL0505-01

Offers of employment are contingent upon
passing a law enforcement background
check and a drug screening test.

At San Joaquin County, your career can
grow with you! If you’re performing
successfully as a Pre-Trial Program
Specialist and recommended by your
department, you may be eligible for
promotion to Senior Pre-Trial Program
Specialist. This advancement brings
increased responsibilities and a higher
salary-$5,452.28-$6,627.29 per month.

Education: Completion of 60 semester units at an accredited college or university, including at least 18 units in the social or behavioral sciences.

Experience: One year working in a social services, law enforcement or criminal justice setting that included substantial responsibility for interviewing clients as part of case management or law enforcement duties, or to establish program eligibility.

Note: Incumbents who occupy full-time, Civil Service positions in the classes of Pre-Trial
Services Interviewer I or II at the time that this class of Pre-Trial Program Specialist is adopted
by the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors shall be considered to meet the qualifications
listed below.

Substitution #1: An additional 30 semester college units (including 9 more in social or behavioral sciences) may substitute for the above-required experience.

Substitution #2: Additional qualifying experience may substitute for the above-required education on a year for year basis (where one year of experience is equivalent to 30 semester units.)

License: Possession of a valid driver’s license equivalent to a “Class C” in California .

• Interviews criminal defendants and others to obtain accurate and necessary information regarding criminal, social and/or other relevant history; reviews arrest reports and other legal documents as needed to facilitate the interview process.
• Verifies information obtained from defendants and/or others by contacting references, researching available criminal justice databases, and/or contacting various criminal justice agencies as required; checks for local, state, and federal warrants; obtains California Department of Motor Vehicles history as necessary; interprets records as appropriate.
• Compiles, evaluates and assesses information obtained, including observed behavioral indicators that are relevant to eligibility for release; establishes defendant eligibility for release programs, such as Felony Own Recognizance Release, Citation Release, or Conditional Release programs; makes recommendations to release defendants utilizing established criteria, legal requirements, and educated judgment.
• Prepares complete and accurate reports, court/legal forms, summaries and/or other documents as required; prepares Pre-Trial packets and other files as assigned; prepares and obtains client/defendant signatures on various documents such as Promise to Appear (Misdemeanor Citation Release), Felony Own Recognizance or other forms; transports paperwork to the courts, Probation facilities, criminal justice agencies, or other locations as necessary.
• Responds to inquiries from judges, officers, attorneys and other members of the criminal justice community regarding defendants; facilitates probable cause hearings with on‑call judges.Schedules defendants for court appearances and hearings based on established calendars; may be required to appear or testify in court.

TYPICAL DUTIES

• Interviews criminal defendants and others to obtain accurate and necessary information regarding criminal, social and/or other relevant history; reviews arrest reports and other legal documents as needed to facilitate the interview process.
• Verifies information obtained from defendants and/or others by contacting references, researching available criminal justice databases, and/or contacting various criminal justice agencies as required; checks for local, state, and federal warrants; obtains California Department of Motor Vehicles history as necessary; interprets records as appropriate.
• Compiles, evaluates and assesses information obtained, including observed behavioral indicators that are relevant to eligibility for release; establishes defendant eligibility for release programs, such as Felony Own Recognizance Release, Citation Release, or Conditional Release programs; makes recommendations to release defendants utilizing established criteria, legal requirements, and educated judgment.
• Prepares complete and accurate reports, court/legal forms, summaries and/or other documents as required; prepares Pre-Trial packets and other files as assigned; prepares and obtains client/defendant signatures on various documents such as Promise to Appear (Misdemeanor Citation Release), Felony Own Recognizance or other forms; transports paperwork to the courts, Probation facilities, criminal justice agencies, or other locations as necessary.
• Responds to inquiries from judges, officers, attorneys and other members of the criminal justice community regarding defendants; facilitates probable cause hearings with on‑call judges.Schedules defendants for court appearances and hearings based on established calendars; may be required to appear or testify in court.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Note: Incumbents who occupy full‑time, Civil Service positions in the classes of Pre‑Trial Services Interviewer I or II at the time that this class of Pre‑Trial Program Specialist is adopted by the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors shall be considered to meet the qualifications listed below. Education: Completion of 60 semester units at an accredited college or university, including at least 18 units in the social or behavioral sciences. Experience: One year working in a social services, law enforcement or criminal justice setting that included substantial responsibility for interviewing clients as part of case management or law enforcement duties, or to establish program eligibility. Substitution #1: An additional 30 semester college units (including 9 more in social or behavioral sciences) may substitute for the above‑required experience. Substitution #2: Additional qualifying experience may substitute for the above‑required education on a year for year basis (where one year of experience is equivalent to 30 semester units.) License: Possession of a valid driver’s license equivalent to a “Class C” in California.

Basic principles of human behavior and applied psychology, including issues common to criminal behavior; advanced interviewing techniques; basic court and arrest procedures; basic research and investigative methods/procedures; principles and practices of written and oral communication; language mechanics, report writing and principles of written composition; general computer operations.

Interview clients and obtain factual information in stressful situations; listen carefully during interviews to both content and presentation in order to identify questionable information; investigate, research and interpret information regarding a client’s criminal history, social and other background; interpret and apply complex laws, policies and procedures using considerable judgment; communicate effectively with a variety of people, both orally and in writing; effectively handle difficult situations; work well under pressure; develop and maintain good working relationships with a wide variety of people; utilize computers to retrieve and enter information.

Mobility-Operate a keyboard; sit for long periods; frequent walking and driving; occasional bending, squatting, crawling, climbing stairs; Lifting-Frequent lifting of 10 lbs. or less; occasional lifting 11-20 lbs.; Visual-Frequent use of good overall vision, reading, close up work, peripheral vision; Dexterity-Frequent reaching, repetitive motion, and writing; Hearing/Talking-Constant hearing and talking on the telephone, talking in person; occasional hearing faint sounds, public speaking; Emotional/Psychological Factors-Constant decision making and concentration; frequent exposure to issues of trauma, grief, death, hostility; frequent public contact; occasional exposure to hazardous or infectious materials; frequent working weekends/nights/overtime. San Joaquin County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and, upon request, will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Equal Opportunity Employer

San Joaquin County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer and is committed to providing equal employment to all without regard to age, ancestry, color, creed, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation or belief, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. For more information go to Equal Employment Opportunity Division (sjgov.org) .

BENEFITS

Employees hired into this classification are members of a bargaining unit which is represented bySEIU Local 1021 .

Health Insurance : San Joaquin County provides employees with a choice of three health plans: a Kaiser Plan, a Select Plan, and a Premier Plan. Employees pay a portion of the cost of the premium. Dependent coverage is also available.

Dental Insurance : The County provides employees with a choice of two dental plans: Delta Dental and United Health Care-Select Managed Care Direct Compensation Plan. There is no cost for employee only coverage in either plan; dependent coverage is available at the employee’s expense.

Vision Insurance : The County provides vision coverage through Vision Service Plan (VSP). There is no cost for employee only coverage; dependent coverage is available at the employee’s expense.

For more detailed information on the County’s benefits program, visit our website at www.sjgov.org under Human Resources/Employee Benefits.

Life Insurance : The County provides eligible employees with life insurance coverage as follows:

1 but less than 3 years of continuous service: $1,000
3 but less than 5 years of continuous service: $3,000
5 but less than 10 years of continuous service: $5,000
10 years of continuous service or more: $10,000

Employee may purchase additional term life insurance at the group rate.

125 Flexible Benefits Plan : This is a voluntary program that allows employees to use pre-tax dollars to pay for health-related expenses that are not paid by a medical, dental or vision plan (Health Flexible Spending Account $2550 annual limit with a $500 carry over); and dependent care costs (Dependent Care Assistance Plan $5000 annual limit).

Retirement Plan : Employees of the County are covered by the County Retirement Law of 1937. Please visit the San Joaquin County Employees’ Retirement Association (SJCERA) at www.sjcera.org for more information. NOTE: If you are receiving a retirement allowance from another California county covered by the County Employees’ Retirement Act of 1937 or from any governmental agency covered by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS), you are advised to contact the Retirement Officer of the Retirement Plan from which you retired to determine what effect employment in San Joaquin County would have on your retirement allowance.

Deferred Compensation : The County maintains a deferred compensation plan under Section 457 of the IRS code. You may annually contribute $22,500 or 100% of your includible compensation, whichever is less. Individuals age 50 or older may contribute to their plan, up to $30,000. The Roth IRA (after tax) is also now available.

Vacation : Maximum earned vacation is 10 days each year up to 3 years; 15 days after 3 years; 20 days after 10 years; and 23 days after 20 years.

Holidays : Effective July 1, 2017, all civil service status employees earn 14 paid holidays each year. Please see the appopriate MOU for details regarding holidays, accruals,use, and cashability of accrued time.

Sick Leave : 12 working days of sick leave annually with unlimited accumulation. Sick leave incentive : An employee is eligible to receive eight hours administrative leave if the leave balance equals at least one- half of the cumulative amount that the employee is eligible to accrue. The employee must also be on payroll during the entire calendar year.

Bereavement Leave : 3 days of paid leave for the death of qualifying family member, 2 additional days of accrued leave for death of employee’s spouse, domestic partner, parent or child.

Merit Salary Increase : New employees will receive the starting salary, which is the first step of the salary range. After employees serve 52 weeks (2080 hours) on each step of the range, they are eligible for a merit increase to the next step.

Educational Reimbursement Program: Eligible employees may be reimbursed for career-related course work up to a maximum of $850 per fiscal year. Eligible employees enrolled in an approved four (4) year College or University academic program may be reimbursed up to $800 per semester for a maximum of $1600 per fiscal year.

Parking Supplemental Downtown Stockton: The County contributes up to $20 per pay period for employees who pay for parking and are assigned to work in the Downtown Core Area.

School Activities : Employees may take up to 40 hours per year, but not more than eight (8) hours per month, to participate in their children’s school activities.

Selection Procedures

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will go through the following examination process:

• Written Exam: The civil service written exam is a multiple choice format. If the written exam is administered alone, it will be 100% of the overall score. Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% in order to be placed on the eligible list.

• Oral Exam: The oral exam is a structured interview process that will assess the candidate’s education, training, and experience and may include a practical exercise. The oral exam selection process is not a hiring interview. A panel of up to four people will determine the candidate’s score and rank for placement on the eligible list. Top candidates from the eligible list are referred for hiring interviews. If the oral exam is administered alone, it will be 100% of the overall score. Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% in order to be placed on the eligible list.

• Written & Oral Exam: If both a written exam and an oral exam is administered, the written exam is weighted at 60% and the oral exam is weighted at 40% unless otherwise indicated on the announcement. Candidates must achieve a minimum rating of 70% on each examination in order to be placed on the eligible list.

• Rate-out: A rate-out is an examination that involves a paper rating of the candidate’s application using the following criteria: education, training, and experience. Candidates will not be scheduled for the rate-out process.

Note: The rating of 70 referred to may be the same or other than an arithmetic 70% of the total possible points.

OnlineWritten Exams: Written exams may be administered online. Candidates will be notified of the examination date and will be responsible to complete the written exam within a given period of time (typically within five calendar days). Candidates are required to read the Online Exam Guide for Test Takers prior to taking an online written exam.

• All candidates participating in a San Joaquin County examination are required to complete the exam independently and without the use of external resources
  
  Under San Joaquin County Civil Services Rules and Government Code 31114 and 31115, the use of any outside assistance is strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, assistance from other individuals, searching for answers online, or using artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT or other chat-based technologies
  
  Examinations are intended to assess each candidate’s individual knowledge, skills and abilities. Any violation of these requirements may result in disqualification from the examination process, removal from an eligible list, and/or additional action as permitted by law, including potential misdemeanor charges. Candidates may also be required to retake the examination in a monitored setting. By submitting an online examination, you acknowledge that you have read, understand and agree to comply with these conditions

• Online exams must be completed in one sitting and can only be taken once

• Candidates will have access to an online exam within the allotted time only

• A steady internet connection is highly recommended

• The allotted time will still continue if a candidate closes the window or gets disconnected

• Once the allotted time expires, access to the exam will be unavailable

Microsoft is no longer supporting Internet Explorer. Therefore, it is recommended that candidates do not use Internet Explorer to complete online written exams.

Candidates that do not have access to a computer can contact the Human Resources office at [phone] for information on accommodations.

Testing Accommodation: Candidates who require testing accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must call Human Resources Division at [phone] prior to the examination date.

Veteran’s Points: Eligible veterans, unmarried widows and widowers of veterans of the United States Armed Forces who have been honorably discharged and who have served during wartime shall be given veteran’s points in initial appointment to County service. Eligible veterans receive 5 points and eligible disabled veterans receive 10 points. Disabled veterans must submit a recent award letter stating a 10% service connected disability issued by the United States Veterans Administration. Note: A copy of your DD214 showing the discharge type must be received in the Human Resources by the date of