Pretrial Services Officer Assistant

United States Courts; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Sick leave

Federal holidays

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Telework options

Training programs

Travel reimbursement

Job summary

United States Courts seeks a Pretrial Services Assistant to support officers by supervising low-risk cases, compiling information, and coordinating with collateral agencies. The role involves testifying or appearing before judicial officers as needed and performing investigations under supervision.

Applicants should have experience with casework, interviewing, and report generation in a legal or law enforcement setting, plus a bachelor’s degree. Travel within the district is required.

Qualifications

• One year of specialized experience applying procedures and using word processing and data entry tools.
• Knowledge of criminal justice processes and legal terminology.

Responsibilities

• Supervise a caseload of low-risk persons on supervision and collect information.
• Assist with investigations, compile histories, run record checks.
• Interviews and prepare bail reports under guidance.
• Respond to judicial officers' information requests and cover hearings when needed.
• Enter data into collateral systems.

Skills

Pretrial knowledge

Court processes

Legal terminology

Background checks

Data entry

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Automated systems

Job description

Court Name/Organization Pennsylvania Eastern Pretrial Services

Overview of the Position The Pretrial Services Officer Assistant serves in a judiciary law enforcement position under the direction and guidance of a pretrial services officer or supervisor. The incumbent provides technical and administrative support and assistance to officers, primarily assisting with the supervision oflow-risk cases, compiling information for investigations, coordinating with collateral agencies, drafting reports and correspondence, and performing similar duties.

The Pretrial Officer Assistant performs a full range of duties and responsibilities including but not limited to the following:

• Under the guidance of a pretrial services officer or manager, supervise a caseload of low-risk persons on supervision requiring contact by telephone, in the office, and in the field. Investigate employment, sources of income, lifestyle, and associates to assess risk and determine compliance. Maintain accurate case files and timely records, as well as detailed chronological records of activity.
• Assist pretrial services officers with less complex investigations to include compiling criminal histories, and profiles, running record checks through local and national databases, conducting inquiries with collateral agencies, and performing other similar activities. Provide officers with accurate and factual information to assist in their completion of pretrial services reports. Under guidance from a pretrial services officer, conduct initial interviews, perform investigations, draft and submit selected initial bail reports.
• Under the guidance of a pretrial services officer, respond to judicial officers’ requests for information and occasionally cover initial appearance, guilty plea, sentencing, or other hearings before Magistrate and District Court Judicial Officers
• Conduct collateral investigations and accurately enter data related to investigation
• Collect and conduct urine tests on persons under supervision of the same gender and maintain appropriate records
• If bilingual or multilingual, assist officers and non-English speaking persons under supervision, family members, in translating speech, documents, and correspondence, as required
• Operate various criminal justice, law enforcement, and Judiciary automated systems. Participate in ongoing training and development programs.
• Perform other appropriate duties as assigned

Qualifications

Applicants must also have at least one year of specialized experience to qualify. Specialized experience is progressively responsible experience requiring the regular and recurring application of administrative procedures that demonstrate the ability to apply a body of rules, regulations, directives, or laws and involve the routine use of specialized terminology and automated software and equipment for word processing, data entry or report generation. Such experience is commonly encountered in local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, law firms, legal counsel offices, banking and credit firms, educational institutions, social service organizations, insurance companies, real estate and title offices, and corporate headquarters or human resources/payroll operations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Two years of specialized experience
• Demonstrated knowledge, experience and ability to understand and apply legal standards and the human relations expertise necessary to interact with those under supervision, their family members and others
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field of study which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply legal requirements and human relations skills, such as criminal justice, criminology, law, psychology, social work, sociology, human relations, business, public administration or any of the behavioral sciences is required
• Fluent in spoken and written English. Those also fluent in Spanish are strongly encouraged to apply.

Personal Characteristics
A successful candidate must be mature, responsible, poised, organized and meticulous. Must also possess tact, good judgment, initiative, and the ability to work with a wide variety of people with diverse backgrounds.

Background Investigation
As a condition of employment, the selectee must successfully complete a background investigation, which includes a medical examination, credit check and drug screening. In addition, the incumbent will be subject to random drug screening, updated background investigations every five years and, as deemed necessary by management for reasonable cause, may be subject to subsequent fitness-for-duty evaluations. Retention in the position will depend upon favorable suitability determination.

Medical Requirements & Workplace Drug Testing
Prior to employment, the selectee(s) considered for this position will undergo a medical examination and drug screening. Upon successful completion of the medical examination and drug screening, the selectee(s) may then be appointed provisionally, pending a favorable suitability determination by the court. In addition, as conditions of employment, incumbent(s) will be subject to ongoing random drug screening, and as deemed necessary by management for reasonable cause, may be subject to subsequent fitness-for-duty evaluations. The medical requirements and the essential job functions derived from the medical guidelines for pretrial services officers and officer assistants are available for public review at http://www.uscourts.gov .

Physical Requirements
The duties of pretrial services officer assistants require the investigation and management of persons under supervision who may present physical danger to officers and to the public. In the supervision, treatment and control of these persons under supervision, these duties require moderate to arduous physical exercises, including prolonged periods of walking and standing, physical dexterity and coordination necessary for officer safety and use of officer response tactics. On a daily basis, officers and officer assistants face unusual mental and physical stress because they are subject to danger and possible harm during frequent, direct contact with individuals who are suspected or convicted of committing federal offenses. Because officers and officer assistants must effectively deal with physical attacks and are subject to moderate to arduous physical exertion, applicants must be physically capable of efficiently performing these duties and are subject to fitness for duty evaluations. Vision and hearing must also be adequate to perform the duties listed safely and effectively. Travel within the district is required. A valid driver’s license is required to conduct field work.

Maximum Age Entry
First-time appointees to positions covered under law enforcement officer retirement provisions must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment. Applicants 37 or over, who have previous law enforcement officer experience under the Federal Employees’ Retirement System and who have either a subsequent break in service or intervening service in a non-law enforcement officer position may have their previous law enforcement experience subtracted from their age to determine whether they meet the maximum age requirement.

Conditions of Employment
Applicants must be U.S. citizens. All application information is subject to verification. Court employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Federal Judicial Employees. This position is subject to mandatory electronic funds transfer for payroll direct deposit.

General Experience

• Knowledge of pretrial services processes and procedures, court processes, and legal terminology. Knowledge of the criminal justice system including the interrelationships between the federal courts, federal pretrial services/probation, and various law enforcement agencies.
• General knowledge of available community resources. Knowledge of automated/internet resources and systems available for conducting background checks, criminal histories, and other similar activities. Basic knowledge of techniques used in supervising persons under supervision.
• Basic skill in assisting officers with supervision of persons under supervision in selected low risk cases, risk assessment, and developing appropriate alternatives and sanctions to non-compliant behavior. Ability to organize, prioritize, compile and summarize work within established time frames. Ability to follow safety procedures.
• Ability to work under pressure of short deadlines and follow detailed instructions accurately
• Ability to consistently demonstrate sound ethics and judgment
• Ability to interact and communicate effectively (orally and in writing) with people of diverse backgrounds, including law enforcement and collateral agency personnel at different governmental levels, community service providers, and persons under supervision. Ability to interview and gather needed information.

Employee Benefits

• The opportunity to serve in a rewarding public service position
• Accrual of paid vacation and sick leave
• 11 paid federal holidays
• Comprehensive options for health, life, dental, vision, and long-term care insurance plans
• Traditional (pre-tax) and Roth (after-tax) retirement savings and investment plans through the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with employer matching contributions
• Pre-tax options for healthcare, dependent care, health insurance premiums, parking, and mass transit expenses (including UberPool and Lyft line)
• Extensive online training options. Travel reimbursement for in-person training and professional conferences available, funds permitted.
• Telework, alternative work schedules, and other workplace flexibility upon eligibility
• Time in service for employees of other federal agencies and prior military service, will be taken into consideration when computing leave accrual and retirement benefits
• Federal Student Loan Forgiveness eligibility

U.S. Pretrial Services reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the announcement, without prior written or other notice. Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. Applications submitted incomplete or incorrectly will not be considered.

The Court is not authorized to reimburse travel expenses for interviews or relocation. Please note the best qualified candidates will be tested to determine level of skill/knowledge and final candidates will undergo a fingerprint and background check.

Application Info

Apply by submitting:

• A resume
• College transcripts (unofficial)
• Application for Federal Judicial Employment (AO78 )

**Positions in a Federal Law Enforcement Office are required to complete background questions 18, 19 and 20 on page 5 of the application form.

Subject: Human Resources Announcement # 26-04

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.