Probation Services Technician

United States Courts; Miami (FL); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

United States Courts is seeking a Probation Services Technician in the Miami, FL area to provide technical, administrative, and clerical support to U.S. Probation Officers and Officers' Assistants.

The role includes compiling criminal histories, coordinating with collateral agencies, and managing a low risk caseload while ensuring confidentiality and deadline-driven performance. The ideal candidate will have two years of generalized and two years of specialized experience, plus a high school

Qualifications

• General experience: progressively responsible clerical, office, or related work.
• Specialized experience: clerical/administrative work applying rules, regulations, directives, or laws; routine use of specialized software and equipment for word processing, data entry or report generation.
• Education above high school may be substituted for general experience but not for specialized experience.

Responsibilities

• Manage the district's administrative low risk caseload under supervision.
• Monitor non-compliant behavior and track monthly reports.
• Maintain records in the Probation Automated Case Tracking System (PACTS).
• Conduct investigations and prepare reports for the court.
• Generate DSS reports to assist case management activities.
• Maintain records and conduct urinalysis testing with chain of custody.

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Adobe

Microsoft Word

Excel

Windows

Job description

Job Details for Probation Services Technician

Court Name/Organization Florida Southern Probation and Pretrial Services

Overview of the Position The Probation Services Technician provides technical, administrative, and clerical support to U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Officers and Officer Assistants in a wide range of areas. The Probation Services Technician will assist with conducting investigation and supervision of persons charged with and convicted of federal crimes by compiling criminal histories, coordinating with collateral agencies, providing administrative support, managing an administrative (low risk) caseload, and performing other duties as assigned. The incumbent should be a highly organized self-starter with the ability to prioritize and complete multiple tasks with deadlines from numerous officers. Must be able to handle interruptions and changing deadlines and remain on track to complete assignments timely. The ability to maintain confidentiality is imperative.

• Under the guidance and direction of a probation officer or supervisor, manage the district’s administrative low risk caseload. Activities include monitoring non-compliant behavior of persons under supervision with minimal contact with the probation office, tracking clients’ monthly reports, investigating noted changes, maintaining chronological records in the Probation Automated Case Tracking System (PACTS), preparing collateral law enforcement requests, conduct and review records checks, conduct and/or initiate investigations, including financial investigations and prepare reports for the court.
• Observe national and local disclosure policies and procedures.
• Opens, closes, and updates information into computerized records, including PACTS. Research information from case records and enter into system as appropriate.
• Screens forms completed by officers and officer assistants and request corrections as needed.
• Retrieves information from databases and generates periodic DSS reports to assist in case management activities.
• Conduct same gender urinalysis and maintain chain of custody of urinalysis testing materials. Maintain records of test results and inform probation officers of test results.
• Assists the officers with case file reviews and advise officers, officer assistants, or supervisors of matters needing their attention. Makes chronological entries in case records. Conducts research and retrieves needed information via telephone, mail, electronic resources or in person, if required.
• Screens telephone calls and visitors, answers routine questions, aids as authorized and refers the person(s) to officers or to the appropriate agency based on knowledge of officers’ activities and office operations, policy and procedures.
• Assists U.S. Probation Officers in compiling, analyzing, and evaluating information gathered for case plans and non-compliance reports for all general and specialty caseloads.
• Formats, types, edits, and finalizes reports and correspondence from rough drafts. This may include, but is not limited to, documents such as presentence investigation reports, supervision case plans, memoranda or reports to the court.
• Contacts persons under supervision through office visits, telephone and email and the Electronic Report System (ERS) to verify or request information at the direction of U.S. Probation Officers.
• Communicates with other organizations, agencies, companies and persons concerning persons under supervision behaviors and conditions of supervision at the direction of the U.S. Probation Officer.
• Completes various standard forms for submission to the court and legal counsel using information provided by officers, including petitions, orders to the court, and similar documents. Keeps various logs and records up to date.
• Has a working knowledge of the principles of Evidence Based Practices to assist the U.S. Probation Officer identify and assess the risk and criminogenic needs of persons under supervision.
• Assists officers in requesting and responding to collateral requests for information in the approved format.
• Operates the local/state law enforcement information retrieval systems and Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) terminals to obtain criminal history information and route the information to appropriate recipients.
• Use of various national and local programs/databases, including Accurint, ATLAS, CHAIRS, e-Designate, e-Justice, BOP Red Flag report, archive requests, CM/ECF, LENS, and RRC.
• Maintains, updates, and tracks paper and electronic files.
• Keeps informed on new developments and techniques in the community corrections field and, applies these techniques to the work as needed.
• Performs other duties as required.

Qualifications

Candidate must have two years of generalized experience and at least two years of specialized experience. In addition, must have a high school degree or equivalent.

General Experience is defined as progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates the possession of, or the ability to acquire, the knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position.

Specialized Experience is defined as progressively responsible clerical or administrative experience requiring the regular and recurring application of clerical 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.

Education above the high school level may be substituted for required general experience based on one academic year (30) semester or 45 quarter hours) equals one year of general experience. Education may not be substituted for specialized experience because operational court support positions require hands‑on experience to be credited as specialized experience.

Court Preferred Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college/university in a field of academic study such as criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, humanrelations, business or public administration, which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply the legal requirements and human relations skills involved in the position is highly preferred.
• Proficiency working in automated environments with a significant knowledge of computer programs such as Adobe, Word, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Windows as well as other software programs.
• The desire and ability to work harmoniously with others in a total quality team-based organization, and the desire/willingness to collaborate with persons under supervision, community partners and others to reduce recidivism.
• Ability to communicate well orally and in writing.
• Ability to work with a wide variety of people with diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to deal with multiple demands in a fast‑paced environment.
• Ability to interact tactfully in an environment with daily contact of supervised individuals, following safety procedures while demonstrating sound ethics and good judgment
• Fluency in Spanish highly desirable.

Employee Benefits

Employees of the U.S. District Court are Excepted Appointments and considered At‑Will judicial employees. Federal Government Civil Service classifications or regulations do not apply. Electronic direct deposit of salary payments is mandatory. Full‑time employees are eligible for a full range of benefits such as paid vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, retirement benefits that include a defined contribution program and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). TSP is a 401(k) equivalent program that includes matching contributions. Additional benefits include health and life insurance, disability and long‑term care insurance, dental and vision insurance and a Flexible Benefits Program which includes medical and dependent care reimbursement.

Background Investigation & The Fair Chance to Compete Act (FCA)

This is a Sensitive position within the Judiciary. The selected candidate will be subject to a technical fingerprint check through the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division database as a condition of employment. This position is not covered under the FCA. Therefore, candidates will be asked to provide verbal or written statements about criminal history prior to receiving a conditional job offer. When applying for this position, completion of Questions 18, 19, and 20 on Form AO-78, “Application for Employment” is mandatory.

Selection Process

Only qualified applicants will be considered, and interviews will be granted to the most competitive and qualified applicants. Applicants with disciplinary actions (i.e., communications of reprimands or adverse actions) within the past 12 months of this announcement closing date, may not be considered the most competitive and qualified applicants. Incomplete applications may not be considered. The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement or to withdraw the announcement without prior notice.

The Federal Court practices zero tolerance for illegal drug use. Those applicants selected for further consideration may be subject to testing. Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen or eligible to work in the United States.

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.