Victim Advocate - G117 District Attorney's Office

Columbus Consolidated Government; Columbus (GA); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbus Consolidated Government seeks a Victim/Witness Advocate to assist crime victims and witnesses in understanding and navigating the criminal justice process. You will establish contact, gather information, and coordinate with prosecutors, shelters, and service providers to support clients in court and beyond.

Responsibilities include attending hearings, coordinating transportation, referrals, and maintaining records.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of the criminal justice system and legal terminology.
• Knowledge of victim compensation programs and available resources.
• Knowledge of state court practices and procedures.
• Skill in basic accounting.
• Skill in operating office equipment and in interpersonal relations.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Establish contact with victims and witnesses; share program information and collect contact details.
• Advocate for and provide support to victims in court, at home, hospital, or at funerals.
• Correspond with jail and state agencies to obtain defendant status information; inform victims.
• Assist victims with transportation, travel, and hotel arrangements to attend court.
• Refer victims to social service agencies; liaison between victims and other agencies.
• Attend court hearings and act as liaison between prosecutors and victims/witnesses.
• Coordinate travel with victims for early release hearings and prepare protest letters as needed.
• Prepare and submit victim compensation claims; monitor office expenditures and budget.
• Attend victim meetings and trainings; manage office supplies.

Skills

Victim advocacy

Interpersonal relations

Oral communication

Written communication

Independent work

Knowledge of criminal justice system

Basic accounting

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Apprenticeship/internship experience in related field

Tools

Computer

Calculator

Fax machine

Telephone

Job description

This position is responsible for assisting victims and witnesses of crime in understanding and navigating the criminal justice process.

• Establishes contact with victims and witness of crimes; shares information about the program; collects personal contact information.
• Advocates for and provides support and encouragement to victims, in courtroom, at home, in hospital, at funerals.
• Corresponds with jail, Department of Corrections and Pardon & Parole Board to obtain information about status of defendants; provides victims with information.
• Assists victims and witnesses in making transportation, travel, and hotel arrangements to attend court.
• Refers victims to other social service agencies and programs as appropriate; serves as liaison between victims and other agencies.
• Attends court hearings, Grand Jury, bond hearings, guilty please, trial hearings, and arraignments; acts as liaison between prosecutors and victims/witnesses to provide support and share information and status.
• Travels with victims to Pardon & Parole Board early release hearings; assists victims in writing protest letters against parole or early releases; prepares Notification Letters for Pardon of Parole and Department of Corrections to ensure victims are notified of an inmate’s release.
• Requests medical releases for the District Attorney’s Office to obtain information on the victim’s injuries for trial and for use in preparing Victim Compensation Claims.
• Compiles and submits victim compensation claim to the Georgia Crime Compensation Program.
• Prepares and monitors budget for office expenditures.
• Attends victim meetings and training programs of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.
• Orders and maintains all office supplies.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

• Knowledge of the criminal justice system and legal terminology.
• Knowledge of victim compensation programs and available resources.
• Knowledge of state court practices and procedures.
• Skill in basic accounting.
• Skill in operating such office equipment as a computer and related software, calculator, fax machine, and telephone.
• Skill in interpersonal relations.
• Skill in oral and written communication.
• Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision.

Knowledge and level of competency commonly associated with the completion of specialized training in the occupational field, in addition to basic skills typically associated with a high school education.Sufficient experience to understand the basic principles relevant to the major duties of the position, usually associated with the completion of an apprenticeship/internship or having had a similar position for one to two years.

The work is typically performed while sitting, standing, or stooping. The employee must occasionally lift light objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:

• Feeling – perceiving attributes of objects by touch with skin, fingertips.
• Grasping – applying pressure to object with fingers, palm.
• Handling – picking, holding, or working with whole hand.
• Hearing 1 – perceiving sounds at normal speaking levels, receive information.
• Hearing 2 – receive detailed information, make discrimination in sound.
• Lifting – raising objects from lower to higher position, moving objects side to side, using upper extremities, back.
• Manual Dexterity – picking, pinching, typing, working with fingers rather than hand.
• Mental Acuity – ability to make rational decisions through sound logic, deductive reasoning.
• Repetitive Motion – substantial movements of wrists, hands, fingers.
• Speaking – expressing ideas with spoken word, convey detailed, important instructions accurately, concisely.
• Standing – for sustained periods of time.
• Stooping – bending body downward, forward at waist, with full motion of lower extremities and back.
• Talking 1- expressing ideas by spoken word.
• Visual Acuity 1 - prepare, analyze data, transcribing, computer terminal, extensive reading.
• Visual Acuity 4 - operate motor vehicles/heavy equipment.
• Walking - on foot to accomplish tasks, long distances, or site to site.

The work is typically performed in an office and courtroom. The employee may be outdoors or be exposed to noise and contagious or infectious diseases.