U.s. Probation Officer

Profile

U.S. Probation Officer
Duties: Conduct investigations and prepare reports for the court with recommendations. Interview offenders/defendants and their families and collect background data from various sources. During the process, interpret and apply policies and procedures, statutes, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedures, and U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Monographs, and relevant case law, as applicable. Enforce court-ordered supervision components and implement supervision strategies. Maintain personal contact with defendants and offenders, investigate employment, sources of income, lifestyle, and associates to assess risk and compliance. Address substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence, and similar problems and refer to appropriate specialist. Schedule and conduct drug use detection tests and DNA collection of offenders/defendants, following established procedures and protocols. Maintain records of test results. Maintain chain of custody of urinalysis testing materials. Respond to judicial officers’ requests for information and advice. Testify in court as to the basis for factual findings and guideline applications, if warranted. Maintain detailed records of case activity. Investigate and analyze financial documents and activities and take appropriate action. Interview victim(s) and provide victim impact statements to the court. Ensure compliance with Mandatory Victims Restitution Act. Review and resolve disputed issues involving defendants/offenders and present unresolved issues to the court for resolution. Assess offenders’/defendants’ level of risk and develop a blend of strategies for monitoring, restrictions and interventions designed to mitigate risk. Provide offenders/defendants with information on local resources and programs regarding employment, GED certification assistance, ongoing education, and vocational training. Identify interests, aptitudes, and abilities of offenders/defendants through interviewing, gathering appropriate information and collaborating with stakeholders. Assist offenders/defendants toward integration into the community. Communicate with other organizations and personnel (such as the U.S. Parole Commission, Bureau of Prisons, law enforcement, treatment agencies, and attorneys) concerning offenders’/defendants’ behavior and conditions of supervision. Identify and investigate violations and implement appropriate alternatives and sanctions. Discuss violations with Supervisory Probation Officer. Report violations of the conditions of supervision to the appropriate authorities. Prepare written reports of violation matters, and make recommendations for disposition. Testify at court or parole hearings. Conduct Parole Commission preliminary interviews session for 6 weeks at the Federal Probation and Pretrial Services Academy in Charleston, South Carolina.

Qualification and Experience

Qualifications: All probation officer positions require completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a field of academic study, such as criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, human relations, or 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.
To qualify at a CL 25, must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to work at a CL 23, OR completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with an overall grade point average of 2.9 or better on a 4.0 scale (3.6 on a 5.0 scale) or completion of one academic year (30 semester / 45 quarter hours) of graduate work in a field of study closely related to the position.
To qualify at a CL 27, must have 2 years of specialized experience including 1+ years' equivalent to work at a CL 25 or the completion of master’s degree closely related to field of JD Degree.
Specialized experience is described as progressively responsible experience, gained after completion of a bachelor’s degree, which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply the human behavior management skills involved in the position. Experience as a police, parole, custodial, or security officer does not qualify as specialized experience. Fluency in Spanish is helpful.

Additional info

Position Announcement Number: 21-01. Send cover letter, resume, completion of AO78 application form, copy of transcript(s) for a Bachelor’s degree & any advanced degree. Last 2 performance appraisals/evaluations from current and/or previous employers. (If unable to provide these, please explain the reason in cover letter.)

Company info

Hiring Coordinator
United States Probation Office Northern District of Illinois
230 S. Dearborn St.,
Suite 3400
Chicago, IL 60604