Required Competencies:
- Knowledge of pretrial, probation, and parole processes and procedures, court processes, and legal terminology. Knowledge of the criminal justice system including the interrelationships between the federal courts, federal 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 offenders and basic knowledge of sentencing guidelines.
- Basic skill in assisting probation officers with supervision of offenders in selected low risk cases, risk assessments, 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 offenders. Ability to interview and gather needed information.
Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, human relations, business, or public administration.
Specialized Experience: Progressively responsible experience, following completion of a bachelor’s degree, in such fields as probation, pretrial services, parole, corrections, criminal investigations, or work in substance/addiction treatment/mental health services.
Maximum Age Entry: First-time appointees to positions covered under Federal 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 Civil Service Retirement System or 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.
Physical Requirements: The duties of probation officer assistants require the investigation and management of convicted criminals who present physical danger to officers and to the public. In the supervision, treatment, and control of the persons under supervision, these duties require moderate to arduous physical exercise, including prolonged periods of walking and standing and use of self-defense tactics. On a daily basis, probation 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 convicted of committing federal offenses. Because officer assistants must effectively deal with physical attacks and are subject to moderate to arduous physical exertion, applicants must be physically capable. Any candidate the court is appointing to an officer assistant position will be subject to a pre-employment medical examination. The applicant must be determined medically qualified prior to commencement of duties. The medical requirements for probation officers and probation officer assistants are available for public review at www.uscourts.gov .
