Correctional Program Officer

Summary Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities. Our highly-skilled, diverse, and innovative workforce creates a strong foundation of safety and security. Through the principles of humanity and normalcy, we develop good neighbors. Responsibilities Primary resource person for the Bureau of Prisons' Executive Staff in regard to the residential (e.g., community) reentry of federal offenders and detention services. As such, provides information and advice to Branch Chiefs, Deputy Assistant Directors, Assistant Directors, Regional Directors and the Director regarding detention services and the community reentry of offenders in Bureau custody, the allocation of agency resources for community residential reentry, and the current state of similar programs offered by other agencies. Serves as the agency's liaison with external entities regarding the Bureau's residential reentry initiatives and detention services. Establishes and maintains professional relationships with high-ranking officials in other governmental agencies, the Judiciary, members of the academic community and appropriate private agencies. Forms these relationships to assist in the development and implementation of residential reentry, detention services and other programming efforts, maintain expertise in areas of responsibility, and utilize the latest developments in these fields. Also provides technical assistance to these entities as needed. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship is Required. See Special Conditions of Employment Section. The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP eligibility, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: Click Here Qualifications To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements: Education: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position. Experience: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is directly related experience that included substantial involvement with a correctional program and provided a thorough knowledge of correctional techniques, or experience in meeting and dealing with people that demonstrated the ability to work effectively with inmates and associates in a correctional environment. Experience must have also demonstrated the ability to perform supervisory or administrative duties successfully. This includes: (1) understanding the problems of custody, treatment, training, and release of inmates of penal or correctional institutions; (2) a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of an institution's internal policies, programs, regulations, and procedures; and (3) training subordinates, coordinating and directing activities and functions, evaluating performance of operations and the effectiveness of programs, and maintaining high standards or work objectives. This experience must have been gained in an administrative position, or in other positions that included the successful direction, or assistance in the direction of, an entire correctional program or a major phase of such a program. Some examples of this qualifying experience are: Experience in the development and implementation of national policies designed to enhance the placement of federal offenders in residential reentry centers (including in-house and home confinement placements) and policies regarding detention services. Experience in providing oversight, direction, training and monitoring for BOP institutions and regional office Residential Reentry Mangers and measures the effectiveness of their efforts. Experience in designing systems for the collection and analysis of data to determine program needs for residential reentry centers and home confinement and detention centers. If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities. Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application. Education See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty. Additional Information This position IS NOT included in the bargaining unit. The representative rate for this position is $180,359 per annum ($86.42 per hour). Special Conditions of Employment Section: Initial appointment to a supervisory/managerial position requires a one-year probationary period. The incumbent is subject to geographic relocation to meet the needs of the agency. Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks. The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of residence. Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate. Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed. NOTE: Telework in accordance with agency policy. Current Federal Law Enforcement Employees: A prerequisite of the secondary law enforcement position is the completion of the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II". If you have not completed the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II", you are ineligible for secondary law enforcement position(s) and coverage but may still be considered for a non-law enforcement position. If you are not a current Bureau of Prisons employee, you must submit training records demonstrating you have completed the mandatory courses in "Introduction to Correctional Techniques Phase I and Phase II" to your hiring Human Resource office prior to appointment. Individuals selected who are under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and who have not had three years "primary" law enforcement retirement coverage, will not be covered by law enforcement retirement while in this position. To regain coverage, individuals must return to a position with "primary" coverage. As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.