Probation Officer Assistant

Salary: $52,208.00 - $84,860.00 Annually
Location : St Paul or Minneapolis, MN
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 2024-10
Department: Probation & Pretrial Services
Opening Date: 12/31/2024

Position Overview
U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services in the District of Minnesota has its headquarters in the U.S. Courthouse located at 300 South Fourth Street, Suite 406, Minneapolis, Minnesota. There are field offices located in Bemidji, Duluth, Fergus Falls, Rochester, and St. Paul. The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office serves the Judicial District of Minnesota, which includes 87 counties.
The Probation Officer Assistant serves in a judiciary law enforcement position; under the direction and guidance of a supervisor, provides technical support and assistance to U.S. Probation/Pretrial Services Officers in a wide range of areas, including assisting with compiling information for investigations; assisting with and supervising defendants and/or offenders; preparing and drafting reports and correspondence; and similar duties.
This position is considered hazardous duty, which requires irregular work hours to include nights, weekends, and holidays. The incumbent will also be expected to travel to field offices.
CL-25: $52,208-$84,860

(2024 CPS Pay Table Minneapolis-St. Paul)
This vacancy announcement is based on budget availability, and more than one position may be hired from this announcement. This vacancy announcement is open until filled. Preference will be given to complete applications submitted by 5:00 p.m. CST on January 21, 2025.
Representative Duties

• Under the guidance and direction of a (Supervisory) U.S. Probation Officer, supervise selected caseloads of low-risk defendants and/or offenders, requiring contact by telephone, in the office, and in the field. Conduct selected investigations as needed for pre-release/furlough, pre-sentencing, and bail reports; draft and submit selected reports. Observe and report to supervisors on the lifestyle, personal problems, and needs of offenders/defendants. Maintain case files and records, as well as detailed chronological records of activity.

• Assist officers with presentence investigations to include: compiling criminal histories/profiles, running record checks through local and national databases and files, conducting inquiries with collateral agencies, and similar activities. Visit or contact various local, state, and national law enforcement and regulatory agencies to collect and record information. Provide officers with verifiable and supportable documentation to assist in completion of pretrial and probation reports. Assist in the development of community resources to meet the needs of offenders/defendants.

• Under the guidance and direction of a (Supervisory) U.S. Probation Officer, respond to judicial officers' requests for information and occasionally testify in court, accompanied by an officer, regarding the basis for factual findings, and if applicable, guideline applications.

• Conduct collateral investigations and draft and submit collateral reports, which may entail making telephone, office, and/or field contacts. Perform recordkeeping.

• Schedule and conduct urinalysis tests of offenders/defendants of the same gender, following established procedures and protocols. Maintain paper and computerized records of test results. Inform officers on test results. Maintain and mail or transport tests and materials to laboratories for confirmation. Maintain chain of custody of urinalysis testing materials. Maintain inventory of supplies. Enter data and information into the office's computerized database system. Testify, as necessary, before the Court or Parole Commission.

• If bilingual or multilingual, assist officers and non-English speaking offenders, family members, and witnesses in translating speech, documents, and correspondence, as required.

• Operate various criminal justice, law enforcement, and probation automated systems.

• Participate in ongoing training and development programs to remain abreast of advanced techniques.

• Perform other appropriate duties as assigned.

Position Requirements And Qualifications
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
To qualify for the position of Probation Officer Assistant, applicants must be a high school graduate or equivalent. Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE
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. Such experience is commonly encountered in law firms, legal counsel offices, banking and credit firms, educational institutions, social service organizations, insurance companies, real estate and title offices, and corporate headquarters or human resources/payroll operations.
EDUCATIONAL SUBSTITUTION
Education may not be substituted for specialized experience because operational court support positions require hands-on experience to be credited as specialized experience.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS (COURT PREFERRED SKILLS)

The ideal candidate may also possess the following preferred skills:

• Knowledge of 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.

• Basic knowledge of sentencing guidelines, available community resources, and techniques used in supervising offenders.

• Basic skill in assisting probation officers with supervision of offenders in selected low risk cases, risk assessment, and developing appropriate alternatives and sanctions to non-compliant behavior.

• Knowledge of and skill in using word processing, spreadsheet, and various software/database applications in addition to knowledge of and skill in using automated/internet resources and systems available for conducting background checks, criminal histories, and other similar activities.

• 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 accurately follow detailed instructions.

• Knowledge of and compliance with the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and court confidentiality requirements.

• 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. Written communication for presentation to judicial officers is reviewed by a skilled (Supervisory) U.S. Probation Officer.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a field of academic study, such as criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, human relations, business or public administration, or another closely related field which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply the legal requirements and human relations skills involved in the position. The Probation Officer Assistant position is a career progression step to the position of U.S. Probation Officer. A Bachelor's degree is required for an appointment to the position of U.S. Probation Officer.
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

Probation Officer Assistants must meet the medical requirements for law enforcement officer positions.
Prior to appointment, the selected candidate must undergo a medical examination and drug screening. Upon successful completion, the candidate may then be appointed provisionally, pending a favorable suitability determination by the Court.
Probation Officer Assistants must possess, with or without corrective lenses, good distance vision in at least one eye and the ability to read normal size print. Normal hearing ability, with or without a hearing aid, is also required. Any severe health problems, such as physical defects, disease, and deformities that constitute employment hazards to the applicant or others, may disqualify the candidate.
MAXIMUM ENTRY AGE REQUIREMENTS
Probation Officer Assistants must also meet the maximum age requirements for law enforcement officer positions.
First-time appointees to positions covered under law enforcement officer retirement provisions must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment. Applicants 37 years of age or older 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 officer experience subtracted from their age to determine whether they meet the maximum age requirement.
ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS
Work is generally performed in an office setting and may also be performed in the community. Work requires contact with persons who may have violent backgrounds. These contacts may be made in both generally controlled office settings, as well as in field situations (such as uncontrolled and unsafe neighborhoods, or environments where illegal activities and violence may occur) . click apply for full job details