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Job Details for U.S. Probation Officer

Court Name/Organization: Illinois Central Probation and Pretrial Services
Overview of the Position: Probation officers serve in a judiciary law enforcement capacity and assist in the fair administration of justice, provide community safety, conduct objective investigations, supervise defendants or offenders, interact with collateral agencies, prepare reports and present recommendations to the Court. The officers hired will be assigned to prepare presentence reports and/or supervise defendants/offenders to maximize adherence to imposed conditions, reduce risk to the community, and to provide correctional treatment; detect and investigate violations and implement appropriate alternatives and sanctions; conduct preliminary interviews and other investigations as required; and maintain a detailed written record of case activity.
Location: Springfield or Urbana, IL
Opening and Closing Dates: 09/06/2024 - 10/11/2024
Appointment Type: Permanent
Classification Level/Grade: CL 25, CL 27, CL 28
Salary: $49,965 - $113,078
Link to Court Careers Information: http://www.ilcp.uscourts.gov/career-opportunities
Announcement Number: 2024-04
Position Description

Qualification

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.

Experience
Minimum of one year of progressively responsible experience, gained after completion of a bachelor’s degree, in such fields as probation, pretrial services, parole, or corrections, criminal investigations, or work in substance/addiction treatment. Experience as a police, custodial, or security officer, other than any criminal investigative experience, is not creditable.

Education Substitution: Completion of one academic year (30 semester or 45 quarter hours), of graduate work in a field of study closely related to the position equates to one year of specialized experience. Completion of a master’s degree in a field of study closely related to the position, or a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, equates to two years of specialized experience.

The duties of probation officers require the investigation and management of convicted criminal offenders who present physical danger to officers and to the public. In the supervision, treatment, and control of these offenders, these duties require moderate to arduous physical exercise, including prolonged periods of walking and standing, physical dexterity and coordination necessary to operate a firearm, and use of self-defense tactics. On a daily basis, these officers 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.

Prior to appointment, the selectee considered for this position is required to undergo an extensive medical examination and drug screening. Upon successful completion of the medical examination and drug screening, the selectee may then be appointed provisionally, pending a favorable suitability determination by the court. Continued employment will be contingent on successful completion of the OPM investigation. In addition, the incumbent will be subject to ongoing random drug screening and updated background investigations every five years.

The medical requirements and the essential job functions derived from the medical guidelines for probation officers, pretrial services officers, and officer assistants are available for public review at http://www.uscourts.gov.

Because officers must effectively deal with physical attacks and are subject to moderate or arduous physical exertion, applicants must be physically capable. Officers 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. In most instances, the amputation of an arm, hand, leg, or foot will not disqualify an applicant from appointment, although it may be necessary for the applicant to use prosthesis to compensate for the amputation. Any severe health problems, however, such as physical defects, disease, and deformities that constitute employment hazards to the applicant or others, may disqualify an applicant. Examples of health problems that may be disqualifying are untreated hernia, cardiovascular disorders, serious deformities or disability of the extremities, mental health disorders, fainting and/or seizures, metabolic disorders, bleeding disorders, pulmonary disorders, and marked speech abnormalities.

Maximum Entry Age
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 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 officer experience subtracted from their age to determine whether they meet the maximum age requirement.

Benefits

Employees of the U.S. District Court are not covered by the Office of Personnel Management's civil service classification system or regulations and are considered ‘at will’ employees. Judiciary employees are, however, entitled to the same benefits as other federal employees. These include:

Miscellaneous

Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. Travel expenses to attend the interview will not be reimbursed. All information provided by the applicant is subject to verification. Due to the volume of applications expected to be received, the court will only communicate with those individuals invited for an interview. The U.S. Probation Office reserves the right to amend or withdraw this announcement with or without written notice to applicants and more than one vacancy may be filled from this announcement.

How To Apply

Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States. Qualified applicants will be tested. Applicants must submit all of the following documents to be considered for this position. Non-submission of the required documentation or an incomplete packet will disqualify the applicant.

  1. Cover letter (please indicate which divisional office you are interested in or if you would like to be considered for positions in both Springfield and Urbana)
  2. Resume
  3. A completed Application for Judicial Branch Employment (AO-78). You may download this form at www.ilcp.uscourts.gov/career-opportunities (date of birth must be reported on the application form).
  4. College transcripts

Mail application packet to:

U.S. Probation Office
Vacancy: 2024-04
210 U.S. Courthouse
600 E. Monroe Street
Springfield, IL  62701

Or send via email (one PDF attachment please) to keely_sprague@ilcd.uscourts.gov

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.