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Job Details for Intensive Supervision Specialist (General)

Court Name/Organization: California Northern Pretrial Services
Location: To Be Determined, CA
Opening and Closing Dates: 06/25/2024 - Open Until Filled
Appointment Type: Permanent
Classification Level/Grade: CL 29
Salary: $102,962 - $167,349
Announcement Number: 2024-6
Position Description

The U.S. Pretrial Services Agency for the Northern District of California is accepting applications for a Pretrial Services Intensive Supervision Specialist. This is a general Intensive Supervision Specialist position, and duties may include location monitoring, residential, dual diagnosis, child exploitation, or other high-risk cases as needed. The candidate selected for this position may be assigned to the San Francisco, Oakland, or San Jose divisional office, depending on the needs of the Agency.   
 
The Pretrial Services Intensive Supervision Specialist is responsible for matters relating to the effective supervision of pretrial services clients who require a higher level of community oversight and may or may not be enrolled in location monitoring. The specialist is also involved with treatment services contracting and bill reconciliation. Pretrial services officer specialists must carry at least a 50 percent caseload, spending at least 50 percent of their time working with defendants. Officer specialists may guide the work of pretrial services officer assistants and other staff.  
 
The U.S. Pretrial Services Agency, the bail investigation agency for the U.S. District Court, assists the court with reducing unnecessary pretrial detention by providing timely, objective, and verified background information on defendants charged in federal court. The information provided to the court is used in setting reasonable, least restrictive bail conditions. A recommendation is made for detention or release with or without special conditions intended to reasonably assure community safety and appearance at future court proceedings. Defendants are supervised from the time of their release until sentencing or self-surrender to serve a prison term. The Pretrial Services Agency is also responsible for the investigation and supervision of pretrial diversion cases. Working with judges, attorneys, state and local law enforcement agencies, and treatment providers, the Pretrial Services Agency delivers services that benefit the defendant, the court, and the community.   
 
The Northern District of California covers 15 counties, primarily along the northern coast of California, from the Oregon border to southern Monterey County. Its headquarters is located in San Francisco, with division offices in San Jose and Oakland, and a satellite office in Eureka/McKinleyville. Travel inside and outside of the District is periodically required. 

Representative Duties
Under the guidance and direction of the Supervisory Pretrial Services Officer, the incumbent will perform the following duties: 

Qualification

Educational Requirement: A minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required in a field of academic study, such as criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, human relations, business or public administration, which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply the legal requirements and human relation skills involved in the position. A degree that relies primarily upon credit for life experience, rather than academic course work, will not qualify for the required education. 

Requirements: 

Physical Requirement: The duties of a pretrial services officer require the investigation and management of criminal defendants who may present a physical danger to pretrial services officers and to the public. In the investigation, supervision, and treatment of defendants, these duties require moderate to arduous physical activity, including prolonged periods of walking and standing, physical dexterity and coordination necessary for officer safety, and use of self-defense tactics. On a daily basis, pretrial services officers face unusual mental and physical stress because they are subject to danger and possible harm during frequent, direct contact with individuals who are charged with committing federal offenses. As such, applicants to the position must be physically capable and able to handle moderate to arduous physical exertion.   

Pretrial services 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. Any severe health problems, such as physical defects, disease, and deformities that may constitute employment hazards to the applicant or others, may disqualify an applicant.  Examples of health problems that may be disqualifying are an untreated hernia, cardiovascular disorders, serious deformities or disabilities of the extremities, mental health disorders, fainting and/or seizure disorders, metabolic disorders, bleeding disorders, pulmonary disorders, and marked speech abnormalities.   

Prior to appointment, the selectee considered for this position will undergo a 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. In addition, as conditions to employment, the incumbent will be subject to on-going random drug testing as deemed necessary by management for reasonable cause and may be subject to subsequent fitness-for-duty evaluations. The medical requirements and the essential job functions derived from the medical guidelines for pretrial services officers (and pretrial services officer assistants) are available for public review at http://www.uscourts.gov.   

Specialized Experience

In addition, candidate must possess three years of specialized experience, including at least one year as a CL-28 pretrial services officer. Specialized experience is work that is progressively responsible experience gained after completion of a bachelor’s degree, in such fields as probation, pretrial services, parole, 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. 

Benefits

Judiciary employees serve under excepted appointments (not competitive civil service).

Federal benefits include paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays. Optional benefits include health, dental and vision insurance, disability and life insurance, long-term care coverage, flexible spending accounts, retirement benefits, and a tax-deferred savings plan with employer matching contributions. This position is subject to mandatory electronic funds transfer (direct deposit) participation for payment of net pay.

Miscellaneous

Our Mission
It is the mission of the U.S. Pretrial Services Agency to safely reduce unnecessary pretrial detention. We do so by providing high quality investigation and supervision services that enhance community safety while respecting the presumption of innocence. We remain focused on providing services and support that promote positive, transformative change in the lives of those we serve.    

Conditions of Employment
U.S. Citizenship or eligibility to work permanently in the U.S. is required. All employees of the U.S. Pretrial Services Agency are required to adhere to the Judicial Code of Conduct. 

First-time appointees will be covered under law enforcement officer retirement provisions and 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.    

Employment is subject to a criminal background investigation and verification of information supplied. Newly hired pretrial services officers must undergo and successfully complete a ten-year background investigation with reoccurring investigations every five years.   

New officers will be required to attend a six-week training academy in Charleston, South Carolina.  

How To Apply

This position is open until filled, but preference will be given to applications received by July 19, 2024.

Submit an application packet that includes:  

  1. Resume
  2. A letter of interest (maximum 1000 words) detailing why you are interested in applying for the position, and addresses the following: 
    1. Describe the most difficult decision or problem you faced in your professional career and explain how you overcame the challenge or arrived at your decision.
    2. Describe your knowledge of evidence-based practices and an example of when you have used evidence-based practices in your work. 
    3. Describe your community supervision philosophy
    4. Describe how you would assist the office in promoting a culture of release.
  3. Official academic transcripts (external candidates only)
  4. A completed Federal Judicial Branch Application for Employment (Form AO 78)  

Application materials must be submitted via e-mail to: psajobs@canpt.uscourts.gov   

All documents must be attached as one PDF document. The subject line should state “Application 2024-6.”   

Selection will be made consistent with the provisions of the Equal Opportunity Plan adopted by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The U.S. Pretrial Services Agency reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, or to withdraw the announcement, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice. 

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.