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Job Details for U.S. Probation Officers

Court Name/Organization:	Massachusetts Probation and Pretrial Services
Overview of the Position:	The U.S. Probation & Pretrial Services Office for the U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, is currently accepting applications for a full-time probation officer in all offices. Boston is the capital and largest city in the state of Massachusetts, officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. There are many interesting places in Boston and across the state of Massachusetts. Explore more about Massachusetts to see why many find it an attractive place to live and work. Judiciary employees serve under excepted appointments and are entitled to standard federal benefits such as paid vacation and sick time, health/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, long term care, flexible benefits (health care/dependent care and parking accounts) and a retirement program that includes a tax-deferred retirement savings plan (TSP). Participation in the interview process will be at the applicant’s own expense and relocation expenses will not be provided. The successful candidate(s) will be required to participate in a 5-6 week National Training Academy program located in Charleston, South Carolina, with the exception of transfers from other U.S. Probation Offices who may have already participated in this program. Employees must be U.S. citizens or meet the exceptions to the statutory restrictions on hiring non-citizens to work in the federal government in the continental United States. This position is subject to mandatory electronic fund transfer (direct deposit) participation for payment of net pay. More than one vacancy may be filled from this announcement.
Location:	Boston, Lawrence, Taunton, Worcester and Springfield, MA
Opening and Closing Dates:	11/05/2024 - 12/30/2024
Appointment Type:	Permanent
Classification Level/Grade:	CL 25 - CL 28
Salary:	$56,445 - $127,743
Link to Court Careers Information:	https://www.map.uscourts.gov/employment-probation
Announcement Number:	#24-10
Link to Job Announcement

Position Description

Assignment will be in either the Investigations or Supervision Unit, depending on availability and the candidate’s qualifications.

Occupational Information: Probation Officers are designated as hazardous duty positions and covered under the hazardous duty retirement system. Persons in a position certified as law enforcement and enrolled in the law enforcement retirement system contribute a greater percentage of their salary toward the pension system and are eligible to retire earlier than other federal employees.

Investigations Unit: A U.S. Probation Officer conducts investigations and prepares bail and presentence reports for the Court with recommendations for detention, release, and sentencing of individuals charge and convicted of federal offenses. The preparation of these reports requires interviewing individuals and their families; investigating the offense, prior record, and financial status of the individual; and contacting law enforcement agencies, attorneys, victims of the crimes, schools, etc. The purpose of these activities is to ascertain the individual’s background, assess danger to the community and risk of non-appearance at future court proceedings, assess the probability of future criminal behavior, calculate profit from, and any restitution owed for, the offense, and to determine ability to pay fines or make restitution. Officers apply U.S. Sentencing Commission guidelines and case law; decide the appropriate course of action after analyzing any objections to presentence reports; resolve disputed issues; make written sentencing recommendations to the Court; and appear at hearings to assist as needed.

Supervision Unit: A U.S. Probation Officer supervises individuals to maximize adherence to imposed conditions, reduce risk to the community, and to provide correctional treatment. Maintains personal contact through office and community visits and by telephone. Investigates employment, sources of income, lifestyle and associates to assess risk and compliance. Responsible for detection of substance abuse and through assessment and counseling implements the necessary treatment or violation proceedings. Makes referrals to appropriate outside agencies such as medical and drug treatment facilities, employment and training. Initiates contacts with, replies to and seeks information from organizations and persons such as the U.S. Parole Commission, Bureau of Prisons, and attorneys concerning offenders’ behavior and conditions of supervision. Detects and investigates violations and implements appropriate alternatives and sanctions. Monitors location monitoring, as necessary. Reports violations of conditions of bail or supervision to the appropriate authorities. Prepares reports, which may include application of U.S. Sentencing Commission revocation guidelines. Makes recommendations for disposition. Testifies at court or parole hearings. Conducts preliminary interviews and other investigations as required. Maintains a detailed written record of case activity.

Qualification

Minimum Qualifications: 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, is required for all probation or pretrial services officer positions. In addition, the successful applicant(s) must possess at least one year of 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, public administration, human relations, social work, psychology, or mental health. Experience as a police, custodial, or security officer, other than any criminal investigative experience, is not creditable.

Educational Substitution: Completion of requirements for a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and one of the following superior academic achievement requirements may be substituted for one (1) year of specialized experience (and is qualifying for CL 25, Step 1):

1. An overall “B” grade point average equaling 2.9 or better of a possible 4.0
2. Standing in the upper third of the class
3. A “B+” (3.5) average or better in the major field of study, such as business or public administration, human resources management, industrial relations, or psychology
4. Election to a membership in Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma XI, or one of the National Honorary Scholastic Societies meeting the minimum requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies, other than Freshman Honor Societies

Completion of one academic year (30 semester or 45 quarter hours) of graduate work in a field of study closely related to the position is qualifying at CL 25 Step 1

To qualify at the CL-27 level, a candidate must possess two years of specialized experience, or completion of a master’s degree in a field of study closely related to the position, or Juris Doctor (JD) degree.

To qualify at the CL-28 level, a candidate must possess at least two years of specialized experience.

Specialized experience is defined as 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.

The successful candidate must be mature, responsible, poised, organized and detail oriented. He or she must possess good critical thinking skills, tact, sound judgment, initiative, good time management skills, and the ability to work with a wide variety of people with diverse backgrounds. Proficiency with MS Word, Westlaw and Lexis is desirable.

Court Preferred Skills:

1. Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school with the desire to research case law, statute, criminal codes, and assist federal judges with sentencing issues. Law school graduates must be organized and work well independently; be experienced with Word, Westlaw, Lexis, and related software.
2. Possess the counseling skills, personal demeanor, and commitment necessary to facilitate positive behavioral change
3. Possess good writing and oral communication skills and the ability to work independently and professionally without daily supervision
4. Possess the ability and desire to work effectively with judges, lawyers, clients and investigative agencies
5. Experience in conducting criminal background investigation
6. Experience or desire to work with individuals court-ordered to location monitoring with electronic technology
7. Ability to speak, read and write Spanish (Proficient, Fluent, or Native)

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 experience subtracted from their age to determine whether they meet the maximum age requirement.

Medical Requirements: Applicants must be physically capable, have good vision and normal hearing ability. Prior to employment, the selectee(s) considered for this position will undergo a medical examination and drug screening. Upon successful completion of the medical examination and drug screening, the selectee(s) may then be appointed provisionally, pending a favorable suitability determination by the court. In addition, as conditions of employment, incumbent(s) will be subject to ongoing random drug screening, updated background investigations every five years, and as deemed necessary by management for reasonable cause, may be subject to subsequent fitness-for-duty evaluations. 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 https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/who-works-judiciary/us-probation-pretrial-services-careers/employment-suitability

U.S. Probation and/or Pretrial Services Officers transferring to our district are not required to undergo a medical examination, drug testing, or the initial OPM background investigation. However, it is at the discretion of the Chief U.S. Probation Officer for the U.S. Probation & Pretrial Services Office, District of Massachusetts, to request drug testing and/or medical examination if through direct observation or objective evidence, an officer is determined to be unable to perform the essential functions as defined in the medical guidelines. Also, at the Chief’s discretion, the most recent investigation/reinvestigation report completed on behalf of the officer may be reviewed.

Background Investigation: As a condition of employment, the selected candidate must successfully complete a ten-year background investigation and every five years thereafter will be subject to an updated investigation similar to the initial one. The investigation includes an FBI fingerprint check, and retention in the position will depend upon a favorable suitability determination.

The Selection Process: Employment is subject to background investigation as noted above and verification of information supplied.

Miscellaneous

The District of Massachusetts U.S. Probation Office is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to a diversified workforce. Employees of the U.S. District Court are appointed in the excepted service, are considered “at-will” employees, and serve at the pleasure of the Court. All Court employees are required to adhere to a Code of Conduct, copies of which are available upon request. Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen or permanently eligible to work in the United States. The U.S. District Court is a part of the Judicial Branch of the United States government. Although comparable to the Executive Branch (civil service) in salary, leave accrual, health benefits, life insurance benefits, and retirement benefits, generally court employees are not subject to the many statutory and regulatory provisions that govern civil service employment. The Federal Financial Management Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages.

The U.S. Probation & Pretrial Services Office reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement or to withdraw the job announcement or to fill the position earlier than the closing date, if a closing date is shown, any of which actions may occur without any prior written notice. This job announcement may involve filling more than one position described herein.

Due to the expected high volume of applicants for this position, the U.S. Probation Office will only make contact with those qualified applicants who will be invited to interview. Applicants invited for a personal interview will be subject to a criminal record check with law enforcement agencies.

How To Apply

Consideration will only be given to those that apply through the court’s online applicant tracking system. To view openings and to apply, visit our applicant tracking system at https://forms.mad.uscourts.gov/recruitment/

Applicants must submit the following:

1. A cover letter of interest indicating why you are interested in this position and what best qualifies you for the position. The first sentence should state which office location(s) you desire to work.
2. 2. A current resume, including a list of three professional references and their current contact information
3. A transcript if using educational substitution to qualify
4. A completed AO-78, Application for Judicial Branch Federal Employment (submitted via applicant system)

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.