Pretrial Officer
| Salary: |
$17.64 - $26.54 Hourly $36,689.74 - $55,212.56 Annually |
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Bachelor's degree with major course work in criminal justice, behavioral sciences, social work, or related field and one year of related professional experience; or any equivalent combination of related training and experience. Must satisfactorily complete local, state and national criminal history and fingerprint checks. Applicants within six months of meeting the education/experience requirement may be considered for trainee status. Must successfully pass the Certified Pretrial Service Professional Exam within 1 year and maintain certification per NAPSA standards. Must successfully obtain the FDLE Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) Certification upon within 6 months of employment or assignment which requires access to the Florida Crime Information Center (FCIC)/National Crime Information Center (NCIC). Certification must be maintained as a condition of employment; re-certification required every two years. This is a Level One certification. |
| Position Summary: |
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| This is highly
responsible professional counseling work in the Pretrial Services
Program of the County's Department of Criminal Justice Services, Court
Alternatives Division. An employee assigned to this classification is responsible for the assessment, supervision and management of a case load of a variety of high-risk criminal defendants. Work is performed under the direction of the Pretrial Services Supervisor and is reviewed through conferences, case reviews, reports, and observation of results obtained. |
| Examples of Duties: |
| ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS Conducts extensive background investigations of defendants who are referred as potential candidates for release to the program. Provides supervision of high or medium-risk defendants via office, home and work site visits, including evenings and weekends. Organizes and facilitates educational groups for clients. Assesses clients, makes appropriate treatment referrals and coordinates assistance for clients among various community agencies. Assesses and intervenes in client family interactions when needed. Reviews lower level Counselors' reports to the Court prior to submission. Provides guidance and direction regarding case management, first appearance issues to lower level Counselors. Initiates client referrals for Bond Reduction Hearings, evaluations for Work Release and residential treatment programs. Supervises and manages the cases of criminal defendants who are court ordered to attend substance abuse or mental health counseling. Re-evaluates defendants previously denied release to identify candidates for alternative release or case expedition. Enters Bond Reduction Hearing results, defendant criminal histories and other case management data into the Court Alternatives Information Management System. Maintains client records, compiles statistics and prepares reports. Assists supervisor in preparing documentation for the program's annual budget submission. Interviews criminal defendants at the County Detention Center as needed. Assists with writing policies and procedures. Assists in the development of new employee training procedures and ensures the completion of same by each new employee. Transports defendant information from the Correctional Center to the downtown office. Performs related work as required. NOTE: These examples are intended only as illustrations of the various kinds of work performed in positions allocated to this class. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES Thorough knowledge of state and local laws, rules and regulations regarding pretrial release and defendant obligations. Thorough knowledge of the operation of the criminal justice system and process. Knowledge of professional standards of pretrial release programs. Knowledge of basic theory and current practices in the treatment of alcohol abuse, drug abuse and mental illness. Ability to effectively interview defendants and assess their physical, mental and legal status. Ability to independently investigate defendant's prior behavior and present circumstances, and develop appropriate plan for release or detention. Ability to effectively present recommendations/release plans to the judiciary. Ability to establish and maintain a good working relationship with clients, their families and other members of the criminal justice community. Ability to plan and organize work effectively. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing and to prepare written reports. Ability to create and maintain accurate client records within a computerized information management system. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee is frequently required reach and to be mobile. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment usually ranges from moderate to loud. |