Probation Officer Assistant

Vision Statement
KULIA I KA NU’U. E HELE ME KA PU’OLO!
(To always strive to reach the summit and to make every person, place, or condition better than before) This is our commitment to engage, motivate, and change our community for the better and to make Hawai’i the safest place to live.

Mission Statement
Assist the Court in the fair administration of justice by respecting the presumption of innocence; avoiding unnecessary detention; conducting thorough investigations; providing unbiased, verified reports; making informed recommendations; and inspiring individuals to rehabilitate and reunify with the community, with the goal of protecting and improving Hawai’i.

Values
MALAMA – To take care of; to serve and to honor
HO’OHANOHANO – To honor the dignity of others; to conduct yourself with distinction; to cultivate respectfulness
PONO – Rightness and balance; the feeling of contentment when all is good and right

Our vision, mission and values were developed collaboratively with our employees and leadership to showcase the culture of our workplace. Hawaiian words were chosen to show our commitment to inclusivity and to recognize the communities we represent and serve.

The United States Probation & Pretrial Services Office in the District of Hawaii is currently accepting applications for a full-time Probation Officer Assistant position, to be stationed at either the Honolulu or Waipahu office. The incumbent provides technical and operational support and assistance to probation officers in a variety of areas, including assisting with compiling information for investigations; assisting with and monitoring select offenders; drafting reports and correspondence; and assisting with similar operational duties.

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 Federal Probation and Pretrial Services Academy program located in Charleston, South Carolina, with the exception of transfers from other U.S. Probation or Pretrial Services Offices who may have already participated in this program.

OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION

Probation Officer Assistants 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.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES: 

• Under the direct guidance of a senior officer, supervise select lower-risk caseloads of persons under supervision, which may include placing telephone calls, making home/office contacts and community/field contacts with an experienced officer, and maintaining files and case records.

• Under direct guidance, participate in select investigations as needed for pre-release/furlough, pre-sentencing, and bail reports. Draft and submit select reports and maintain related investigative files and case records. Observe and report to officers/supervisors on the lifestyle, personal problems, and needs of persons under supervision to assess risk and determine compliance.

• Assist officers by compiling criminal histories/profiles, running record checks through local and national databases and files, conducting inquiries with collateral agencies, and performing other similar activities. Visit or contact various local, state, and national law enforcement and regulatory agencies to collect and record information. Reports offender’s substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence, and similar problems to supervising officer so that necessary treatment or violation proceedings can be addressed with the Court. Provide officers with verifiable and supportable documentation to assist in completion of reports and assist in identifying community resources to meet the special needs of offenders.

• Conducts collateral investigations and drafts and submits collateral reports, which may entail making telephone, office, and/or field contacts. Performs record keeping.

• Enter and obtain data and information from the agency’s computerized database systems. File, maintain, and document chronological information received throughout the presentence investigation.

• Assist with general office coverage duties such as, but not limited to, reception duties and general clerical work.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES): 

• General knowledge of the criminal justice system, particularly as it relates to probation policies and procedures. General knowledge of the roles and functions of federal probation offices, including the practices and procedures used. General knowledge of the roles, responsibilities, and relationships among the federal courts, U.S. Parole Commission, Bureau of Prisons, and U.S. Attorney’s Office, and other organizations.

• General knowledge of how other judicial processes and procedures relate to the probation office roles and responsibilities. General knowledge of available community resources. Knowledge of automated/internet resources and systems available for conducting background checks, criminal histories, and other similar activities (such as the National Crime Information System). 

• General knowledge of legal terminology and general investigative techniques. General knowledge of techniques used in supervising offenders, and a basic understanding of sentencing guidelines.

• Skill in assisting officers in supervising offenders, conducting risk assessments, and developing appropriate alternatives and sanctions to non-compliant behavior.

· Ability to demonstrate professional and effective written and oral communication skills. 

• Ability to organize, prioritize, compile, and summarize work within established time-frames and work under the pressure of short deadlines. Can evaluate information for its accuracy, reliability, and relevance. Ability to follow detained instructions.

•  Ability to follow safety procedures.

SALARY AND QUALIFICATIONS: 

Starting salary depends on education and experience. Bachelor’s degree in a field of academic study which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply legal requirements and human relations skills, such as criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, human relations, or business or public administration is required.

This position is graded under the Court Personnel System. The applicant must have at least one year of specialized experience to qualify. Specialized experience is defined as progressively responsible clerical or administrative experience requiring the regular and recurring application of clerical or administrative 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. 

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

As a condition of employment, the selected candidate must successfully complete a seven-year background investigation. The investigation includes an FBI fingerprint check, and retention in the position will depend upon a favorable suitability determination. When completing the AO-78, Application for Federal Judicial Branch Employment, applicants must complete questions 18-20 under the Optional Background Information section.

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.

PHYSICAL & 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. 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 on the US Courts website.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States. All application information is subject to verification. Court employees are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Federal Judicial Employees. This position is subject to mandatory electronic funds transfer for payroll direct deposit. 

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.

BENEFITS:

Although Federal Government Civil Service classifications/regulations do not apply, court employees are entitled to similar benefits as other Federal Government employees. These benefits include participation in the Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS), a three- tier system which includes the Social Security Retirement Program, a basic pension benefit and the Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401k plan with employer matching contributions), as well as Federal Employees’ Health, Dental and Vision Benefits, Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance and Long-Term Care Programs, Flexible Benefits Program, paid holidays and annual/sick leave accrual. See the United States Courts website for an overview of Federal Judiciary benefits.

HOW TO APPLY:  

It is recommended that applicant packets be submitted as soon as possible, as interviews will be done on a rolling basis. To ensure consideration, qualified applicants must submit one of each of the following:

(1) a letter of interest which clearly outlines your professional qualifications, skills and experience as it relates to the position,

(2) an updated resume,

(3) a list of three professional references with their current contact information, and

(4) a completed AO-78, Application for Federal Judicial Branch Employment (version dated 5/24, available as a fillable pdf on the Employment page of our website at www.hid.uscourts.gov).   

(5) watch the video about our office and submit a one-page summary about how you have served your community that would make you an ideal candidate for our office.

You must submit ALL required documents to be considered for this opportunity; incomplete packets will not be considered. Non-submission of the required documentation listed above or an incomplete application packet may disqualify applicant from further consideration.

All five documents should be combined and submitted together as one pdf document.

Please submit your PDF via email to: careers@hid.uscourts.gov with subject line:

VA 24-07 (USPOA).

Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position.  The U.S. Probation & Pretrial Services Office will only communicate with those individuals who will be invited for personal interviews and only applicants who are interviewed will receive a written response regarding their application status. 

The District of Hawaii, U.S. Probation & Pretrial Services Office reserves the right to modify or withdraw this vacancy announcement, or to fill the position at any time during the recruitment process, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice. If a subsequent vacancy of the same position becomes available within a reasonable time of the original announcement, the Chief U.S. Probation Officer may elect to select a candidate from the original qualified applicant pool. 

The Federal Judiciary values a diverse workforce and encourages a broad range of qualified individuals to apply. No applicant will be discriminated against on the basis of their race, color, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, sexual orientation, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, genetic information, age (40 years and over), disability, or service in the uniformed forces.

The Federal Judiciary is also committed to supporting a workplace in which all employees are provided opportunities for growth and development, and in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect.