U. S. Probation Officers
The United States Probation Office for the District of South Carolina is accepting applications for the position of United States Probation Office in the field office located in in Florence, SC.
Position Overview: The United States Probation Officer, as an investigative, sentencing and supervision professional, is responsible for providing meaningful assistance to the federal court in its deliberations and decisions concerning criminal offenders, and ensuring public safety through the monitoring and supervision of offenders placed under supervision by the U.S. Courts, U.S. Parole Commission or military authorities.
Representative Duties: A Probation Officer conducts investigations and prepares reports for the court with recommendations for sentencing of individuals convicted of federal offenses. The preparation of these reports requires interviewing offenders and their families, investigating the offense, prior record, and financial status of the offender, and contacting law enforcement agencies, attorneys, victims of the crimes, schools, churches and civic organizations. The purpose of these activities is to ascertain the offender’s background, to assess the probability of future criminal behavior and determine profit from the offense, restitution, and the offenders’ ability to pay fines and costs of prosecution, incarceration, and costs of supervision. An integral part of this process is the interpretation and application of the United States Sentencing Commission Guidelines and case law. This report is presented to the court. The officer testifies in court as to the basis for factual findings and guideline applications.
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, sociology, human relations, or business or public administration, which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply the legal requirements and human relation skills involved in the work of the position, is required for all probation officer positions. Three years specialized experience is preferred.
Specialized Experience: 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.
MAXIMUM ENTRY AGE AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: First time appointees to positions covered under law enforcement officer retirement provisions must NOT have reached their 37th birthday at the time of the appointment.
Applicants 37 or over with 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 age requirement.