in
Justice, Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Correctional Program Specialist (Supervisory Correctional Systems Specialist)

Justice, Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System See More Job Openings by This EmployerArrow
  • Full Time
  • $70,001 - $106,549/year
  • Fort Devens, MA
November 15, 2024

Job Description

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities. Our highly-skilled, diverse, and innovative workforce creates a strong foundation of safety and security. Through the principles of humanity and normalcy, we develop good neighbors.

Duties

Has institutional oversight responsibility for insuring the legality and duration of confinement of commitments to the custody of the Attorney General.

Accountable for all functions of the above referenced offices which include the intake and releasing systems, physical processing of inmates, prevention of the introduction of contraband, safeguarding and disbursing of inmate personal property, judgment and commitment records maintenance to include archiving, review sentence computations, security and control of records, ensuring the mail room staff process and deliver inmate mail and packages within prescribed time frames, coordination of prisoners' transfer, oversight of data systems.

Maintains liaison with the U.S. District Courts and D.C. Superior Court, other committing agencies, local law enforcement agencies, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Postal Service (USPS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Parole Commission (USPC), and many other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staffs correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis.

Salary
  • $70,001 - $106,549/year
Conditions of Employment
  • U.S. Citizenship is Required.
  • See Special Conditions of Employment Section.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP eligibility, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: Click Here

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements:

Education:

GL-09: A Master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR LL.B or J.D., if related.

GS-11: A PhD or equivalent doctoral degree; OR 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR LL.M., if related.

Major study – correctional administration, criminology, psychology, social work, sociology, or other fields related to the position.

OR

Experience:

GL-09 and GS-11: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level in federal service. Specialized experience is directly related experience that included substantial involvement with a correctional program and provided a thorough knowledge of correctional techniques, or experience in meeting and dealing with people that demonstrated the ability to work effectively with inmates and associates in a correctional environment.

GS-11 Only: Experience must have also demonstrated the ability to perform supervisory or administrative duties successfully. This includes (1) understanding the problems of custody, treatment, training, and release of inmates of penal or correctional institutions; (2) a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of an institution's internal policies, programs, regulations, and procedures; and (3) training subordinates, coordinating and directing activities and functions, evaluating performance of operations and the effectiveness of programs, and maintaining high standards or work objectives. This experience must have been gained in an administrative position, or in other positions that included the successful direction, or assistance in the direction of, an entire correctional program or a major phase of such a program.

Some examples of this qualifying experience are:

GL-09:

  • Experience answering inmate questions regarding sentence computations, WRITS, and detainers.
  • Experience providing guidance for correcting computed inmate sentences.
  • Experience in auditing and interpreting sentence computations or training Correctional Systems Officers regarding basic steps for sentence computation.
  • Experience in providing oversight for all functions related to the Mailroom and Receiving and Discharge areas and Records Office, to include admission and release, physical processing, bus movement, and final releases.
  • Experience in sentence computation, complex legal issues, legal confinement, mail management, records security and maintenance, court processes and data management.
  • Experience in providing oversight of inmate movement utilizing JPATS, BOP bus movements, coordination and preparation of transfer notices, federal and state WRITS, and Interstate Agreement on Detainers.
  • Experience and knowledge in the area of Federal and D.C. sentencing and experience in providing staff with interpretations of statutes and case law.

GS-11:

  • Experience in the intake and releasing systems, physical processing of inmates, prevention of the introduction of contraband, safeguarding and disbursing of inmate personal property.
  • Experience in judgment and commitment records maintenance to include archiving, reviewing sentence computations, security and control of records.
  • Experience in the coordination of prisoners’ transfer, oversight of data systems, and the maintenance of quarterly prisoner billings.
  • Experience in the oversight of inmate movement via the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS) airlift, BOP bus and/or van movements, to include coordination and preparation of transfer notices, Federal and state WRITS, and Interstate Agreement on Detainers (IAD) Act with appropriate agencies and proper accounting, maintenance and shipment of holdover and designated inmates, including personal and legal property and prison records.

OR

Combination of Education and Experience:

GL-09 and GS-11: Have a combination of education and experience. This experience must have equipped you with the particular qualifications to perform the major duties of this position as described above.

If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as number of hours worked per week) spent in the activities.

**Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.**

Education See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty. Other Information

This position IS NOT included in the bargaining unit.

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for initial appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution.

The representative rate for this position is $90,158 per annum ($43.20 per hour).

Special Conditions of Employment Section:

Initial appointment to a supervisory/managerial position requires a one-year probationary period.

The incumbent is subject to geographic relocation to meet the needs of the agency.

Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks.

All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm.

The Core Value Assessment (CVA) is an in-person assessment that must be facilitated at a Bureau of Prisons Human Resource Servicing office. On the day of the scheduled interview, a CVA will be administered. The applicant assessment must be completed within a 70 minute time period and a passing score of 68 must be obtained. Further employment consideration will not be extended if the applicant fails to complete the examination or fails to achieve a passing score. Note: The Core Value Assessment will not be administered to current BOP employees.

Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques," three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required.

The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of residence.

Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.

Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed.

NOTE: A RETENTION INCENTIVE UP TO 10% MAY BE OFFERED TO SELECTEE(S) WHO MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR RETENTION INCENTIVE.

Applicant may be subject to an interview.

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

Required Documents

  • Resume showing relevant experience (cover letter optional).
  • In order to receive credit for experience contained in an application, your employment history must be documented in month/year format (MM/YYYY), reflecting starting date and ending date and include the number of hours worked per week. Failure to follow this format may result in disqualification.
  • Current or former Federal employees NOT employed by the Bureau of Prisons MUST submit a copy of their SF-50 Form which shows competitive service appointment, tenure group, and salary. If you have promotion potential in your current position, please provide proof. If you are applying for a higher grade, and your experience was gained at a Federal agency other than the Bureau of Prisons, you MUST provide the SF-50 Form which verifies the length of time you have been in your highest grade and supports your claim for time in grade.
  • Employees applying with an interchange agreement must provide proof of their permanent appointment.
  • Current federal employees NOT employed by the BOP and former federal employees MUST submit a copy of their latest yearly performance appraisal/evaluation.
  • CTAP, Click Here, if applicable.
  • Copy of unrestricted license to practice medicine, if applicable.
  • A college transcript which includes the School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded, if applicable. (Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.)

Failure to provide these documents could possibly result in removal from consideration for this vacancy.  If uploading documentation, do not identify/save your documents utilizing a special character such as %, #, @, etc.  Documentation should be identified/saved as VA Letter, DD214, or Transcripts.

We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, delays in mail service, applicant application errors, etc.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

You must apply through the online application system at www.USAJOBS.gov. Follow the prompts to register, answer a few questions and submit all required documents.

NOTE: Submission of a resume alone is not a complete application. This position may require the completion of additional forms and/or supplemental materials as described under the Required Documents section. Please carefully review the complete job announcement and the "How to Apply" instructions. Failure to provide the required information and/or materials will result in your application not being considered for employment.

Required supporting documentation must be electronically uploaded or transferred from USAJOBS (uploaded).

All required supporting documentation MUST be received by the Consolidated Staffing Unit by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on the closing date of the vacancy announcement. You MUST include the vacancy announcement number on your supporting documentation.

NOTE: Failure to follow these application procedures will result in the applicant losing consideration for this position.

Paper applications: If applying online is impossible, please contact the Consolidated Staffing Unit at the telephone number listed below, prior to the closing date of the announcement for the alternate application procedure.

Contact for Assistance in Applying On-Line:
DOJ, Federal Bureau of Prisons
Consolidated Staffing Unit
346 Marine Forces Drive
Grand Prairie, TX 75051
E-Mail: BOP-HRM-HRSC-ConsolidatedStaffingUnit-S@bop.gov
Phone: 972-352-4200

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.



Have Questions?

Looking for a job or looking to hire? We're here to help! Get answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Justia Legal Jobs.