
Correctional Officer (Correctional Systems Officer)
Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System
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At a glance
Requirements
Credentials this posting asks for.
Job overview
Corrections professionals foster a humane, secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful community reentry.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Full job description
Summary
Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.
Duties
This position is located in the Correctional Systems Department at a Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional facility. The Correctional Systems Department is a multi-faceted operation, consisting of Mail Room, Receiving and Discharge, and Records Office. This position involves a wide range of duties that require knowledge in the following areas: institution mail; postal regulations; the receiving and discharge of inmates; inmate bus movement; processing of writs; handling of legal documents to include the interpretation of judgments for filing detainers; Interstate Agreement on Detainers (IAD); locator center procedures; temporary and final releases; release paperwork; file archiving; certification of records; correctional security procedures; and contact with a variety of law enforcement agencies. Additionally, this position requires a general skill level in the areas of sentence computation, sentencing laws, court processes, and compliance with court directives in order to address inmate inquiries. Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staff correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis. Requirements
Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: Meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility: A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter), Most recent performance appraisal, and Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location. See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information. EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor. More information can be found here: U.S Department of Justice - Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Key Requirements: U.S. Citizenship is Required. See Special Conditions of Employment Section. Qualifications
To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements: Education: GL-07: One full academic year of graduate education with major study in criminal justice, social science, or other field related to the position. GL-08: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position at this grade level. OR Experience: GL-07 and GL-08: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level. This experience must have equipped the applicant with the qualifications necessary to successfully perform the duties of the position. Some examples of this qualifying experience are: GL-07: Experience in receiving and admitting newly committed offenders; to include proper disposition of personal property and funds. Experience in mail handling procedures which may include maintaining logs to ensure accountability of mail services and special mail, and the processing and reviewing incoming mail, publications and various materials to determine acceptability under the BOP's policy. Experience in relaying information regarding receiving and discharge, and mail room operations to the inmate population. Experience in running reports and verifying information via Sentry concerning inmates. Transactions may include clearances, histories, releasable information, etc. GL-08: Experience directly related to the various functions of the Mailroom and Receiving and Discharge areas; to include admission and release, physical processing, identification, coordination of prisoner transfers, security procedures, bus movement, final releases. Experience in supervising large groups of inmates in preparation for bus or airlift operations. This includes coordinating and carrying out various functions (i.e., visual searching, fingerprinting, photographing). Experience in carrying out the proper release of inmates who have completed their federal sentences; to include proper identification of inmates, review of clearances, fines, all forms of release paperwork, etc. Experience in coordinating exchanges of custody with federal and non-federal agencies. Medical Requirement: The Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons has established the following medical requirements for Correctional Officer positions: The duties of these positions involve unusual mental and nervous pressure, and require arduous physical exertion involving prolonged walking and standing, restraining of prisoners in emergencies, and participating in escape hunts. Applicants must be physically capable of performing efficiently the duties of these positions, and be free from such defects or disease as may constitute employment hazards to themselves or others. The duties of a Correctional Officer are arduous; and sound health as well as physical fitness is required. If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities. Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application.
Education
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. How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. You will be evaluated based on your assessment score and the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation. Applicants who receive a score of 85 or higher will be reviewed first, and reviews will continue until 10 qualified applicants have been identified. Applicants who receive a score of 75 or below will not be reviewed. Your resume and supporting documents will be compared against your responses to the online assessment to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed in this announcement. If the information in your application materials does not support your assessment responses, your score may be adjusted and/or you may be removed from consideration. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. There are several parts of the application process that affect the overall evaluation of your application: Your resume, which is part of your USAJOBS profile; Your responses to the eligibility questions; Your responses to the online assessment; Your supporting documentation, if required. Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements for consideration. You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement. If you applied to more than one grade level, BE ADVISED that you may be selected at ANY grade level for which you applied and are found qualified (i.e., if the job is announced at the 9/11 grade levels and you apply for the GS/GL-9 and the GS-11, and you are found qualified at BOTH grade levels, you may be selected at either grade level). Due Weight for Performance and Awards: Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. Please submit: a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation; and a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13045072 Other Information
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for original appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution. If you are above the maximum entry age and have prior federal law enforcement coverage, you MUST submit an SF-50 to verify prior coverage. The representative rate for this position is $65,194 per annum ($31.24 per hour). Special Conditions of Employment Section: 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. 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire CompetencyBased Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport-usastaffing.opm.gov/hc/en-us/sections/45063131363475-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)
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