Pre-Trial Services

PRETRIAL OFFICER: Pretrial Services, Ft. Myers, FL. Summary: Performs professional investigative work around the clock to provide quality and timely information to the criminal courts, which supports the judicial decision to release or detain the defendant. Duties: Pretrial officer (Intake & Investigation Unit): Conduct pretrial services booking interviews in the jail facilities; Determine indigent status for public defender representation; Write summary reports that include a recommendation to the judge regarding pretrial release; Facilitate pretrial release that includes instructions and referral information; Perform other case management duties as assigned. Pretrial Officer (Release Unit): Perform professional work around the clock to provide quality and timely information to the criminal courts; Court functions; Case management; Office functions; supervise defendants after release. Qualifications: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in a social/behavioral field, preferably in criminal justice. Two to three years of investigation or research experience preferred. Bilingual in English and Spanish is preferred. Knowledge of: Methods, practices, principles, procedures and techniques used in interviewing and investigating as it pertains to the operation of the department; Social casework principles and methods; Basic structure of the criminal justice system; Local, state and federal guidelines, rules, regulations and statutes as they pertain to the pretrial operation. Ability to: Conduct interviews and investigations in a jail setting; Deal effectively and professionally with defendants from various backgrounds in stressful conditions; Deal professionally with a highly volatile, potentially violent population; Efficiently operate a computer, utilize Microsoft Office Suite & various other software programs & databases; Follow written and oral instructions and procedures; Effectively interpret general policy, criteria and procedures for specific situations; Identify symptoms of substance abuse and emotional problems; Interact confidently with judges and other criminal justice personnel; Exhibit sound judgment. Must be: Able to maintain jail security clearance; Willing to work rotating shifts; holidays, and weekends; Willing to cover other shifts when required; Able to travel to the stockade and/or jail. Salary: $34,348.60. (2006)

PRETRIAL OFFICER: Punta Gorda, Florida. Summary: Pretrial Officer (Intake & Investigation Unit) performs professional investigative work around the clock to provide quality and timely information to the criminal courts, which supports the judicial decision to release or detain the defendant. Duties: Pretrial Officers’ (Intake & Investigation Unit) core responsibilities include the following: (1) Conduct pretrial services booking interviews in the jail facilities. (2) Determine indigent status for public defender representation. (3) Write summary reports that include a recommendation to the judge regarding pretrial release. (4) Facilitate pretrial release that includes instructions and referral information. (5) Perform other case management duties as assigned. Pretrial Officers’ (Intake & Investigation Unit) report directly to the Pretrial Services Manager and/or Pretrial Supervisor. Qualifications: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in a social/behavior field, preferably in criminal justice. Two to three years of investigation or research experience preferred. Salary: $34,348.60 annually (based upon 26 bi-weekly pay periods worked) plus benefits & membership in the Florida Retirement System. (2006)

DETENTION RELEASE OFFICER: Orange County, California. Summary: Under direction, to conduct pre-arraignment interviews and to perform in-office investigations of character and financial status of in-custody defendants, as authorized by a magistrate to determine suitability and approve pre-trial release on own recognizance or ball reduction; to determine eligibility for representation by Public Defender; to present bail and release recommendations to the Court; and to do other work as required. Duties: Investigates background information for in-custody defendants through criminal records, warrant, and computer inquires. Interviews in-custody defendants to obtain factual personal and financial information, such as employment, personal and community ties and references. Verifies financial data and character assessment by contacting family, employers, references, creditors, attorneys, etc. Evaluates defendant's attitude, character, personal and community ties to determine probability of court appearance if released, and evaluates nature of crime committed in order to determine eligibility and as authorized by a magistrate, approve pre-trial release on own recognizance or bail reduction. Confers with district attorneys, defense attorneys, probation and parole officers, public assistance workers, jail staff, and law enforcement agencies regarding defendants. Qualifications: Three years of experience which would have applied the knowledge and abilities listed as minimum qualifications, such as experience in law enforcement or criminal investigation, in the State of California. Education or training in criminology, police administration, or behavioral science may be substituted for one year of experience at the rate of three semester units for one month of experience and one hour of related training for one hour of experience. Salary: $48,318.40-$61,630.40. (2005)

PRETRIAL OFFICER: Kentucky. Duties: Responsible for conducting background interviews with defendants detained in local jails within twelve hours of arrest. The purpose of this interview is to provide verified information to the trial courts. This information assists in determining if the appropriate conditions exist to obtain pretrial release while ensuring both the return to court and maintaining public safety. Qualifications: Graduate of a college or university and/or equivalent experience preferred. Related training and experience will be considered as a substitute on a year for year basis. Experience with Windows and Microsoft Office Suite preferred. Good communication skills and the ability to cross-train and multi-task are a must. Salary: $10.54/hour. (2005)

PRETRIAL SERVICES INVESTIGATOR: Bartow, Florida. Summary: Comprehensive review of inmates in the Polk County Jail. Daily maintenance of assigned caseload. Investigations into residence, employment, mental health status, third party custody and any other area requested by the court. Duties: Explain PTS program to defendants released from jail. Verification residence, employment and other related information for the court. Obtains local, state and national criminal history information and arrest reports. Contacts law enforcement, public defender, parole officers and community representatives to obtain recommendations, verification and confirmation of information obtained from defendants. Contact victims and family, as appropriate, in order to assist Director in making appropriate release recommendations to the court. Maintain assigned caseload. Send letters to clients who fail to call. Update client’s personal data when necessary. Provide information to clients regarding their case. Attend first appearance. Obtain and verify information on defendants for bond hearings. Attends and testifies during legal proceedings as necessary. Performs any services of investigative or informative nature for the court. Prepares and completes applicable and required forms, report and memorandum. Performs other duties as assigned by the Director. Qualifications: Graduate of an accredited four-year college or university with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, Criminology, Psychology, Sociology or a related field and have a minimum of one-year investigative, criminal justice, social services or related work experience. A comparable amount of training and experience may be substituted for the minimum qualifications. Salary: Hiring Salary: $12.04 Hourly $25,043.20 Annually. (2005)

PRETRIAL SERVICES SPECIALIST: Santa Cruz, California. Summary: Under general supervision, to interview detainees to gather and analyze background information; make recommendations to the Court concerning bail adjustments and "own recognizance" releases; and performs other duties as required. Pretrial Services Specialists interview detainees, evaluate information provided, and make recommendations regarding release based upon a combination of established criteria and judgment. Duties: Review detention housing files on all inmates brought into custody to determine those eligible for the possibility of release and place those files in priority order; interview detainees in a locked facility covering areas such as residence, ties to the community and employment; verify information obtained in interviews; conduct background checks; gather and review criminal history records; obtain information from a variety of sources such as judges, victims, employers, families and friends of detainees, Probation, Parole, and Mental Health; act as a liaison with records personnel, judges, court staff and other criminal justice and social service agencies; evaluate information, prepare reports, and make recommendations to the Court concerning bail adjustments and conditions for release; appear in court as required to provide information and testimony; maintain files and records regarding case disposition; monitor the status of released persons and investigate the whereabouts of defendants who fail to appear in court; prepare correspondence and paper work such as agreements to appear, reminder letters, bail enhancement forms; compile statistics; answer inquiries from the public, court and detention personnel regarding detainee's status; and enter and access computerized information. Qualifications: Any combination of education and experience, which would provide the required knowledge and abilities, is qualifying, unless otherwise specified. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: two years of experience which demonstrates the ability to investigate and/or interview in a legal, criminal justice or social service environment; or one year of experience and two years of college (the equivalent of 60 semester units) in criminal justice, psychology, penology, sociology or a related field. Possession of a valid California class C driver license. (2005)

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Probation Positions::Chief Officer::Supervising Officer::Officer/Assistant::Pretrial Services