Job Description

An employee in this class is responsible for supervising individuals released to the Pretrial Services Department’s supervision. The Pretrial Officer must enforce the Court’s order and ensure the individual follows the rules and regulations of their bail conditions. The employee must be able to interpret legal documents. Assignments require a significant amount of independent judgment to prepare and complete accurately. The employee may be required to appear before the judiciary concerning an individual’s compliance or violation while under the Agency’s supervision. An employee in this class must also contact the general public, attorneys, and other agencies and jurisdictions.

Assignments require evaluative thinking and are carried out in accordance with legal and judicial regulations, useful precedents, and established policies. An employee in this class performs a service that provides a basis for actions to be taken by others responsible for the administration of justice in the Court’s trial process. The employee may have to appear before the Court and represent the Pretrial Services Department at bench warrant hearings to determine the status of individuals who have failed to appear in Court.

As with any entity within the First Judicial District, the Pretrial Services Department may be called upon to ensure the performance of essential duties or functions as deemed so by administrative and governing bodies, which may result in an individual being available perform essential tasks during court closures and/or non-traditional hours.

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

Essential Functions

_ The following duties are normal for this position and are not construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other duties may be required and assigned._

• Supervise and monitor individuals conditionally released under Pretrial Services supervision.
• Receive, review, interpret and enforce court order documents and ensure they conform to established legal procedures, identify deficiencies, and return for correction.
• Interview individuals for information; explain release conditions and ramification(s) when non-compliant.
• Communicate with the appropriate judicial authority upon a change in an individual’s supervision status, to request a change in reporting conditions or violation; appear in court as required.
• Recommend drug/alcohol/mental health treatment to the individual where applicable and ensure compliance if treatment is court-ordered.
• Verifications include, but are not limited to; medical appointments, attorney appointments, school and/or employment schedules, and confirmation of the individual’s attendance.
• May perform a variety of field and office tasks.
• Request violation warrant(s) and apprehension to the appropriate division when in violation of release condition(s).
• Communicate with members of the bar, Philadelphia Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, the Philadelphia Prison System, and others with respect to the individual’s conditions of supervision.
• Remind the individual of future court date(s) and reporting requirements; notify the client when non-compliant.
• Maintain accurate records.
• Provide accurate court testimony of Agency record(s).
• Represent the Pretrial Services Department at bench warrant hearings; provide background information on individuals to the presiding judge; record disposition(s) for the file.
• Perform related work as required including but not limited to general office work, provide coverage/backup, training and shadowing of new staff.
• When necessary, may provide coverage for the Pretrial Prison Liaison stationed at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility (CFCF).
• Maintain the required number of training hours per year as required by the department.
• Regularly attend sensitivity and other specialized training designed to increase awareness of cultural diversity.
• When necessary, staff may participate in creating/modifying/updating training material(s) and provide on the job training to new employees or refresher on the job training to peers in conjunction with their supervisor.
• When necessary, staff may act as a subject matter expert and teach training material(s) to other Pretrial staff.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

Standard courtroom and office conditions.

Direct contact with diverse court individuals, many of whom face unique barriers and have distinctive needs.

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of the operation, principles and practices of the 10% cash bail, release on recognizance, conditional release, and the various levels of client supervision of the Pretrial Services Department.
• Ability to enforce orders of the Court.
• Knowledge of current Pretrial trends.
• Some knowledge of prison population management.
• Some knowledge of office practices and procedures.
• Ability to elicit information from arrested individuals and others.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with associates, arrested individuals, members of the bar, the judiciary and other court officials, prison staff, law enforcement agencies, and the public; ability to communicate effectively with same, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to learn, within a reasonable time frame, the purpose, function, and scope of the court involving the assigned task(s).

PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Fluent in Spanish
• High-level of comfort conversing in Spanish in both orally and in writing.

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

Work-Life

Working hours are 40 hours per week. This is a full-time, in person position with the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania.

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

Qualifications

1. A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
2. One (1) to two (2) years of legal, clerical experience.

OR

1. Any equivalent combination of training and experience determined to be acceptable by the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, which also includes a Bachelor’s degree.
2. Valid Pennsylvania driver’s license or satisfactory transfer from other states.
3. After meeting minimum standards, successful completion of a panel review and interview process.
4. May be required to work essential operations during emergency court closures or varied shifts if/when necessary, based on the court’s needs.
5. Must successfully complete a criminal background investigation.
6. Ability to perform the essential functions of a position in this class.
7. Covid-19 vaccination is recommended.

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

Additional Information

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

Salary Range: $47,893 - $52,307

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
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Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov.

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx