U.S. Probation Officer (Presentence Division)

The United States Probation Office for the Eastern District of New York is accepting applications for the position of United States Probation Officer within the Presentence Division. The agency is comprised of two divisional offices (Brooklyn and Central Islip, NY), with the Brooklyn location being the headquarter office. Specialized experience is defined as 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 officer, custodial, or security officer, without any criminal investigative experience, is not creditable.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience as a probation officer on a federal, state or county level is desirable.
• Knowledge of federal law and the criminal justice system and how it relates to the roles and functions of a United States Probation Officer.
• Strong familiarity with techniques in supervising offenders. Skill in working with violent and/or difficult individuals and implementing negotiation and motivation techniques.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills. Superior attention to detail.
• Knowledge of automated/internet resources and systems available for conducting background checks, criminal histories, and other investigative databases.

United States Probation Officers serve in a judiciary law enforcement capacity and assist in the fair administration of justice, provide community safety, conduct objective investigations, supervise persons under supervision, interact with outside agencies and community members, and prepare reports and present recommendations to the court.

Responsibilities

U.S. Probation Officers (in the Presentence Division) conduct presentence investigations and prepare reports for the Court with recommendations for sentencing of individuals convicted of federal offenses. The preparation of these reports requires interviewing defendants and their families; summarizing defendants’ prior criminal records and financial status; investigating the offense and contacting law enforcement agencies and attorneys, conducting home inspections, and collecting and verifying background data from various sources. The purpose of these activities is to gather the information needed to present factual reports to the Court for purposes of sentencing.

Performs thorough and independent investigations of the offense, offense conduct, and victim impact by using appropriate investigative skills and relying on verified information sources.

Seeks input from the parties, attorneys, case agents, and other sources to obtain information and evidence associated with each case.
Obtains and analyzes criminal history information and acquires specific details and documents needed to assess a defendant’s criminal record for consideration at sentencing. Interprets and applies policies and procedures, statutes, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and relevant case law. Demonstrates thorough knowledge of these sources through accurate calculations and correct selection of sentencing options in the presentence report, the sentence recommendation and/or addenda, if applicable.

Investigates employment, sources of income, lifestyle, and associates of defendants to assess and identify mitigating and aggravating sentencing factors, risk and likely future compliance under supervision and the need for correctional treatment, monitoring and counseling. Applicants must possess a four-year degree from an accredited college or university in a field of academic study such as criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, human relations, business or public administration, which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply the legal requirements and human relation skills involved in the position. In addition to possessing a four-year degree, applicants must also have two years of specialized experience or the completion of a master’s degree in a field of study closely related to the position or a Juris Doctor (JD) degree.