Alabama Northern Probation and Pretrial Services - U.S. Probation Officer

Position Overview

U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services for the Northern District of Alabama, headquartered in Birmingham with divisional offices in Anniston, Huntsville, and Tuscaloosa, is seeking applications for a Probation Officer in Tuscaloosa and/or Birmingham. The Chief U.S. Probation Officer (CUSPO) will determine whether the position is in pretrial, presentence, or post-conviction and the duty station. By statute, probation and pretrial services officers serve in a judiciary law enforcement position, assist in the administration of justice, promote community safety, gather information, supervise offenders/defendants, interact with collateral agencies, prepare reports, conduct investigations, and present recommendations to the court. Officers may guide the work of probation/pretrial services officer assistants and other staff. 

Representative Duties

• Conduct investigations and prepare reports for the court with recommendations, which requires interviewing offenders/defendants and their families, as well as collecting background data from various sources. An integral part of this process is the interpretation and application of policies and procedures, statutes, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedures, and may include the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Guide to Judiciary Policy, and relevant case law. Track legal developments, and update staff and the court.
• Enforce court-ordered supervision components and implement supervision strategies. Maintain personal contact with defendants and offenders. Investigate employment, sources of income, lifestyle, and associates to assess risk and compliance. Address substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence, and similar problems and implement the necessary treatment or violation proceedings, through assessment, monitoring, and counseling.
• Schedule and conduct drug use detection tests and DNA collection of offenders/defendants, following established procedures and protocols. Maintain paper and computerized records of test results. Maintain chain of custody of urinalysis testing materials. Respond to a judges request for information and advice. Testify in court as to the basis for factual findings and (if warranted) guideline applications. Serve as a resource to the court. Maintain detailed written records of case activity. May conduct surveillance and/or search and seizure at the direction of the court.
• Investigate and analyze financial documents and activities and take appropriate action. Interview victim(s) and provide victim impact statements to the court. Ensure compliance with Mandatory Victims Restitution Act. Responsible for enforcement of home confinement conditions ordered by the court, and in some districts may perform home confinement reintegration on behalf of the Bureau of Prisons.
• and respond to any objections. This may include resolving disputed issues and presenting unresolved issues to the court for resolution. Assess offender's/defendant's; level of risk and develop a blend of strategies for controlling and correcting risk management.
• Communicate with other organizations and persons (such as the U.S. Parole Commission, Bureau of Prisons, law enforcement, treatment agencies, and attorneys) concerning offender's';/defendant's; behavior and conditions of supervision. Identify and investigate violations and implement appropriate alternatives and sanctions. Report violations of the conditions of supervision to the appropriate authorities. Prepare written reports of violation matters and make recommendations for disposition. Testify at court or parole hearings. Conduct Parole Commission preliminary interviews. Guide the work of staff providing administrative and technical assistance to officers. Knowledge of, and compliance with, the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and court confidentiality requirements. Ability to consistently demonstrate sound ethics and judgment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of the roles and functions of the federal probation and/or pretrial services offices, including knowledge of the legal requirements, practices and procedures used in probation, parole, and/or pretrial services. Knowledge of the roles, responsibilities, and relationships among the federal courts, U.S. Parole Commission, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Attorney's Office, Federal Public Defender's Office, and other organizations.
• Knowledge of how other judicial processes and procedures relate to the officer's roles and responsibilities. Knowledge of federal law and the criminal justice system particularly as it relates to federal pretrial services, probation and parole policies and procedures. Knowledge of surrounding community and available community resources.
• Knowledge of automated/internet resources and systems available for conducting background checks, criminal histories, and other similar information (such as the National Crime Information Center).
• Knowledge of investigative techniques and skill in investigating offenders';/defendants'; backgrounds, activities, finances and determining legitimacy of their income. Knowledge of the Bail Reform Act. Knowledge of negotiation and motivation techniques. 
• Knowledge of sentencing guidelines, statutes, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and applicable case law. Knowledge of changes in the law. Knowledge of techniques in supervising offenders/defendants. Skill in supervising offenders/defendants, risk assessment, and developing appropriate alternatives and sanctions to non-compliant behavior. Knowledge of legal terminology.
• Skill in conducting legal research related to varied complex and difficult legal issues, related to sentencing and supervision. Skill in analyzing and summarizing legal concepts and issues. Skill in legal reasoning and critical thinking. Skill in dealing with violent and/or difficult people. Skill in counseling offenders/defendants to maintain compliance to conditions of their release. Skill in evaluating and applying sentencing guidelines. Ability to follow safety procedures. Ability to compile and summarize information (such as background checks and criminal histories) within established timeframes. Ability to discern deception and act accordingly.
• Ability to organize, prioritize work schedule, work independently with little or no supervision, and to exercise discretion. Ability to work under pressure of short deadlines.
• Knowledge of and compliance with the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and court confidentiality requirements. Ability to consistently demonstrate sound ethics and judgment. 
• Skill in communicating (orally and in writing) and working with judges, attorneys, other law enforcement agencies, and correctional agencies. Ability to interact and communicate effectively (orally and in writing) with people of diverse backgrounds, including law enforcement and collateral agency personnel at different government levels, community service providers, and offenders/defendants. Ability to interview and establish rapport with contacts at collateral agencies, offenders/defendants and their families/support systems, and others for the purpose of supervision and investigation.
• Skill in the use of automated equipment including mobile devices, word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications, and various other types of software. Ability to utilize computer software and automated systems to perform record checks, record urinalysis results, compile criminal history information, and similar activities. Skill in interpreting and analyzing data from a variety of investigative databases.

Qualifications

All probation or pretrial services officer positions require completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a field of academic study which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply the legal requirements and human relations skills involved in the position.
In addition to meeting the education requirement identified above, applicants at each classification level (CL) must also have additional education or specialized experience in the amounts shown in the table below.

Specialized experience is 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, public administration, human relations, social work, psychology, or mental health. Experience as a police, custodial, or security officer, other than criminal investigative experience, is not creditable.

Maximum Entry Age and Medical Requirements

First-time appointees for this position must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment. Applicants age 37 or over, who have previous federal law enforcement experience in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) or Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), and who have either a subsequent break in service or intervening service in a non-law enforcement officer position, the maximum entry age is increased by adding the number of years of previous law enforcement experience to 37.

Because officers must effectively deal with physical attacks and are subject to moderate to arduous physical exertion, applicants must be physically capable. The medical requirements and essential job functions derived from the medical guidelines for probation officers are available for public review at https://www.uscourts.gov under Officer and Officer Assistant Medical Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Applicants must be a U.S. citizen.
• Work is performed in an office setting and, in the community, and may be subject to variable hours, including nights and weekends. Work requires regular contact with persons who have violent backgrounds. These contacts may be made in both generally controlled office settings as well as in field situations (such as uncontrolled and unsafe neighborhoods/environments where illegal activities and violence may occur). Travel is required.
• Prior to appointment, the selectee considered for this position will undergo a medical examination and drug screening. Upon successful completion of the medical examination and drug screening, the selectee may then be appointed provisionally, pending a favorable suitability determination by the court.
• In addition, as a condition of employment, incumbent will be subject to ongoing random drug screening, updated background investigations every five years and, as deemed necessary by management for reasonable cause, may be subject to subsequent fitness-for-duty evaluations.
• Successful completion of a six-week new officer orientation at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Charleston, South Carolina is required for newly appointed officers.
• All court employees are EXCEPTED appointments. Federal Civil Service classifications and regulations do not apply.
• Employees are required to use Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) for direct deposit of pay.

Benefits

Federal benefits include paid vacation and sick leave, 11 paid holidays each calendar year, periodic salary increases, retirement benefits, participation in the Thrift Savings Plan, and supplemental benefits. Other benefits include health, life, dental, and vision insurance and flexible spending accounts for health and dependent care. For more information about benefits, visit: https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/benefits.

How to Apply

To be considered for this position, applicants are required to provide the following:

• Letter of interest, outlining experience as it relates to this position;
• Current resume;
• Three professional references (name, address, and telephone number);
• Application for Judicial Branch Employment (Form AO-78[1]);
• College transcript(s) (an unofficial copy is acceptable); and
• Signed copies of the two most recent performance evaluations (if not applicable, include an explanation in your letter of interest).

Submit the above documents in the format below:

1. Combine all documents into one PDF in the above order;
2. Save the single document by your Last Name, First Name;
3. On the subject line of the email, enter 2025-03 Probation Officer – preferred duty station (i.e., 2025-03 Probation Officer - Tuscaloosa, 2025-03 Probation Officer - Any); and
4. Ensure all information is included and email the complete packet to resumes@alnp.uscourts.gov.

Applicants who do not follow instructions may not be considered. Due to the volume of applicants, we will only communicate with those individuals who are selected for an interview and only applicants who are interviewed will receive a response regarding their application status. Please no phone calls. Travel and relocation expenses are not reimbursable.

The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office reserves the right to modify the conditions of this announce, withdraw the announcement, fill the position at any time before the closing date, or fill more than one position from this announcement, any of which may occur without notice to applicants. If a subsequent vacancy of the same position becomes available within a reasonable time of the original announcement, the Chief U.S. Probation Officer may elect to select a candidate from the original qualified applicant pool.

THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

[1] Form AO-78 http://www.uscourts.gov/forms/AO078.pdf

This position is not covered under the Fair Chance to Compete (FCA) and requires you to complete the optional background information on the AO-78. The selectee for this position is subject to a criminal record check and satisfactory adjudication by the employing office to be eligible for employment. Due to the sensitivity level of this position, candidates may be asked about their criminal history prior to receiving a tentative offer of employment. Candidates completing the AO-78 must complete questions 18-20 regarding their criminal history. Criminal history is not in itself disqualifying. All available information, past and present, favorable and unfavorable, about the reliability and trustworthiness of an individual will be considered when making an employment suitability determination. Providing false and/or misleading information may be grounds for removal from the application and selection process, as well as disciplinary action if discovered after an individual’s date of hire.