U.S. Probation Officer

Court Name/Organization Illinois Central Probation and Pretrial Services

Overview of the Position The U.S. Probation Office for the Central District of Illinois is currently accepting applications for U.S. Probation Officers in Peoria and Urbana. The Central District of Illinois serves 46 counties and Probation officers provide services to nine judges in the district. Probation has 46 staff members in divisional offices located in Peoria, Rock Island, Springfield and Urbana.

Employees must live within a reasonable distance from the divisional office, no longer than a 45-minute commute to the office. Probation officers serve in a judiciary law enforcement capacity and assist in the fair administration of justice, provide community safety, conduct objective investigations, supervise defendants or offenders, interact with collateral agencies, prepare reports and present recommendations to the Court. The officer hired will be assigned to the Peoria or Urbana office and will supervise defendants/offenders to maximize adherence to imposed conditions, reduce risk to the community, and provide correctional treatment;

detect and investigate violations and implement appropriate alternatives and sanctions; conduct preliminary interviews and other investigations as required; and maintain a detailed written record of case activity.

• Conduct investigations and prepare reports for the Court with recommendations. Interview offenders/ defendants and their families and collect background data from various sources. Interpret and apply policies and procedures, statutes, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedures, and U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Monographs, and relevant case law, as applicable.
• Enforce court-ordered supervision conditions and implement supervision strategies. Maintain personal contact with defendants or offenders through office and community contacts to maximize adherence to imposed conditions, reduce risk of danger to the community, reduce risk of nonappearance, and provide correctional treatment.
• Collect and conduct urinalysis tests of offenders/defendants, following established procedures and protocols. Maintain paper and computerized records of test results. Maintain chain of custody of urinalysis testing materials. Maintain detailed written records of case activity.
• Investigate employment, sources of income, lifestyle, and associates to assess risk and compliance. Responsible for detection of substance abuse. Through assessment and counseling, implement the necessary treatment or violation proceedings. Refer defendants or offenders to appropriate outside agencies such as medical and drug treatment facilities, employment and training.
• Analyze and respond to any objections to sentencing recommendations. This may include resolving disputed issues and presenting unresolved issues to the court for resolution.
• Assess risk level of defendants or offenders and develop a blend of strategies for controlling and correcting risk.
• Assure the protection of the constitutional rights of defendants through the statutory mandate to assess risk of nonappearance and danger to the community.
• Enforce pretrial and post-conviction supervision conditions through evidence-based practices of effective supervision.
• Respond to judicial officer’s requests for information and advice. Testify in court as to the basis for factual findings and guideline applications. Serve as a resource to the court to facilitate proper imposition of release or sentence.
• Initiate contact with, reply to, and seek information from organizations and persons which as the U.S. Parole Commission, Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and various law enforcement, correctional and social service agencies.
• Detect and investigate violations and implement appropriate alternatives and sanctions. Report violations of the conditions of supervision to the appropriate authorities. Prepare well written, grammatically correct, objective reports for the court’s consideration regarding pretrial, presentence, and/or post-conviction supervision issues.
• Knowledge of, and compliance with, the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and court confidentiality requirements. Ability to demonstrate sound ethics and mature, professional judgment as an objective, neutral officer of the court.

• Ability to organize and prioritize work schedule, and work independently with minimal supervision
• Ability to work under pressure and with short deadlines while maintaining a positive and professional demeanor
• Ability to exercise discretion and sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, foster high ethical standards, and demonstrate integrity in meeting the district’s vision, mission, and goals
• Ability to exercise impartiality and discretion with the defendant or offender population and their family/support system
• Ability to routinely work non-traditional hours
• Ability to interact and communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people of diverse backgrounds. This includes defendants,…