Job Information
Justice, Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System Correctional Officer (Correctional Systems Officer) in Atlanta, Georgia
Summary Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities. Our highly-skilled, diverse, and innovative workforce creates a strong foundation of safety and security. Through the principles of humanity and normalcy, we develop good neighbors. Responsibilities This position is located in the Correctional Systems Department at a Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) correctional facility. The Correctional Systems Department is a multi-faceted operation, consisting of Mail Room, Receiving and Discharge, and Records Office. This position involves a wide range of duties that require knowledge in the following areas: institution mail; postal regulations; the receiving and discharge of inmates; inmate bus movement; processing of writs; handling of legal documents to include the interpretation of judgments for filing detainers; Interstate Agreement on Detainers (IAD); locator center procedures; temporary and final releases; release paperwork; file archiving; certification of records; correctional security procedures; and contact with a variety of law enforcement agencies. Additionally, this position requires a general skill level in the areas of sentence computation, sentencing laws, court processes, and compliance with court directives in order to address inmate inquiries. Along with all other correctional institution employees, incumbent is charged with responsibility for maintaining security of the institution. The staffs correctional responsibilities precede all others required by this position and are performed on a regular and recurring basis. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship is Required. See Special Conditions of Employment Section. The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP eligibility, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and score 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: Click Here Qualifications To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements: Education: GL-07: One full academic year of graduate education with major study in criminal justice, social science, or other field related to the position. GL-08: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position at this grade level. OR Experience: GL-07 and GL-08: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level in federal service. This experience must have equipped the applicant with the qualifications necessary to successfully perform the duties of the position. Some examples of this qualifying experience are: GL-07: Experience in receiving and admitting newly committed offenders; to include proper disposition of personal property and funds. Experience in mail handling procedures which may include maintaining logs to ensure accountability of mail services and special mail, and the processing and reviewing incoming mail, publications and various materials to determine acceptability under the BOP’s policy. Experience in relaying information regarding receiving and discharge, and mail room operations to the inmate population. Experience in running reports and verifying information via Sentry concerning inmates. Transactions may include clearances, histories, releasable information, etc. GL-08: Experience directly related to the various functions of the Mailroom and Receiving and Discharge areas; to include admission and release, physical processing, identification, coordination of prisoner transfers, security procedures, bus movement, final releases. Experience in supervising large groups of inmates in preparation for bus or airlift operations. This includes coordinating and carrying out various functions (i.e., visual searching, fingerprinting, photographing). Experience in carrying out the proper release of inmates who have completed their federal sentences; to include proper identification of inmates, review of clearances, fines, all forms of release paperwork, etc. Experience in coordinating exchanges of custody with federal and non-federal agencies. Medical Requirement: The Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons has established the following medical requirements for Correctional Officer positions: The duties of these positions involve unusual mental and nervous pressure, and require arduous physical exertion involving prolonged walking and standing, restraining of prisoners in emergencies, and participating in escape hunts. Applicants must be physically capable of performing efficiently the duties of these positions, and be free from such defects or disease as may constitute employment hazards to themselves or others. The duties of a Correctional Officer are arduous; and sound health as well as physical fitness is required. If applicable, credit will be given for paid and unpaid experience. To receive proper credit, you must show the actual time (such as the number of hours worked per week) spent in activities. Your eligibility for consideration will be based on your responses to the questions in the application. Education See Qualifications Section for education requirements, if applicable. ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS at the time you apply and MUST include identifying information to include School Name, Student Name, Degree and Date Awarded (if applicable). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Foreign Education: For information regarding foreign education requirements, please see Foreign Diploma and Credit Recognition at the U.S. Department of Education website: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications. If you are selected for this position and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty. Additional Information This position IS included in the bargaining unit. In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for initial appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution. The representative rate for this position is $66,935 per annum ($32.07 per hour). Special Conditions of Employment Section: Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks. All applicants not currently working in an institution will be required to complete a qualification inquiry regarding convictions of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence in order to be authorized to carry a firearm. The Core Value Assessment (CVA) is an in-person assessment that must be facilitated at a Bureau of Prisons Human Resource Servicing office. On the day of the scheduled interview, a CVA will be administered. The applicant assessment must be completed within a 70 minute time period and a passing score must be obtained. Further employment consideration will not be extended if the applicant fails to complete the examination or fails to achieve a passing score. Note: The Core Value Assessment will not be administered to current BOP employees. Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques," three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required. The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of residence. Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate. Although competitive and non-competitive applications are being accepted, the selecting official may elect to have only one group reviewed. As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.