Correctional Officer - Direct Hire

Summary

Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.

Duties

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Provides supervision, care and correctional treatment of inmates and guidance to lower-graded Correctional Officers. Incumbent is concerned with maintenance of institution security contributing to the health and welfare of the inmates and the promotion of good public relations.

Enforces rules and regulations governing facility security, inmate accountability and inmate conduct to ensure judicial sanctions are carried out and inmates remain in custody. From time to time, may be authorized to carry firearms and to use physical force, including deadly force, to maintain control of inmates.

During institution emergencies or other periods of heavy workload or limited staff, may be required to work long and irregular hours, unusual shifts, Sundays, holidays and unexpected overtime. Information as to operations and procedures is provided by post orders, BOP program statements, local supplements, custodial manual, internal correspondence and staff meetings. Incumbent must be flexible and have a broad knowledge base to use own initiative in the resolution of problem situations.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship is Required.
• See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
• Selective Service Requirement :

Career Transition Programs (CTAP or ICTAP) : These programs apply to Federal and / or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must :

NOTE : Applicants claiming CTAP / ICTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established category rating criteria.

Qualifications

To be considered for the position, you must meet the following qualification requirements :

Education :

GL-05 : Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

GL-06 : Nine (9) semester hours or fourteen (14) quarter hours of graduate level education in a major study in criminal justice, social science, or other field related to this position.

GL-07 : One full academic year of graduate education with major study in criminal justice, social science, or other field related to the position is qualifying for GL-07.

GL-08 : There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position.

OR

Experience :

GL-05 : At least 3 years of full-time general experience, one year of which was equivalent to the GL-04 grade level. This experience must have demonstrated the aptitude for acquiring the qualifications required for correctional work, and, in addition, demonstrate the possession of personal attributes important to the effectiveness of correctional officers, such as :

General experience may have been gained in work such as :

GL-06 : You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade. Specialized experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled.

Examples of occupations where specialized experience may have been gained :

Some examples of this qualifying experience are :

GL-07 : You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade. Specialized experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled.

Examples of occupations where specialized experience may have been gained :

Some examples of this qualifying experience are :

GL-08 : You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade. Specialized experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. Experience must have been gained in a correctional facility with responsibilities in correctional treatment, care, custody, and control of inmates.

Some examples of this qualifying experience are :

AND

Medical Requirement :

GL-05, GL-06, GL-07 and GL-08 : 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.

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

AGE REQUIREMENTS :

Although 5 U.S.C. 3307 established a maximum entry age for initial appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution, applicants can be considered up to age 39. If you are above the maximum entry age and have prior federal law enforcement coverage, you MUST submit an SF-50 to verify prior coverage.

Qualified Preference Eligible Veterans may be exempt from meeting the maximum age. Refer to the Required Documents Section for the appropriate documentation to submit to validate veteran eligibility.

LENGTH OF ELIGIBILITY : Eligible applicants will remain on the inventory until the closing date of the announcement.

NOTE : This announcement is posted on a yearly cycle. The announcement will EXPIRE on the listed closing date at 11 : 59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. In order to receive consideration for the next cycle, applicants MUST reapply to the new vacancy announcement.

SALARY RANGE : The salary range for this announcement reflects Rest of US GL-05 / 01 @ $49,739 to highest GL-08 / 10 San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA @ $94,537. See current pay scales for locality area for which you are applying at www.opm.gov and search pay tables.

Special Conditions of Employment Section :

Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a pre-employment and panel interview, urinalysis, physical, and background investigation.

All applicants are subject to, and must satisfactorily pass all screening requirements in relation to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit check.

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.

Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider :

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Exceptions may apply. See 5 CFR part 11.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

ADDITIONAL SALARY INFORMATION :

Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) Is authorized at :

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.