Pretrial Officer Senior (Pretrial Service employees Only)

Full Job Description

Interviews, investigates and evaluates clients incarcerated on criminal charges to determine their eligibility for personal bond and determines indigent status for court appointed attorney.

Refers personal bond applicants to various agencies for treatment or assistance with alcohol, drug or personal problems.

Makes recommendations to judges as to whether a client should be granted release from jail on personal recognizance bond and on motions to revoke personal bonds.

Supervises and maintains contact with specialized caseload of clients released on bond and assists clients with meeting bond conditions.

Supervises employees engaged in similar duties and may assist in duties related to day-to-day operations of the unit.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

This is the fourth in a series of four pretrial-related job classifications within the Court Services job family.

This classification is distinguished from the Pretrial Officer III in that incumbents function as a working lead over the activities of other pretrial positions, supervising, training, assigning and reviewing work in addition to the normal range of duties.

Personal Bond cases evaluated are of the most complex nature and type. May function as a liaison between the department, the jail facility and the courts.

This classification may require work in secure facilities. This classification may require a flexible work schedule in order to meet the needs of the department.

Requirements

• Functions as a working lead over other pretrial positions. Trains, schedules, assigns and reviews work of employees. Conducts caseload audits. May assist in revising and updating policies and procedures.

Investigates and interviews incarcerated clients to determine if they are eligible for release from jail on personal recognizance bond.

Recommends to the judge whether a client should be granted release on personal recognizance bond, and what terms or specific conditions should be required when granted.

Handles higher level cases for personal bond release. Refers clients released or due to be released on bond to agencies for assistance and/or treatment.

Ensures indigence forms are completed to determine defendant's eligibility for court appointed attorney.

Serves as an intermediary between judges and attorneys on questions concerning bond recommendations and court appointed attorney status.

May serve as liaison with jail facility and courts on higher level departmental issues.

Informs and briefs police, jail personnel, family and friends of the incarcerated client, lawyers and others regarding bond recommendations.

Serves as the Pretrial Services representative at jail calls for selected Justices of the Peace and County Courts at Law.

Compiles lists of defendants needing interviews and completes appropriate documentation.

Monitors and ensures granted personal bond applications and follow-up investigations on denied bonds from previous shifts comply with standard operating procedures.

Oversees and maintains contact with specialized caseload of clients released on bond and assists clients with meeting bond conditions.

Provides input as to the type and frequency of contact and length of time a client must spend in the program.

Maintains records on clients placed on supervised bonds, including documentation of any communications with those clients and the collection of data on those cases.

Submits monthly and annual reports on caseload activity. Recommends to judges that bonds be revoked on subsequent arrest or problem clients, or when there is imminent danger to the community.

Provides testimony in court on assigned cases, as required.

• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:
Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice or a directly related field AND three (3) to four (4) years experience with Pretrial Services;

OR,

Any combination of education and experience that has been achieved and is equivalent to the stated education and experience and required knowledge, skills, and abilities sufficient to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this job.

Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements:
Valid Texas Driver's License.

Preferred:
Texas Crime Information Center Certification.
National Crime Information Center Certification.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Supervisory principles, practices and techniques.
• Policies, practices, procedures and legal terminology related to court system.
• Federal, State, Local and County applicable laws, rules, regulations, guidelines and applicable pretrial services standards and procedures.
• Standard practices in area of assignment.
• Computer equipment to include word processing, spreadsheets, databases and a variety of software packages.
• Business letter writing, grammar and punctuation, and report preparation.

Skill in:

• Training, supervising and reviewing the work of others.
• Problem-solving and decision-making.
• Interviewing clients.
• Both verbal and written communication.

Ability to:

• Work efficiently both independently and as part of a team.
• Reason and make judgments and decisions.
• Work effectively and courteously under stressful circumstances.
• Deal effectively with mentally disturbed, hostile and aggressive individuals.
• Manage time well, perform multiple tasks and organize diverse activities.
• Perform in a stressful environment while maintaining a professional manner.
• Research, compile, analyze, interpret and prepare a variety of memorandums or reports.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with departmental clientele, representatives of outside agencies, other County employees and officials, attorneys, judges and the general public.

Additional Information

Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 10-25 pounds, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment. Subject to standing, sitting, walking, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, crouching, kneeling, pushing, pulling, reaching, twisting, balancing, repetitive motion, and squatting to perform the essential functions. Subject to contact with communicable diseases, radiation, hazardous waste, human fecal matter and foul odors. Subject to client and customer contact for extended periods of time

Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions.

Work Hours: 6a-230p, 2p-1030p, 10p-630a, 730a-430p, 8a-5p, or 830a-530p
Works some holidays, Works some nights, Works some weekends

Location: 411 W 13th St Austin, TX 78701

Department: Pretrial Services

For updates or questions on this position, contact: Tosha.Billingsley@traviscountytx.gov


This job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.