Social Worker 2
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Posted: March 3, 2026 (0 days ago)
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Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System
Department of Justice
Location
Washington, District of Columbia
Salary
$143,913 - $187,093
per year
Type
Full-Time
More Science & Research jobs →Closes
Base salary range: $147,649 - $221,900
Typical requirements: Executive-level leadership experience. Senior executive qualifications required.
Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).
This job involves conducting research on prison programs and policies to help improve how the federal prison system operates and supports inmates' rehabilitation for community reentry.
The role focuses on analyzing data, creating reports, and recommending changes based on studies in areas like corrections and criminal justice.
It's a good fit for someone with a background in social sciences who enjoys using research to solve real-world problems in public safety and rehabilitation.
Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.
To be considered for the position, you must meet the following: Basic Requirements: A. Degree: that included at least 24 semester hours of course work in the behavioral or social sciences. OR B.
Combination of education and experience - that included at least 24 semester hours of course work in the behavioral or social sciences, and that provided applicants with knowledge of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a 4-year degree as shown in A above.
Evaluation of Education - Courses, such as sociology, correctional administration, criminal justice, government/political science, psychology, social work, counseling, and other related social or behavioral science courses may be used to satisfy the 24-semester-hour requirement.
Evaluation of Experience - Experience must have been gained in (1)casework in a correctional institution or in another criminal justice setting; (2) counseling in any setting, provided it required diagnostic or treatment planning skills to achieve specific social or occupational goals; or (3) work treating persons in need of social rehabilitation.
AND In addition to the basic requirements, you must have: Education: There is no substitution of education for specialized experience for this position.
Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level.
To be creditable, this experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position, and must typically be in or related to the position to be filled.
Some examples of this qualifying experience are: Experience designing and conducting research and statistical reports to assist in evaluating and improving existing practices and development of new policies, operations and programs.
Experience preparing clear, detailed research reports to include the construction, interpretation, and description of tables and graphs.
Experience documenting research projects, preparing data element codebooks, and writing computer program code.
Experience participating as a member of a team to establish assessment tools in order to validate or justify the implementation or expense of a new program.
Experience conducting multiple research studies and projects simultaneously.
Experience recommending policies and practices based on research performed using currently available and established statistical methods; providing statistical results using historical data and clearly defined objectives of results desired; and writing programs to analyze the effects of topic assigned, using current available practices and methods.
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.** Major Duties:
Implements and designs data management systems technologies and conducts research that may assist the Federal Bureau of Prisons both in improving existing and developing new policies, operations and programs.
Conducts research on corrections and correctional programs issues and evaluate Federal prison programs and operations.
Designs and conducts research that contributes to the following fields of knowledge: corrections, criminal justice, criminology, psychology and sociology.
Produces useful information analysis tools and concise research reports that communicate the essential findings to administrative and supervisory personnel within the BOP, as well as reporting the findings to other federal criminal justice agencies and the social and behavioral science community.
Serves as a source of substantive information, in areas in which they do research for Bureau of Prisons staff within and outside the Research Office, for congressional offices, and for the federal criminal justice agencies.
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