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Posted: February 26, 2026 (1 day ago)

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Supervisory Recreation Specialist - Institutional (Recreation Supervisor)

Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System

Department of Justice

Fresh

Location

Salary

$74,648 - $97,087

per year

Closes

March 19, 2026More DOJ jobs →

GS-5 Pay Grade

Base salary range: $33,878 - $44,042

Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience. Bachelor's degree.

Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).

Job Description

Summary

This job involves overseeing recreational programs in a federal prison to help inmates build physical, creative, and social skills for better reentry into society.

The role includes managing activities like sports, fitness, music, and crafts, while handling budgets and staff supervision in a secure environment.

It's a good fit for someone with experience in institutional recreation who enjoys leadership and promoting positive development in challenging settings.

Key Requirements

  • Undergraduate or graduate degree in recreation, physical education, or related fields like community recreation or special populations.
  • Ph.D., equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 years of progressively higher graduate education in a relevant recreation field (for GS-5 level).
  • At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-4, such as planning and implementing recreational programs in correctional or institutional settings.
  • Demonstrated ability to supervise, organize, and evaluate recreation activities, including intramural sports, wellness, and hobby-craft.
  • Experience managing budgets, analyzing participation patterns, and providing training to staff in a recreation department.
  • Combination of relevant graduate education and specialized experience that equips you to perform supervisory duties in a prison environment.

Full Job Description

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 qualification requirements.

Basic Requirements: Education: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- general recreation, or one of the appropriate fields of recreation such as outdoor recreation; recreation and parks leadership; wild land recreation management; natural resources recreation; youth recreation; public, urban, or community recreation; special populations recreation (e.g., senior citizens, institutional, etc.); or physical education.

OR Experience: Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience that demonstrated the ability to apply the principles of one or more specialty areas of recreation.

Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Planning, organizing, coordinating, supervising, or evaluating community, industrial, outdoor, institutional, or other recreational programs.

Planning, establishing, or evaluating a recreational curriculum for junior college or higher academic levels.

Instructing in the principles and techniques of recreational program planning and management.

Serving in a leadership role in the programs and activities of local, regional, and/or national recreational organizations.

AND In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements above, applicants must have: Education: Ph.D.

or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related.

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major Study--general recreation, or one of the appropriate fields of recreation such as outdoor recreation; recreation and parks leadership; wild land recreation management; natural resources recreation; youth recreation; public, urban, or community recreation; special populations recreation (e.g., senior citizens, institutional, etc.); or physical education.

OR Experience: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level.

This experience is defined as that which demonstrated the ability to apply the principles of one or more specialty areas of recreation.

Some examples of this qualifying experience are: Experience in providing information or training to staff to improve the operation in a recreation department.

Experience planning, developing and implementing a variety of recreational programs which promote physical, creative and social development for within a correctional environment.

Experience developing and conducting a large and diversified program in a recreational specialty area.

OR Combination of Education and Experience: Equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total experience requirements.

This experience must have equipped you with the particular qualifications to perform the major duties of this position as described above.

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:

Supervises the overall management of the institution recreation program which may include intramural sports, wellness, fitness, music, hobby-craft, leisure time and other special activities.

Within established agency policy and objectives, plans, organizes, and administers recreation activities and programs which promote the physical, creative and social development of the inmate population.

Manages the budget for the Recreation Department, and in so doing, plans expenditures and future requests for funding based upon analysis of inmate participation patterns, feedback from recreational staff, and based on personal involvement in a wide variety of recreation activities.

Specific supervisory responsibilities may include assigning, directing and reviewing the work of subordinates; evaluating work performance; identifying training needs; recommending selections, promotions, awards, disciplinary or other actions; planning, scheduling and coordinating the work of the unit; giving advice and counsel to employees; hearing and resolving employee complaints and grievances; and determining the material, equipment, and facilities needed to perform the work.

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.

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Posted on USAJOBS: 2/26/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 2/27/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: NCR-2026-0196