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Correctional Officer

Department of Justice
Justice, Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System
This job announcement has closed

Summary

ADDITIONAL SALARY INFORMATION:

USP Atwater, FCI Herlong, and FCI Mendota, CA - A 17% Recruitment Incentive will be paid to selectee(s) who meets the criteria for Recruitment Bonuses.

FCI Dublin, and FCC Victorville, CA - A 15% Recruitment Incentive will be paid to selectee(s) who meets the criteria for Recruitment Bonuses.

Upon completion of the Recruitment Service Agreement, Retention Incentives may be initiated.

FDC Honolulu, HI - A 10.99% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) is authorized for this location.

MDC Guaynabo, PR - A 3.48% Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) is authorized for this location.

Why work for the Federal Bureau of Prisons?

You can have a meaningful career with an agency that truly values a diverse workforce. In our agency, you’ll find a diverse workforce employed from entry level jobs to senior management positions. We protect public safety by ensuring that federal offenders serve their sentences of imprisonment in facilities that are safe, humane, cost efficient, appropriately secure, and provides reentry programing to ensure their successful return to the community. Our employees at federal correctional facilities are "correctional workers first" and perform correctional work regardless of their specific occupation.

Our long-standing culture of being a close-knit family sets us apart from other agencies - at the BOP you don't just get to know your co-workers, you make life long friends.

We have many facilities located throughout the nation: 122 institutions, 6 regional offices, a headquarters, 2 staff training academies, and 26 residential reentry management offices.

AGE REQUIREMENT:

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. 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 of 37. Please refer to the Required Documents Section for the appropriate documentation to submit to validate veteran eligibility.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
03/23/2018 to 09/30/2018
Salary
$41,187 to - $54,586 per year
Pay scale & grade
GL 05 - 06
Location
Prisons - Nationwide, United States
MANY vacancies
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Training may be required for training and/or work related issues.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Promotion potential
07
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Announcement number
BOP-N-2018-0018
Control number
494762400

This job is open to

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Duties

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Provides supervision, care and correctional treatment of inmates. 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: https://www.sss.gov

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP). The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1)this vacancy is within your ICTAP 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 rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified category using established category rating criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: Click Here

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 consideration, 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 rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified category using established category rating 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-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 study, from an accredited school, in Criminal Justice, Criminology, Social Science, or another field of study related to the position such as law.

NOTE: If you are using education to qualify, 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). The education MUST be from an institution accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here. Transcripts MUST be uploaded and electronically linked from USAJOBS to the Consolidated Staffing Unit at the time you apply.

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, you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.

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, or one year of specialized experience. 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:

  • Ability to meet and deal with people of differing backgrounds and behavioral patterns.
  • Ability to be persuasive in selling and influencing ideas.
  • Ability to lead, supervise, and instruct others.
  • Sympathetic attitude towards the welfare of others.
  • Ability to reason soundly and to think out practical solutions to problems.
  • Ability to make decisions and act quickly, particularly under stress.
  • Poise and self-confidence, and ability to remain calm during emergency situations.
General experience may have been gained in work such as:
  • Social case work in a welfare agency or counseling in other types of organizations.
  • Classroom teaching or instructing.
  • Responsible rehabilitation work, e.g., in an alcoholic rehabilitation program.
  • Supervising planned recreational activities or active participation in community action programs.
  • Management or supervisory work in a business or other organization that included directing the work flow and/or direct supervision of others.
  • Persuasive sales work or commissioned sales work, other than taking and filling orders as in over-the-counter sales.
GL-06: 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 particular qualifications and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, performing duties, such as, ensuring individuals confined in a correctional or mental health facility adhere to the rules and regulations; responding to domestic disturbances; or apprehending and arresting individuals violating the law. Examples of occupations where specialized experience may have been gained:
  • Correctional Officer
  • Detention Officer
  • Police Officer
  • Border Patrol Agent
  • State Trooper
  • Sheriff
  • Park Ranger
  • Deputy Sheriff supervising inmates in a jail
  • Mental Health Residential Facility Worker
Some examples of this qualifying experience are:
  • Providing supervision, care and security of inmates and guidance to lower-graded Correctional Officers.
  • Supervising inmates in living quarters and instructing them in proper housekeeping and sanitation.
  • Experience working as a Police Officer responding to domestic disturbances and issuing citations for law violations.
  • Experience in investigating crime scenes as a State Trooper.
  • Experience as a Mental Health Worker in a Mental Health Lockdown facility.
  • Enforcing rules and regulations governing facility security, inmate accountability and inmate conduct to ensure judicial sanctions are carried out and inmates remain in custody.
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.**

Additional information

The Department of Justice provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the hiring/servicing personnel office. The decision of granting a reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. Selection will be made without discrimination for any non-merit reason such as race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

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

NOTE: 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.

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.

This position has been identified as test designated. Incumbents will be subject to urinalysis testing under the BOP Drug Free Workplace Plan.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application will be evaluated and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Based upon your self-reported responses to the assessment questions during the application process, your application will be placed into one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Applications will be reviewed from the top quality category. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed in this announcement. If you are found qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to the responses you provided on the online assessment questionnaire.

NOTE: Candidates within the top quality category and who are eligible for veterans preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.

If you are entitled to veterans preference, you should indicate the type of veterans preference you are claiming on your resume. Although veterans preference points are not assigned under the category rating procedures described under "How You Will Be Evaluated", veterans preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-veterans within each category for which they are qualified.

In addition, qualified veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more are placed at the top of the highest qualified category as defined by category rating procedures.

What Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are Required for this Position?

The following Competencies/Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's) are required:

GL-05 and GL-06:

  • Oral Communication
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Writing
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Managing Human Resources
  • Stress Tolerance

To preview questions please click here.

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