U.S. Probation Officer

Overview of the Position The U.S. Probation Office for the Eastern District of California is currently recruiting for a U.S. Probation Officer in Sacramento. By statute, probation officers serve in a judiciary law enforcement position and assist in the administration of justice and promote community safety, gather information, supervise persons under supervision/defendants, interact with collateral agencies, prepare reports, conduct investigations and present recommendations to the court.

U.S. Probation Officers in the Eastern District of California are committed to enhancing community supervision programs that focus on Evidence-Based Practices (EBP). Candidates will find the U.S. Probation Office in the Eastern District of California is a great place to launch or continue a career with the federal court system. We offer a stable, positive, and professional work environment, a competitive salary range and full federal benefits.

Our agency is currently comprised of 77 staff members and our district headquarters is located in Sacramento with a divisional office in Fresno. There are currently offices in Sacramento, Fresno, Roseville, Redding, Modesto, Visalia, and Bakersfield. Geographically, the Eastern District of California includes 34 counties in the central valley from the Oregon border to Bakersfield.

The incumbent conducts investigations and prepares reports assessing convicted individual’s ability to pay fines, restitution, cost of prosecution, incarceration, and supervision. The preparation of these reports requires interviewing offenders and their families, investigating the offense, prior record, and financial status of the offender, and contacting law enforcement agencies, attorneys, victims of the crimes, schools, churches, and civic organizations. An integral part of this process is the interpretation and application of the U.S. Sentencing Commission guidelines and relevantcase law.

The incumbent testifies in court as to guideline applications and serves as a resource to the court to facilitate proper imposition of sentence including identifying various variance criteria.

Post-Conviction Duties

The incumbent develops a supervision plan for offenders, maintains case records, and maintains personal contact with offenders to ensure adherence to court-imposed conditions and required correctional treatment. Incumbent will also coordinate, monitor, and verify offenders’ activities with substance abuse facilities, counselors, shelters, and/or employment facilities. Selected candidate will also monitor offenders’ sources of income, lifestyle, and associates to assess risk and compliance, detect and investigate violations, report violations to the court, and implement appropriate alternatives or sanctions.

A copy of the complete position description for CL 27 U.S. Probation Officer and CL 28 U.S. Probation Officer are available on our website .

To qualify for the position of U.S. Probation Officer at CL 27 or CL 28, the applicant must be a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a field of academic study which provides evidence of the capacity to understand and apply the legal requirements and human relations skills involved in the position and is required for all probation officer positions.

CL 27:
Two years of specialized experience or completion of a master’s degree in a field of study closely related to the position, or a Juris Doctor (JD) degree.

CL 28:
Two years of specialized experience.

Specialized Experience

Progressively responsible experience, gained after completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, in such fields as probation, pretrial services, parole, corrections, criminal investigations, or work in substance/addiction treatment, public administration, human relations, social work, psychology, or mental health. Experience as a police, custodial, or security officer, other than any criminal investigative experience, is not considered specialized experience.

Also, any volunteer or unpaid internship experience obtained prior to the completion of a bachelor’s degree is not…