Correctional Officer (Correctional Counselor)

Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System • Waseca, MN

1d

About The Position

Correctional professionals foster a humane and secure environment and promote public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into communities. The Correctional Counselor develops and implements unit programs to address the individual needs of inmates, including individual and group counseling. As part of the institution’s Admissions and Orientation intake process, the counselor interviews newly admitted inmates. Through extensive contact with inmates, the counselor helps maintain and enhance unit and institution security. The counselor also serves as the unit expert and coordinator for inmate personal property, including incoming and outgoing package approvals, and trust fund activities, including inmate withdrawals and special purchase orders. Like all correctional institution employees, the incumbent is responsible for maintaining institutional security. Correctional responsibilities take precedence over all other duties and are performed regularly and recurrently.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Meet the applicable qualification requirements for GL-07 or GL-08.
• For GL-07, either have one full academic year of graduate education in criminal justice, social science, or another field related to the position, or have at least one year of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
• For GL-08, have at least one year of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level; education cannot substitute for specialized experience.
• Qualifying experience must demonstrate skills and knowledge relevant to the grade, such as correctional or related counseling work, obtaining information and resources, inmate-program policies, enforcing rules, crisis decision-making, developing and implementing programs, writing assessment or behavior reports, assessing programming needs, or working with people with special needs.
• Meet the medical requirements for Correctional Officer positions, including being physically capable of arduous duties and free of defects or disease that could create a hazard to oneself or others.
• Applicants selected based on education must provide required transcripts; degrees and coursework must be from an appropriately accredited college or university.
• Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a pre-employment and panel interview, urinalysis, physical examination, and background investigation.
• Pass all screening requirements related to the National Crime Information Center and credit check.
• Applicants not currently working in an institution must complete a qualification inquiry regarding misdemeanor domestic-violence convictions to be authorized to carry a firearm.
• Successfully complete the three-week Introduction to Correctional Techniques training course in Glynco, Georgia.
• Meet the applicable maximum-entry-age requirement, unless an exception applies; applicants above age 36 with prior federal law-enforcement coverage must submit an SF-50 verifying that coverage.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement unit programs to meet inmates’ individual needs, including individual and group counseling.
• Interview newly admitted inmates as part of the Admissions and Orientation intake process.
• Help maintain and enhance the security of the unit and institution through extensive contact with inmates.
• Coordinate inmate personal property matters, including approvals for incoming and outgoing packages.
• Coordinate trust fund activities, including inmate withdrawals and special purchase orders.
• Maintain institutional security; correctional responsibilities take precedence over other duties and are performed regularly and recurrently.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific eligibility and benefits depend on position type.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level