Correctional Officer (Correctional Systems Officer)

Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System•Tallahassee, FL

About The Position

This position is in the Correctional Systems Department at a Federal Bureau of Prisons correctional facility. The department includes the Mail Room, Receiving and Discharge, and Records Office. The role requires knowledge of institutional mail and postal regulations; inmate receiving, discharge, and bus movement; writ processing; legal documents and judgments for filing detainers; the Interstate Agreement on Detainers; locator center procedures; temporary and final releases; release paperwork; file archiving; record certification; correctional security procedures; and communication with law enforcement agencies. General knowledge of sentence computation, sentencing laws, court processes, and compliance with court directives is also needed to address inmate inquiries. As with all correctional institution employees, the incumbent is responsible for maintaining institutional security, and correctional duties take precedence over other duties and are performed regularly. Applicants must meet the qualification requirements through specialized experience; education cannot substitute for specialized experience at this grade level. The role requires at least one year of qualifying experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade. Correctional Officer duties are physically arduous and involve unusual mental and nervous pressure, prolonged walking and standing, restraining prisoners in emergencies, and participating in escape hunts. Applicants must be physically capable of performing the duties and free of defects or diseases that could create hazards to themselves or others. Appointment is subject to a pre-employment process that includes an interview, urinalysis, physical, background investigation, NCIC and credit checks, and, for applicants not currently working in an institution, an inquiry regarding misdemeanor domestic-violence convictions relevant to firearm authorization. Successful completion of a three-week Introduction to Correctional Techniques course in Glynco, Georgia, is required. The position is included in a bargaining unit. U.S. citizenship is required, and a maximum entry age of 36 applies to original appointments to BOP institution positions, subject to stated exceptions.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship is required.
At least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade level.
Qualifying experience must relate to correctional systems functions such as mailroom and receiving/discharge operations, inmate admission and release, physical processing, identification, prisoner transfers, security procedures, bus movement, or final releases.
Applicants must be physically capable of performing arduous Correctional Officer duties, including prolonged walking and standing, restraining prisoners in emergencies, and participating in escape hunts.
Applicants must be free from defects or disease that could constitute an employment hazard to themselves or others.
Appointment requires satisfactory completion of a pre-employment interview, urinalysis, physical, and background investigation.
Applicants must satisfactorily pass NCIC and credit checks.
Applicants not currently working in an institution must complete a qualification inquiry regarding misdemeanor domestic-violence convictions to be authorized to carry a firearm.
Successful completion of the three-week Introduction to Correctional Techniques course at Glynco, Georgia, is required.
A maximum entry age of 36 applies to original appointments to BOP institution positions; stated exceptions include certain applicants with prior federal law-enforcement coverage and qualified preference-eligible veterans.
Education cannot substitute for specialized experience at this grade level.

Responsibilities

Maintain the security of the correctional institution; security responsibilities take precedence over other duties and are performed regularly.
Perform functions across the Mail Room, Receiving and Discharge, and Records Office, including handling institutional mail and applying postal regulations.
Support inmate receiving and discharge, physical processing, identification, prisoner transfers, and inmate bus movement.
Process writs and legal documents, including interpreting judgments for filing detainers and applying the Interstate Agreement on Detainers.
Handle temporary and final releases, release paperwork, record certification, and file archiving.
Use knowledge of sentence computation, sentencing laws, court processes, and court directives to respond to inmate inquiries.
Coordinate and communicate with law enforcement agencies and other agencies regarding correctional systems matters.