Pretrial Services Officer

Allen County Government•Fort Wayne, IN

About The Position

Under the direction of the Criminal Division Services Executive Director, the Pretrial Services Officer is responsible for screening, evaluating and/or supervising defendants/clients as needed and/or directed by the Court. This position is covered under the Superior Court Employee Handbook. This is an employee-at-will position.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice or a related field and three years’ experience in the Human Services field preferred
Strong written and verb communication skills.
Knowledge of all local, state and federal laws applicable to program operation and the ability to apply and enforce the regulations
Working knowledge of standard policies and practices of Allen County legal systems, Criminal Division Services and program operations with the ability to accurately complete required legal reports, make recommendations to the Court and apply and adapt procedures as cases demand
Ability to become trained and certified in the Indiana Risk Assessment System (IRAS)
Ability to effectively interview, evaluate, investigate, counsel, and work with defendants/clients/participants and their families to determine appropriate bond and release conditions, ensure proper compliance and/or enforcement of release requirements
Ability to deal swiftly, rationally and decisively with potentially violent individuals in precarious situations and take authoritative action applying appropriate discretion and common sense
Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of all department records and information
Knowledge of and ability to apply evidence collection and preservation techniques
Valid Driver’s License

Responsibilities

Assists in the implementation of, and adheres to, elements of a high-functioning pretrial system.
Conducts risk assessments as needed or directed, gathering criminal history and related information, evaluating information and assisting in the determination of release eligibility.
Conducts family background and criminal history investigations as needed or directed in an attempt to facilitate the release of defendants at the earliest possible time and by the least restrictive procedure.
Monitors CDS and pretrial release defendants as needed/directed; magnitude of monitoring pursuant to defendant’s level of risk. Assists with general supervision of pretrial and CDS clientele.
Prepares release documents, bail conditions, and noncompliance notices regarding release conditions; explains all documents and conditions of release to defendants and their families, attorneys, and other concerned individuals. Make referrals to services in the community and in-house education as ordered by the court.
Prepares bond reports as ordered by the Court.
Investigates failures to appear and violations of release conditions, recommends action and/or produces Notices to the Court and/or Director of Criminal Division Services when violations of release conditions are discovered.
Conducts chemical testing on a scheduled or random basis as ordered by the Court and maintains chemical test results records; performs alcohol-sensor tests as needed.
Enters and maintains defendant/client/participant data in case management system, assuring accuracy and completeness of all information, records case activity, composes detailed notes in database, including all contact with defendants/clients/participants, their families and other concerned persons. Maintains and continually updates individual files for each defendant/client/participant.
Compiles and reports statistics; researches pretrial services issues and incarceration data; assists in data-entry and data procurement from the pretrial case management system as instructed by the Director of Criminal Division Services. Assist in the development and implementation of evidence-based pretrial practices.
Performs all other duties as assigned.