Summary
Corrections professionals who foster a humane and secure environment and ensure public safety by preparing individuals for successful reentry into our communities.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
Help
Provides supervision, care and correctional treatment of inmates and guidance to lower-graded Correctional Officers. 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. Senior Officer Specialist must be flexible and have a broad knowledge base to use own initiative in the resolution of problem situations.
Requirements
Help
Conditions of employment
- U.S. Citizenship is Required.
- See Special Conditions of Employment Section.
Career Transition Programs (CTAP): These programs apply to Federal and/or DOJ employees who meet the definition of surplus or displaced from a position in the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must:
- 1. Meet CTAP eligibility criteria;
- 2. Be rated well-qualified for the position, scoring at least half of the total possible points for the vacancy KSAs or competencies; and
- 3. Submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP eligibility:
- A copy of the agency notice (i.e., separation notice or agency RIF letter),
- Most recent performance appraisal, and
- Most recent SF-50 showing current/former position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location.
- See USAJOBS' Career Transition Programs for more information.
NOTE: Applicants claiming CTAP eligibility must complete all assessment questions to be rated under the established ranking criteria.
EEO Statement/Policy: The United States government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, 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. More information can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/jmd/media/1425556/dl?inline.
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 level education in a major study in criminal justice, social science, or other field related to this position.
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. 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.
- 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. Specialized experience must have equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled.
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 Counselor in a Residential Facility
Some examples of this qualifying experience are:
- Experience with instructing inmates with 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.
AND
Medical Requirement:
GL-05 and GL-06: 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.**
Education
See Qualifications Section for education requirements,
if applicable.
ONLY if education is a requirement/substitution for specialized experience, applicant MUST upload legible transcripts as verification of educational requirement. 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). All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, Click Here.
Foreign Education: 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 and qualified based on education (i.e. basic education requirement and/or substitution of education), you will be required to provide an OFFICIAL transcript prior to your first day on duty.
Additional information
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3307, a maximum entry age of 36 has been established for original appointment to a position in a Bureau of Prisons institution.
The representative rate for this position is $70,853 per annum ($33.95 per hour).
Special Conditions of Employment Section:
Appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a urinalysis, physical, and background investigation. All applicants are subject to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and credit checks.
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.
Successful completion of the "Introduction to Correctional Techniques," three-week training course at Glynco, Georgia is required.
The addresses listed on the USAJOBS account/resume must be the primary residence at the time of application. You may be required to provide proof of residence.
Additional selections may be made if vacancies occur within the life of the certificate.
NOTE: A RETENTION INCENTIVE UP TO 10% MAY BE OFFERED TO SELECTEE(S) WHO MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR RETENTION INCENTIVE.
Expand Hide additional information
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
Help
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
