Corrections Officer

This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, District 1-Corrections in Belcourt, North Dakota, Fort Totten, North Dakota, Fort Yates, North Dakota, Lower Brule, South Dakota, Wagner, South Dakota, and Winnebago, Nebraska.

This vacancy is only open to current BIA OJS Corrections of District I.

Note: Position(s) is being re-advertised to solicit additional candidates.

The Correctional Officer duties encompass the oversight of criminal offenders in one of the following: a detention/correctional institution; a community-based detention/correctional treatment; or a rehabilitation facility. Offenders include males and females, juveniles and adults, both pre-adjudication and sentenced.

Crimes range from misdemeanor offenders to violent felons awaiting transfer to federal courts/prisons. The incumbent contributes to the overall mission by performing duties with integrity, fairness, and timeliness, always remembering the product must be a quality service. This is a developmental position and duties are performed with the assistance of higher graded officers consistent with the grade level. Duties include:

• Enforce standard rules and regulations governing the operations of the detention facilities and programs, confinement, safety, health, and protection of criminal offenders.

• Provide preliminary interviews for physical and mental health with classification assessments.

• Provide criminal offenders with an orientation into the facility's rules and operating procedures through the Inmate Handbook.

• Assist in coordinating offender services, activities, and programs.

• Observe and supervise offender movement, conduct welfare checks and physical counts of inmates, maintain discipline and prevent the introduction of contraband in the facility and complete proper documentation.

• Instruct offenders in housekeeping, sanitation and in the proper use and care of tools and equipment used in sanitation and in the proper use and care of tools and equipment used in performing unskilled or semi-skilled work inside or outside of the facility.

• Assist in the management of inmate behavior of offenders in need of supervision.

• Transport to court, medical and other facilities and provide close supervision of the offender throughout the transport.

• Implement all safety aspects of facility emergency management plans to include fire and emergency evacuations.

• Provide for vehicle safety and security by providing defined offender supervision, searches, transportation, classification, and counts, along with maintaining fire safety, key control, perimeter security, and compliance with offender rules.

• Ensure that offenders are released from the facility according to established regulations and operational descriptions.

• Complete facility observation on maintenance that is needed by reporting and documenting to the supervisor that a repair is needed.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards ).

GL-05:

To qualify at the GL-05 grade level you must meet ONE of the following criteria:

A. General Work Experience:

Three years of general work experience. OR

B. Education: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study (120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours) in any field leading to a bachelor's degree, at an accredited college or university. OR

C. A combination of experience and education that totals 100% of the requirement.

GL-06:

To qualify at the GL-06 grade level you must meet ONE of the following criteria:

A. Experience: One year of specialized experience at the next lower-level assisting with the supervision and care of criminal offenders at a correctional and/or detention facility.

Experience at this level may include assisting with or performing tasks such as control room, booking, intake, inmate transport, maintaining documentation on inmates, controlled movements and supervision of inmates, in accordance with policies and procedures. OR

B. Education: Successful completion of nine (9) semester hours or fourteen (14) quarter hours of graduate study from an accredited school with major study in Criminal Justice, Criminology, Social Science, or other field of study related to the position. OR

C. A combination of experience and education that totals 100% of the requirement.

GL-07:

To qualify at the GL-07 grade level you must meet ONE of the following criteria:

A. Experience: One-year specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS/GL-06 grade level independently providing supervision and care to criminal offenders at a correctional and/or detention facility; maintaining documentation on inmates, controlled movements and supervision of inmates; and experience with Standard Operating Procedures and Emergency Management Plans.

Experience at this level may include independently enforcing rules and regulations governing facility security, inmate accountability and inmate conduct; performing inmate transport; and providing guidance to lower-level correctional officers, in accordance with policies, procedures, and detention standards. OR

B. Education: Successful completion of one full academic year (18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours) of graduate education from an accredited school with major study in criminal justice, social science, or other fields related to the position. OR

C. Combination: A combination of experience and education that totals 100% of the requirement.

GL-08:

To qualify for the GL-08, you must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GL-07 grade level independently providing supervision and care to criminal offenders in the operation of a correctional and/or detention facility and serving as a work leader over lower-level correctional officers. Experience at this level may include independently enforcing rules and regulations governing facility security, inmate accountability and inmate conduct; distributing and balancing the workload among team members; providing training to lower-level correctional officers; and meeting or exceeding the detention standards by adhering to policies and procedures. Experience may have been gained in work such as serving as a correctional/police officer, mental health counselor in a residential facility, or detention officer/jailor.

Physical Demands

The duties of a correctional officer, on any shift involves unusual mental and nervous pressure. It requires arduous physical exertion including prolonged walking, standing, and sitting while transporting, lifting of moderately heavy to light objects, restraining of offenders in emergencies and participating in escape and walk-away hunts. Incumbent must be physically capable of performing efficiently the duties of the position and be free from such defects or disease as may constitute employment hazards to themselves or others.

Work Environment

Work performed by this position requires frequent and direct contact with individuals or groups of individuals in confinement who are suspected or convicted of Tribal and/or Federal offenses. Daily stress, exposure to disease, and exposure to potentially dangerous situations such as direct physical attack are an inherent part of this position. Incumbent must be able to go anywhere they are detailed for temporary duty on short notice and may be required to remain away from their regular duty station for extended periods of time to meet the needs of the BIA.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date.

Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472).

Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date.