Pretrial Officer

About Justice Services:  

Justice Services supports and improves the functions of the justice system by providing innovative, integrative, and cost-effective services and alternative sentencing.  

This work promotes public safety, increases self-sufficiency, and provides the justice system with alternatives to incarceration. The Justice Services Department provides alternatives within the justice system functions that:   

• Reduce the cost of those functions  
• Improves public safety and the quality of life for our citizens  
• Provides opportunities for individuals entering the justice system to demonstrate potential as contributing members of society  

Have you ever felt a calling to make a difference in your community? Are you someone who is able to show empathy and be a resource for individuals at their lowest moments, helping to navigate the system and provide guidance on the process? If so, the Pretrial Officer may be a good fit for you.  

The Pretrial Officer conducts professional investigations work in a jail setting in support of the Pretrial Services Unit for the Justice Services Department. Work involves conducting interviews and investigations into adult detainees' backgrounds and criminal histories, making pretrial release and bond recommendations to Courts and performing a variety of related tasks.  Pretrial Officers are responsible for interviewing and investigating detainees to obtain detailed information, verifying alleged offenses committed by detainees, communicating with various judicial officers, as well as friends and family members of detainees, preparing a variety of related documentation, performing data entry, utilizing law enforcement and judicial databases to research detainees' criminal histories, and serving as an Officer of the Court in various hearings with the authority to serve mandatory protection orders.  

The Pretrial Officers work in support of a 24/7 unit, with each Officer working an assigned 4-day work week with 10-hour shifts. Primarily this work occurs in the office located in the Jefferson County Detention Facility, but also has limited options for hybrid and remote workdays as well.  

SCHEDULE:

The schedule for this position is an overnight shift Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 8:00pm to 6:00am.

COMPENSATION:

Target Hire Range: $23.52 -$26.46 USD Hourly  

Compensation will be determined based on education, experience and skills.

BENEFITS:

Jefferson County offers a generous benefits package that supports your personal and professional life. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; paid time off and holidays, including a starting bank of 40 hours of PTO for new hires; retirement matching; wellness programs; tuition reimbursement; flexible schedules; remote work options; and more. For more information, click here for our Total Rewards summary. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Organize, facilitate and attend detainees' first court appearance.  Provide oral input based on expertise and observations, as appropriate.  Inform detainees of hearing process.  Document and report all outcomes for courts, Pretrial Services Case Management, District Attorney, and Sheriff.   Review and serve mandatory protection orders to detainees. 
• Compile and verify information, citing all contacts, and prepare detailed reports of detainees' status.  Obtain and record detainees' place of residence, family ties, employment and financial income, prior criminal convictions, status of any pending cases/sentences, drug, alcohol and or mental health concerns, and amend files to reflect changes as appropriate.  Furnish this information to the Duty Division Judge and other relevant court officials.   
• Track all detainees booked into jail through query of Jefferson County Sheriff electronic records system. Individually interview and investigate adults booked into the Jefferson County Jail to determine their pretrial release suitability, likelihood of committing new criminal offenses and/or likelihood of appearance to all future court hearings. 
• Collect all original affidavits and/or summonses and other legal documents supplied by the arresting law enforcement officers and jail personnel to determine details of alleged offense(s) committed by detainees and provide originals to the state court and copies to various judicial officers/agencies. 
• Use complex computerized data entry equipment and various word processing, spreadsheet and/or file maintenance programs to enter, store and/or retrieve information. Use county, judicial, state and national law enforcement databases to obtain criminal history information about detainees. Summarize data in standardized reports for various judicial officials. Analyze defendants' criminal history to determine their risk.  
• Notify and/or inform a variety of agencies and individuals regarding detainees' status, to include the Sheriff's Department, probation/parole officers, police, victims, defendants' families, other pretrial services agencies and other judicial jurisdictions.  Respond to inquiries made of agencies on the status of detainees and their bond conditions.   
• Review status of defendant’s post advisement hearing, determine and/or re-interview defendants to qualify them for release from jail.  Submit written reports to judicial officers to authorize defendants' release. 
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned. 

QUALIFICATIONS:

Research shows that women and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups tend to apply only when they check every box in the posting. If you are reading this and hesitating to click “apply” for that reason, we encourage you to go for it! A true passion and excitement for making an impact is just as important as work experience.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, behavioral sciences or related field
• Experience: One (1) year of experience in criminal justice, social work, customer service, or related experience 
• Note an equivalent combination of education and experience is acceptable. 

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong customer service skills 
• Strong written communication to document detailed case notes 
• Strong oral communication: ability to articulate with stakeholders and findings from investigations in a public setting 
• Independent critical thinking and analysis  
• Ability to make unilateral decisions utilizing training 
• Exceptional organization with ability to track many cases at once while meeting deadlines
• Experience with Microsoft Office/Microsoft 365 
• Experience entering and tracking moderately complex data and clerical records and reports 
• Ability to read and interpret statutes and legislation 
• Experience and comfort with public speaking 
• Strong time management and prioritization skills

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Driver’s License: Positions that require driving on County business in either a county or personal vehicle require a valid Colorado’s driver’s license within 30-days of hire or beginning to serve as an intern or volunteer.
• Pre-Employment Screening: Offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of criminal history, motor vehicle report, education verification, and/or references for all positions.
• CJIS Requirements: This position is subject to Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) security requirements. As part of the hiring, credentialing, and onboarding process, the selected candidate must successfully complete required background screening, including fingerprinting, and complete required CJIS security training. Continued employment and CJIS-authorized access to applicable Criminal Justice Information (CJI) or systems may be contingent upon meeting and maintaining these requirements.
• Accommodations Statement: We encourage people with disabilities to apply and are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout our hiring process. For assistance with applications, interviews, or other hiring-related accommodations, contact careertalent@jeffco.us. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot provide application status updates.

APPLICATION:

Apply Now! Jefferson County Colorado Career Opportunities

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply!

Please submit your online application by 11:59PM on the posted closing date.

A resume and cover letter are welcome and encourage but do not replace the information asked for in the application. Please complete all required sections of the application.

You may remove or hide age-related information from your application materials, such as your age, date of birth, or school attendance and graduation dates. You will not be penalized for removing this information.

We will review applications to make sure applicants meet the minimum qualifications listed in the job posting. If you are selected to move forward, the hiring team will contact you.

You can check your application status by logging into your candidate portal.   

For more information about the hiring process, visit: https://www.jeffco.us/1860/FAQs

Questions? Contact the Jefferson County Recruitment Team at 303-271-8420 or CareerTalent@Jeffco.us