Bilingual Pretrial Officer - Prescreening Division

Position Description

• Initiates and coordinates activities to access defendants in the city and county jails.
• Interviews defendants and elicits needed information.
• Investigates and documents the criminal and social history of interviewed defendants.
• Consolidates information compiled on defendants and assesses the risk of misconduct.
• Appears in court to present defendant reports.
• Conveys supplemental information about release options to the judiciary, prosecutors and defense attorneys.
• Evaluates the defendant's ability to comply with release conditions and apprises court of compliance problems.
• Instructs defendants about conditions and obligations of release.
• Coordinates activities necessary to implement judicially ordered release conditions.
• Completes reports and generate computer mainframe transactions that provide information necessary to document department activities.
• Testifies in court.
• Responds to inquiries from defendants and the public about the pre-trial process.
• Collaborates with personnel in Criminal Justice and Human Service agencies, representatives of the legal community and others to achieve department goals.
• Performs all tasks accurately and thoroughly within demanding timeframes.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice, Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Counseling, or other closely related field from an accredited university or college.

• Bachelor's degree in any other field of study from an accredited university or college; and
  • A minimum of one (1) year of full-time paid experience in a Criminal Justice setting, OR
  • A minimum of two (2) years of volunteer experience in a Criminal Justice or Social Sciences setting

• Valid driver's license (Texas upon hire), reliable transportation and current auto liability insurance

• Bilingual in English & Spanish - Bilingual incentive pay will be based on testing scores.
• Effective communication, interaction, and organizational skills
• Excellent documentation skills
• Ability to perform tasks in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated tolerance for diverse populations

• All new employees are required to present evidence of a TB skin test prior to employment.
• Upon receiving a conditional offer of employment, all applicants are screened for the presence of illegal drugs.

• Convictions, probation, or deferred adjudication for any Felony, and any Class A Misdemeanor
• Convictions, probation, or deferred adjudication for a Class B Misdemeanor, if within the previous 10 years
• Open arrest for any criminal offense (Felony or Misdemeanor)
• Family Violence conviction

Preferences

• Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice or related field.
• Paid work experience in a criminal justice setting performing case management activities.

General Information

• Medical Coverage
• Dental Coverage
• Vision Coverage
• Wellness Plan
• Life Insurance
• Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

• Ten (10) days of vacation leave per year (accrual rate increases after 5 years of service)
• Eleven (11) County-observed holidays
• One (1) floating holiday per year
• Paid Parental Leave*
• Sick Leave

• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan

• Professional learning & development opportunities
• Retirement pension (TCDRS defined benefit plan)
• Flexible work schedule*
• METRO RideSponsor Program*

• Participation may vary by County department. The employee benefits plans of Harris County are extended to all eligible participants across various departments with the exception of the Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, for which the cited Health & Wellness Benefits are administered through the State of Texas.