Detention Alternatives Officer Title Series, CSC Docket No. 2022-1304

BackgroundThe Division of Agency Services (Agency Services) requests the creation of the noncompetitive title of Detention Alternatives Officer Apprentice, and the creation of the competitive titles of Senior Detention Alternatives Officer and Supervising Detention Alternatives Officer.

Agency Services states that Sussex County, represented by Paul Salvatoriello, Esq., has indicated that it needs a local Detention Alternatives Officer title series to support its compliance with the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI), which is a program designed to help reduce the inappropriate use of secure juvenile detention while maintaining public safety and court appearance rates. Sussex County presents that it has moved to a detention alternatives model for at-risk youth and created the Detention Alternatives Section within its Division of Community Youth Services as a means of addressing the changing environment for youth services in Sussex County. However, it asserts that the Juvenile Detention Officer title it currently uses for officers in its Detentions Alternatives Section is not appropriate for the positions in that section. In this regard, it contends that the Juvenile Detention Officer title is focused on juveniles in detention while the focus of the proposed Detention Alternatives Officer title series is on everything but detention. Moreover, it avers that the other duties for officers in the Detention Alternative Officer title series would be very different from those of Juvenile Detention Officers. In particular, incumbents in the Detention Alternative Officer title series would be responsible for supporting court-involved youth through extensive mentoring, in-home monitoring and supervision, community service guidance and assistance, and court supervision. Similarly, Sussex County asserts that none of the other existing Civil Service titles fit the job duties and requirements for the positions at issue. Agency Services states that its Classification and Compensation Management Unit concurs with that contention.

Agency Services presents that incumbents in the Detention Alternatives Officer Apprentice Trainee title would participate in a three-year training program where they would learn how to serve court-involved youth in a variety of areas under the close supervision of a Supervising Detention Alternatives Officer. Upon successful completion of the training program, incumbents will advance to the Senior Detention Alternatives Officer title.

Agency Services maintains that it would be appropriate to assign the entry- level title of Detention Alternatives Officer Apprentice to the noncompetitive division. In this regard, it advises that there would not be any experience requirement associated with the title and, thus, no skillset to be tested. As such, it avers that the allocation of the Detention Alternatives Officer Apprentice title to the noncompetitive division would be consistent with N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(c), which permits such an allocation when “[c]ompetitive testing is not practicable due to the nature of the knowledge, skills and abilities associated with the job.” Conversely, Agency Services maintains that pursuant to N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(b), the Senior Detention Alternatives Officer and Supervising Detention Alternatives Officer titles should be allocated to the competitive division of the career service.

CONCLUSION

RuleN.J.A.C. 4A:3-3.6(a) states, in pertinent part, that the Commission may determine that a new title or title series is necessary. N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(a) states that the Commission shall allocate and reallocate career service titles between the competitive and noncompetitive divisions. N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(c) states, in pertinent part, that a job title may be placed in the noncompetitive division on an ongoing or interim basis when it is determined that competitive testing is not practicable due to the nature of the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the job.

AnalysisBased on the foregoing, ample reasons exist for the creation of the subject title series and to allocate the Detention Alternatives Officer Trainee title to the noncompetitive division of the career service and the Senior Detention Alternatives Officer and Supervising Detention Alternatives Officer titles to the competitive division. In this regard, the Detention Alternatives Officer Trainee title is an entry- level title which does not require any specific work experience. Given the lack of an experience requirement, competitive testing is not practicable since the knowledge, skills and abilities associated with this title are evaluated during the mandatory training period. Specifically, appointees would be required to complete a three-year training period, as well as the required three-month working test period prior to attaining permanent status. As to the titles of Senior Detention Alternatives Officer and Supervising Detention Alternatives Officer, their allocation to the competitive division of the career service would be consistent with N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(b).

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that this request be granted and that the title of Detention Alternatives Officer Apprentice be established and allocated to the noncompetitive division of the career service and the titles of Senior Detention Alternatives Officer and Supervising Detention Alternatives Officer be established and allocated to the competitive division of the career service. It is further ordered that such actions be effective the first pay period following the Commission’s approval.

ClosingThis is the final administrative determination in this matter. Any further review should be pursued in a judicial forum.