SENIOR PAROLE OFFICER, YOUTH JUSTICE COMMISSION

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under direction of a supervisory official in the Youth Justice Commission, conducts investigations related to parole planning and aftercare services for juvenile offenders: assumes responsibilities for paroled juvenile offenders by coordinating, developing, and monitoring specific programs of various types directed to the parolee and encouraging family involvement in community programs, counseling, and treatment; utilizes a balanced approach in supervision of juvenile parolees in concert with treatment, surveillance, and enforcement practices with extensive interaction of public and private treatment service providers and social service and law enforcement agencies in accord with state statutes, administrative codes, and policies of the State Parole Board; interacts with law enforcement agencies in the apprehension and custody of parole violators and in the enforcement of arrest warrants; does other administrative and related duties as required.

Examples of work

Exercises all powers and rights of enforcement to function as a law enforcement officer for the detection, apprehension, arrest, and prosecution of offenders against the law. Conducts initial interviews with juvenile offenders pending parole hearings for the purpose of determining needs assessment and the development of services for each assigned corresponding disposition commitment. Plans, directs, and oversees programs for social, emotional, and economic adjustment of juvenile offenders in an effort to provide general, communal, and specialized treatment needs. Conducts ongoing case management evaluations and monitoring activities of assigned cases throughout custodial and community supervision portions of the sentence. Functions as a primary participant on various classification and selection committees including performing related investigative activities. Gathers information and reviews and monitors case management needs designed to address supervision programmatic objectives and service records. Closely monitors case custodial histories and violations of each assigned case to prepare detailed corrective action reports and reviews recommendations within the records to determine prior assessment reviews and classification analyses activities. Conducts investigations to determine existing and potential employment, and educational and vocational opportunities available for juvenile offenders on parole or to be paroled. Prepares reports to be utilized in the preparation of case histories. Submits monthly reports reflecting activities performed in the custody and aftercare programs including classification determinations, number of interviews performed, selection decisions, releases, available opportunities for treatment and enrichment programs, and so forth. Interviews juveniles, employers, educators, tutors, and relatives to clarify parole restrictions and supervision requirements depicting goals, objectives, community resources, treatment, concerns, and other procedures of the parole program. Identifies violations and enforces sanctions. Apprehends parole violators and conducts investigations to determine and evaluate viable alternatives or seeks further confinement needs. Maintains established relationships with various community groups and agencies and also with various law enforcement agencies, courts, probation and welfare agencies, schools and county outreach education programs, and medical and treatment facilities for the purpose of rehabilitation and enrichment objectives for juveniles on parole to include short term risk management and long-term behavior reform. Instructs juvenile offenders pending parole and parolees of specific conditions and stipulations of their parole and the rules and regulations of the parole release program. Conducts random urine monitoring and enforces violations for position results determined on the urine samples tested using a range of sanctions. Serves as liaison with the youth service commission and participates on multidisciplinary teams providing technical assistance in areas of service delivery objectives and ensuring services are delivered in an efficient, cost-effective manner within the needs expediency of each case. Maintains stringent surveillance and monitoring activities for quality assurance of service delivery. Identifies advocates for the delivery of various services in cooperation with the youth service commission approved service providerships. Serves warrants on parole violators and arrests identified parole violators. Contacts local law enforcement authorities to provide information and/or requests assistance in serving arrest warrants. Recognizes and evaluates potentially dangerous situations involving parole violators apprehension. Exercise caution and independent judgment in handling these circumstances to avoid personal injury or to prevent endangerment to the general public and/or serious personal or commercial property damage. Serves as a resource person to juvenile offenders on parole status matters. Renders assistance in presenting orientation objectives on in-service training activities, specifics of on-the-job training, and education programs available. Provides guidance on possible career considerations and educational opportunities for juveniles in custodial confinement, alternative aftercare programs, and recorded on parole status. Develops and implements graduated sanctions and incentives. Reviews procedures and specific recognition standards to monitor and revise each service plan, needs assessments, and surveillance activities of each assigned case. Investigates parolee violations and new criminal activities and completes incident reports for expedient review by all appropriate parties and initiates appropriate notices on incident detection in accord with agency incident reporting procedure requirements. Processes parolees for release of both the parent institution and satellite units. Provides instruction and guidance to Parole Officer Recruits, Youth Justice in the performance of their assigned duties. Provides directions, instructions, and guidance to Youth Workers and other paraprofessional employees assigned to assist in monitoring activities of parolees. Coordinates activities associated with furlough, study release, and work release programs. Monitors and assists in the resolution of problems between the institution phase and the community phase. Oversees and maintains records of financial aid accounts for parolees. Receives requests for emergency assistance, provides disbursements, and requests reimbursements as required by circumstance. Conducts special investigations and furnishes evaluations of Executive Clemency and Extradition Requests by the Governor's Office and/or State Parole Board. Discusses offenders' court-imposed revenue obligations, sets payment schedules, and makes collections as set forth by the court. Coordinates collections efforts with other government and/or private agencies in the event of default. Performs and maintains recordkeeping activities. Reviews and evaluates New Jersey parole cases residing out of state. Prepares recommendations regarding parole status and correspondence. Provides immediate and long-term assistance with juvenile parolee issues and problems. Develops new sources and updates community resources directory for client assistance and instructs effected personnel regarding available organizations and agencies to enhance program effectiveness to understand supervision need of the parolees. Serves as a hearing officer in the preliminary phase of probable cause hearings and makes recommendations and/or decisions regarding parolee status. Prepares various reports and correspondence concerning parolees and their activities progress. Establishes and maintains essential and confidential records and files. Assists in developing procedures in the process of communications between parolees and their relatives who are not knowledgeable of the English language. Acts as a witness and testifies before formal hearings, Grand Juries, Courts of Law, administrative hearings, or other judicial bodies. Prepares and finalizes investigative reports in compliance with applicable policies and procedures. Performs investigative, surveillance, and covert activities in conjunction with federal and state agency directives. Inputs and maintains case management system for parolee activities and investigative matters for up-to-date status and/or query of specific cases under investigation or prior closed case. Utilizes and instructs others in the usage of various types of video, audio, electronic communications, photographic and computer information systems and other various types of recording equipment, devices, and manual recordings used by the agency, institutions, facilities. or related components. Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Education

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Criminal Justice, Psychology, or related field of study.

Experience

One (1) year of experience in a correctional facility involving the supervision and counseling of juvenile offenders, inmates, or parolees or related probationary casework involving juvenile offenders.

License

Appointees must possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Knowledge of care, usage, security, and integrity of firearms and other restraints and defense equipment. Knowledge of techniques utilized to conduct interviews and investigations of juvenile parolees, their families, and related parole matters and issues. Knowledge of varied community resources to be utilized for enrichment purposes in social, economic, and emotional rehabilitation of paroled juvenile offenders and reactions to be expected of such persons subject to specified requirements. Knowledge of issues and situations that occur to affect the judgment of paroled juveniles economically and socially and the emotional advancement and habilitation of juvenile offenders. Knowledge of available methods to collect payments in default of court issued orders and agreements. Knowledge of methods and procedures for conducting investigations of varying types. Knowledge of surveillance methods and procedures. Knowledge of law enforcement and administrative procedures for reporting parole violators. Knowledge of electronic communication equipment and database software utilized during the course of an investigation. Ability to exercise all powers and rights of a law enforcement officer in criminal matters and to function as an officer for the detection, apprehension, arrest, and prosecution of offenders against the law. Ability to respond to emergency situations expediently and remain accessible at all times including days-off and off-duty hours. Ability to evaluate the reliability and creditability of employers, parolees, relatives, and witnesses' oral and written statements during the course of an investigation. Ability to apply applicable laws and the interpretations related to the care, treatment, rehabilitation, training, and education programs of juvenile probationers, parolees, and inmates of correctional institutions and facilitates as dictated by court orders and directives in New Jersey. Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with juvenile parolees, local officials, and other interested parties concerned in the rehabilitation of juvenile and young adult parolees. Ability to recognize and evaluate potentially dangerous situations involving parolees by exercising caution and independent judgment in the handling of these circumstances. Ability to develop and enhance procedures of communications between parolees and family members to relay information on the laws, rules, and regulations relevant to parole requirements and supervision restrictions to persons of varying ethnic and language backgrounds, education, and economic levels. Ability to gain the confidence and respect of parolees to provide them with assistance, advice, career opportunities, and personal development and respect of themselves and of others while continuing to exert a positive influence toward their rehabilitation efforts. Ability to review and evaluate parole cases and determine appropriate levels of supervision to be applied case-by-case. Ability to assess parolee financial status and set payment schedules to collect court-imposed revenue obligation commitments with the capability to pay and coordinate the efforts necessary to collect payments in default and maintain records of account. Ability to provide instruction and guidance to Parole Officer Recruits, Youth Justice. Ability to provide supervision, instructions, and guidance to Youth Workers and other assigned paraprofessional employees. Ability to perform confidential investigative reporting activities and gather information and evidence and prepare detailed reports thereof. Ability to compile and prepare detailed case histories. Ability to prepare detailed correspondence, reports, and memoranda on parole matters and issues. Ability to interpret relative information in the context of the theories of modern social casework administration, sociology, penology, criminology, and psychology practices and principles as they apply to juvenile delinquency problems and issues. Ability to coordinate and participate in monitoring of varied programs for rehabilitation, education, and personal development of juvenile parolees and young adults. Ability to prepare detailed correspondence, reports, and memoranda on parole matters and issues. Ability to gather, collect, maintain, collate, interpret, and disseminate statistical information. Ability to participate in joint investigative initiatives and covert operations. Ability to utilize and instruct others in the usage of various types of video, photographic, audio, electronic communications, computer information systems, and other various types of recording equipment, devices, and manual recordings used by the agency, institutions, facilities, or related components. Ability to make decisions and determine when circumstances should be referred to superiors for appropriate action. Ability to qualify with firearms on a semiannual basis. Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible. This job specification is applicable to the following title code(s) which are different work week or work month and/or variants of the job class title: Job Spec Code State, Local or Common Class of Service Work Week State Class Code Local Class Code Salary Range

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. Appointments may be made to positions requiring bilingual skills. - Bilingual in Spanish and English SPECIAL SKILL Applicants must be able to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in Spanish and English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. The responsibility for ensuring that employees possess the required motor vehicle license, commensurate with the class and type of vehicles they operate, rests with the Appointing Authority. SPECIAL NOTES: Appointees accepting employment are required to adhere to the employment restrictions that they not pursue outside gainful employment during their course of employment unless approved by the Executive Director of the Youth Justice Commission or appropriate designee. Appointees must have successfully completed the New Jersey Police Training Commission and Agency Training course standards in arrest, apprehension, investigations, parole supervision, and other related law enforcement requirements, and shall have qualified in the usage of firearms and the ability to requalify on a semiannual basis. Appointees will be required to have successfully completed all aspects of the one-year training program and have met all stated requirements of the Parole Officer Recruit, Juvenile Justice to be an eligible candidate for appointment to the Senior Parole Officer, Youth Justice title. Selected eligible candidates shall meet the qualifications for juvenile corrections officers and shall be employed as juvenile corrections officers pursuant to section 6 of P.L. 1995, c. 284 (NJSA 52:17B-174). SC4022N/AF23-Bilingual In Spanish & EnglishSC4022N/AF23- This job specification is for government use only. Salary range is only applicable to state government. Local salaries are established by individual local jurisdictions. 10/4/2025