CHIEF INVESTIGATOR, PAROLE AND SECURED FACILITIES
Career Family: CHIEF
Chief Investigator, Parole and Secured Facilities is an unclassified state or local title, filled by appointment and outside the tenure protections that cover the competitive ranks.
On paper it calls for a bachelor's degree, though the specification lets enough relevant experience stand in for the degree, and a valid NJ driver's license is required on top of that. Pay on the FY 2027 schedule runs $127,156 to $174,947, and state payroll currently lists 3 people in the title, led by Juvenile Justice Commission.
How to apply
This title is not filled by examination — agencies appoint directly.
See every real route in, and where to apply. 2 agencies employ it. We don't track live vacancies.
See all 2 employers and how to apply →Who employs this title
Chief Investigator, Parole and Secured Facilities appears on the State payroll at 3 departments, most of them at Juvenile Justice Commission.
State departments
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| Juvenile Justice Commission | 1 |
| Department of Corrections | 1 |
| New Jersey State Parole Board | 1 |
Where this title is used
Chief Investigator, Parole and Secured Facilities is a common title, so it is used in both State and local service. The local side is filled by the counties, municipalities, authorities and other employers that have adopted civil service under Title 11A, which set their own pay by ordinance or contract rather than from a State salary schedule.
Check whether an employer is a civil service jurisdiction · How local civil service works
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 3 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $170,000. The agencies employing the most are:
- Juvenile Justice Commission (1)
- Corrections (1)
- State Parole Board (1)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
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 administrative direction, manages an internal investigation unit for adult correctional or juvenile treatment facilities, county correctional facilities, or other investigations involving parolees and the facilities/contractors providing services to parolees; establishes investigative policy for the department of assignment; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
- Exercises full police powers and acts as a peace officer at all times for the detection, apprehension, arrest, and conviction of offenders against the law.
- Directs the activities of investigations assigned to an Internal Affairs Unit.
- Schedules polygraphs and investigation assignments.
- Monitors militants and terrorist groups confined within and outside the department's secured facilities, and disseminates information to appropriate law enforcement agencies.
- Reviews and evaluates allegations of criminal acts and administrative violations committed by staff, inmates, and visitors to secured facilities, and supervises the conduct of investigations.
- When assigned to parole, conducts and/or supervises the conduct of investigations involving parolees, the public, vendors, or staff misconduct.
- When assigned to parole, conducts and/or supervises the conduct of pre-release and other special investigations.
- Supervises the conduct of investigations of complaints involving the agency.
- Notifies proper law enforcement agencies regarding the release of inmates who are considered a serious threat to society.
- Apprehends and processes suspects; places parole violators and other offenders under arrest.
- Conducts and/or supervises the conduct of pre-employment background checks of prospective employees or background checks of visitors to the department's secured facilities.
- Secures confidential reports from law enforcement agencies, records of interrogations, records of court actions, and other materials.
- Reviews and evaluates complaints filed by staff, inmates, and visitors to secured facilities, and supervises the conduct of investigations.
- Supervises the gathering of intelligence and the evaluation of information pertaining to adult inmate or juvenile groups, and criminal activities of adult inmates or juveniles, employees, and civilians.
- Disseminates intelligence and information from outside law enforcement agencies to the department's secured facilities.
- Interacts with other law enforcement agencies in the search, apprehension, and arrest of offenders.
- Develops and maintains a rapid recall file of investigations and unusual incident reports submitted to the department.
- Initiates special investigations as circumstances warrant.
- May testify as a witness before formal hearings, Grand Juries, Courts of Law, administrative hearings, or other judicial bodies.
- Maintains statistical records of assaults and arson cases, and provides information to the Uniform Crime Report or Arson Unit of the State Police.
- Prepares annual staffing and budget requirements for unit.
- Plans, organizes, and assigns the work of the organizational unit and evaluates employee performance and conduct, enabling the effective recommendation of the hiring, firing, promoting, and disciplining of subordinates.
- Provides recommendations to the Commissioner or other administrator on regulations, standards, and policy changes to improve security and effectiveness of the agency's secured facilities and/or other locations.
- Carries a firearm while performing duties; is responsible for the care, use, and security of firearms and equipment.
- Supervises the preparation of clear, sound, accurate, and informative investigative, statistical, and other reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Attends continuing training programs and seminars relating to the court, the agency of assignment, criminal, correction, and/or parole law, rules, regulations, and procedures.
- Supervises the establishment and maintenance of the records and files necessary for each case and investigation.
- Supervises the training, development, and evaluation of investigators.
- 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.
Experience
Five (5) years of experience, two (2) years of which shall have been in supervisory capacity, in either:
(A) the investigation of complaints and allegations of violations of rules, regulations, standards, and laws by adult inmates, juveniles, and/or employees working within a secured facility; or
(B) investigations involving parolees and the facilities/contractors providing services to parolees.
License
Appointees must possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Knowledge of interview techniques.
- Knowledge of the regulations and standards established by the department of assignment, after a period of training.
- Knowledge of the economic, social, and other problems of persons subject to the authority of law enforcement officers.
- Knowledge of the procedures, techniques, and precautions used to conduct investigations of a criminal nature.
- Knowledge of the State of New Jersey Law Enforcement Network, after a period of training.
- Knowledge of laws governing the criteria for dissemination of criminal history information, after a period of training.
- Knowledge of the care, use, and security of firearms.
- Knowledge of the disciplinary program of the department of assignment, after a period of training.
- Knowledge of supervisory methods and techniques.
- Ability to carry a weapon while on duty.
- Ability to provide assignments, instruction, and guidance to staff and supervise their work performance.
- Ability to conduct routine, special, and confidential investigations.
- Ability to be proficient in the care, use, and security of firearms.
- Ability to exercise full police powers and act as a peace officer at all times for the detection, apprehension, arrest, and conviction of offenders against the law.
- Ability to act as a witness in court or at formal hearing and provide testimony under oath.
- Ability to prepare and supervise the preparation of correspondence.
- Ability to read, interpret, and apply the laws and regulations affecting investigative activities.
- Ability to understand and explain the complexities of uses of evidentiary laws and rules.
- Ability to use and supervise the use of specialized equipment.
- Ability to work under adverse conditions and at any hour of the day.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality.
- Ability to supervise the preparation of clear, technically sound, accurate, and informative investigative and other reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Ability to supervise the preparation of cases for trial or hearings.
- Ability to keep current in department policies and procedures and criminal correctional or parole law and court procedures by attending continuing training programs and seminars.
- Ability to supervise the establishment and maintenance of essential records, reports, and files.
- 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 essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
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.
Applicants who do not possess the required education may substitute additional experience as indicated on a year for year basis.
<b>SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:</b>
Appointees will be required to satisfactorily complete the basic course for investigators at the Division of Criminal Justice Training Academy, if they have not already done so.
In accordance with NJSA 2A:154-4, investigators working in secured facilities are empowered to act as peace officers. As such, they must have completed basic police training conducted by the Police Training Commission.
Appointees to this position must successfully qualify semi-annually in the use of firearms.
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.