HEARING OFFICER INMATE DISCIPLINARY PROGRAM
To land Hearing Officer Inmate Disciplinary Program in New Jersey you go through the competitive route: you sit an announced exam and the score puts you on the eligible list agencies hire from.
A bachelor's degree is the listed credential, and extra years on the job can be traded for it. The FY2026 range lands between $84,548 and $124,366, and state payroll currently lists about 10 people in the title, most of them at Corrections.
How to apply
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Exam
This is an application to sit an exam and be placed on an eligible list for this title, not an application for a specific job. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. There may be no current vacancy behind it, and the list it produces may not be certified for months or years.
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Exam
Open to permanent employees in the competitive division who hold a qualifying lower title in the same unit. A $35 application fee applies to Non-Public-Safety announcements issued on or after 2026-02-01. Like the open competitive exam, this places you on a list; it is not itself a job offer.
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Agency posting
Department of Corrections's employment page may require a click-through to see specific openings. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 10 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $124,366. The agencies employing the most are:
- Corrections (10)
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.
Definition
Under the direction of the Deputy Commissioner or other supervisory official in the State Department of Corrections or, the Department Head or other supervisory official in a County Correction Facility, conducts disciplinary and protective custody hearings involving inmates from the prison complex, youth correctional complex, training school complex and the correctional institution for women or, in a County Correction Facility; does other related duties.
Examples of work
Schedules, coordinates, conducts, and records results of inmate disciplinary and protective custody hearings in the Prison Complex, Youth Correctional Complex, Training School Complex, and the Correctional Institution for Women, or the county correctional facility. Reviews all disciplinary reports for specificity and appropriateness and ensures that basic legal rights and due process guidelines have been followed. Reviews constitutional and statutory considerations with members of the New Jersey State Bar Association's Correctional Reform Committee and the Office of the Attorney General. Conducts protective custody hearings for the purpose of determining whether or not such placement is warranted. Ensures that procedures for processing disciplinary infractions are observed according to the Department of Corrections' Administrative Plan Manual. Investigates reports of charges not resolved at the first line supervisory level and effects appropriate dispositions. Arranges and conducts hearings at specified locations to determine guilt or innocence, and adjudicates appropriate disposition sanctions carried through by the institution. Conducts training sessions under the Correction Officers Training Academy for custodial and other interested staff concerning disciplinary hearing procedures, court decisions, opinion of the General and other relevant issues. Develops and conducts similar training programs. Provides technical and professional expertise and testimony on behalf of the State for Civil Actions brought against the Department of Corrections as a result of disciplinary hearings. Disseminates information regarding new policies procedures relating to all facets of the Disciplinary Hearing process. Reports all decisions regarding disciplinary hearings to the inmate and the Superintendent. Prepares reports containing a statistical breakdown of all sanctions, comments, and recommendations. Responds to correspondence addressed to the Commissioner as required. Conducts other inmate hearings as required by the Commissioner. Maintains records and files. 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.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if t he operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of the particular problems involved in the administration of the varied types of Correctional Prisons, Youth Complexes and Training Schools, and ability to acquire that knowledge as it pertains to the New Jersey Department of Corrections. Knowledge of hearings techniques and the taking of testimony under oath. Ability to read and interpret laws, rules and regulations and apply them to specific situations. Ability to communicate with the inmate population. Ability to organize assigned hearings work, analyze hearings problems, and schedule, and develop appropriate work methods. Ability to analyze issues and hearing problems, interpret and appraise factual data, and identify and correctly apply appropriate provisions of law and/or regulations. Ability to conduct hearings with the requirements established by provisions of Wolf v, McDonnell, United State Supreme Court decision, and Avant v, Clifford, New Jersey Supreme Court decision, and subsequent decisions. Ability to comprehend, analyze, interpret, and apply the provisions of the New Jersey Revised Statutes concerning institutional infractions, United State Supreme Court decision Wolff v McDonnell, New Jersey Supreme Court decision, Avant v, Clifford, and departmental rules, regulations, and standards. Ability to analyze hearings procedural problems and make appropriate recommendations or decisions. Ability to preside personally at formal individual hearings and made sound decisions as required with respect to disciplinary matters. Ability to prepare correspondence. Ability to prepare clear, technically sound, and accurate reports of hearings and related matters containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Ability to maintain reports, records and files. Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by thy 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.
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 must meet one of the following or a combination of both experience and education. Thirty (30) semester hour credits are equal to one (1) year of relevant experience. Eight (8) years of professional administrative or custody experience, at the level of Lieutenant or above, in a correctional facility or, professional experience in social work, counseling, parole or education in a correctional facility or, professional experience hearing disciplinary appeals or grievance matters. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; and four (4) years of the above-mentioned professional experience. "Professional experience" refers to work that is creative, analytical, evaluative, and interpretive; requires a range and depth of specialized knowledge of the profession's principles, concepts, theories, and practices; and is performed with the authority to act according to one's own judgment and make accurate and informed decisions.