CLASSIFICATION OFFICER 3, DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Career Family: CLASSIFICATION OFFICER
Classification Officer 3, Department of Corrections is a competitive state title, the kind you test for: the exam result, not a hiring manager's pick, decides where you land in line.
You can qualify with a bachelor's degree or, if you do not have one, by piling up more experience instead. Pay on the FY 2027 schedule runs $87,507 to $128,719.
How to apply
This title is filled by competitive examination.
See every real route in, and where to apply. We don't track live vacancies.
See where to apply for this title →Pay ladder: Classification Officer series
- Classification Officer 1 — $63,663 – $92,953
- Classification Officer 2 — $72,896 – $106,798
- Classification Officer 3 — $83,582 – $122,832
Its top salary lands around the 75th percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.
Rungs are ordered by FY 2027 pay. NJ level numbers are not always sequential, so ordering follows salary rather than the title number.
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 the direction of a Supervising Classification Officer or other higher-level supervisory official in the Department of Corrections, supervises a team/group composed of professional/technical staff in the application of appropriate state and federal laws and department regulations governing the level of security, status, transfer, and involuntary commitment of inmates; supervises activities involved in classifying inmates using the Objective Classification System, coordinating inmate records, checking inmate progress, calculating sentence expirations, and preparing materials for use by the Bureau of Parole, State Parole Board, and other committees; supervises staff and work activities; prepares and signs official performance evaluations for subordinate staff; does other related duties as required.
Examples of work
Supervises the work operations and/or functional programs and has responsibility for effectively recommending the hiring, firing, promoting, demoting and/or disciplining of employees. Provides assignments and instructions to professional/technical staff and supervises the performance of their work. Instructs staff in policy and procedure. Supervises the organization of relevant information concerning inmate histories to be presented at weekly meetings of the Institutional Classification Committee, including reports received from educational, custodial, psychological, psychiatric, social service, and other staff members. Acts as secretary to the Institutional Classification Committee. Provides recommendations to the Institutional Classification Committee regarding rehabilitation, institutional transfers, level of security required, psychotherapy and/or guidance, vocational training, and housing arrangements based on an evaluation of data assembled on the individual inmate. Supervises a systematic program of orientation for all new inmates. Ensures that an appropriate, complete, and accurate system of inmate records is maintained. Supervises the facilitation of regular and systematic classification reviews of inmates in accordance with established procedures. Supervises a program of prerelease training designed for satisfactory reintegration of inmates. Provides instructions to subordinates and reviews their work. Presents inmate histories and other materials to the Institutional Classification Committee and/or Parole Authority. Prepares the Objective Classification System scoring instrument and reviews those prepared by subordinate classification officers. Reads and interprets criminal history reports and other law enforcement summaries to apply objective classification scoring criteria. Supervises the application of appropriate state and federal laws and department regulations governing the level of security, status, transfer, and involuntary commitment of inmates. Reviews the recommended referrals for involuntary commitments of sex offenders. Prepares and presents data for submission to the State Parole Board regarding inmates to be recommended for discharge from parole. Prepares case material required by the State Parole Board, Governor's Office, courts, and other authorized agencies. Confers with a member of administration on classification records, summaries, progress reports, reclassifications, parole cases, and parole violators. Supervises the arrangements for release of individuals scheduled for parole and discharge; ensures that warrants filed against inmates have been cleared prior to release. Maintains liaison between interdepartmental institutions, State Parole Board, and central office. Prepares and/or supervises the preparation of correspondence. Interviews inmates on matters pertaining to classification and/or records and explains the department classification process. Prepares and/or supervises the preparation of clear, sound, accurate, and informative case histories and other reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Supervises the establishment and maintenance of essential records and files. Will be required to learn how 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 the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of correction and parole methods and practices. Knowledge of the structure and operations of correction and parole systems. Knowledge of research and interviewing techniques. Knowledge of the Objective Classification System and scoring criteria. Ability to read, interpret, and apply federal and state laws and regulations, policies, and procedures of the department regarding the level of security, rehabilitation, status, transfer, release, and parole of inmates. Ability to organize and present material before pre-parole and classification committees, and to prepare recommendations for their use. Ability to organize activities of the classification unit in a penal or correctional institution. Ability to interview inmates, compile materials, and prepare accurate and complete classification records, summaries, and social histories of inmates. Ability to review assembled data pertaining to individual inmates and prescribe a recommended program of orientation and rehabilitation. Ability to plan and carry out systematic reviews of the classification status of inmates. Ability to plan and carry out programs of prerelease, pre-parole, and other training for inmates. Ability to provide instructions to subordinates and review their work. Ability to supervise the activities involved in classifying inmates. Ability to train professional and entry-level staff in classification procedures and policy. Ability to supervise institutional activities of professional and technical staff. Ability to supervise assigned staff and plan, organize, and implement projects within the unit. Ability to provide information in written and oral format to appropriate boards and committees to facilitate their decision-making process. Ability to prepare and/or supervise the preparation of correspondence. Ability to prepare case records, summaries, histories, and other reports containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations. Ability to supervise the establishment and maintenance of essential records and files. Ability to learn how 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, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform 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 if they can perform the 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 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 experience in program delivery or development in providing education, rehabilitative, or social services for persons with emotional, social or behavioral problems, or experience in the review of records and classification of inmates which shall have included providing recommendations for vocational and other rehabilitation programs, and/or probation or parole work with inmates of a penal or correctional facility, including or supplemented by twenty-four (24) semester hour credits in a combination of any of the following areas: criminal justice, legal research, law, sociology, psychology, or other related areas of the behavioral or social sciences. OR Possession of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, including or supplemented by twenty-four (24) semester hour credits in a combination of any of the following areas: criminal justice, legal research, law, sociology, psychology, or other related areas of the behavioral or social sciences; 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.