Pretrial Officer

About the role

Justice Services supports and improves the functions of the justice system by providing innovative, integrative, and cost-effective services and alternative sentencing. This work promotes public safety, increases self-sufficiency, and provides the justice system with alternatives to incarceration. The Justice Services Department provides alternatives within the justice system functions that: reduce the cost of those functions, improve public safety and the quality of life for citizens, and provide opportunities for individuals entering the justice system to demonstrate potential as contributing members of society.

The Pretrial Officer conducts professional investigations work in a jail setting in support of the Pretrial Services Unit for the Justice Services Department. Work involves conducting interviews and investigations into adult detainees' backgrounds and criminal histories, making pretrial release and bond recommendations to Courts and performing a variety of related tasks.

Responsibilities

• Organize, facilitate and attend detainees' first court appearance.
• Provide oral input based on expertise and observations, as appropriate.
• Inform detainees of hearing process.
• Document and report all outcomes for courts, Pretrial Services Case Management, District Attorney, and Sheriff.
• Review and serve mandatory protection orders to detainees.
• Compile and verify information, citing all contacts, and prepare detailed reports of detainees' status.
• Obtain and record detainees' place of residence, family ties, employment and financial income, prior criminal convictions, status of any pending cases/sentences, drug, alcohol and or mental health concerns, and amend files to reflect changes as appropriate.
• Furnish this information to the Duty Division Judge and other relevant court officials.
• Track all detainees booked into jail through query of Jefferson County Sheriff electronic records system.
• Individually interview and investigate adults booked into the Jefferson County Jail to determine their pretrial release suitability, likelihood of committing new criminal offenses and/or likelihood of appearance to all future court hearings.
• Collect all original affidavits and/or summonses and other legal documents supplied by the arresting law enforcement officers and jail personnel to determine details of alleged offense(s) committed by detainees and provide originals to the state court and copies to various judicial officers/agencies.
• Use complex computerized data entry equipment and various word processing, spreadsheet and/or file maintenance programs to enter, store and/or retrieve information.
• Use county, judicial, state and national law enforcement databases to obtain criminal history information about detainees.
• Summarize data in standardized reports for various judicial officials.
• Analyze defendants' criminal history to determine their risk.
• Notify and/or inform a variety of agencies and individuals regarding detainees' status, to include the Sheriff's Department, probation/parole officers, police, victims, defendants' families, other pretrial services agencies and other judicial jurisdictions.
• Respond to inquiries made of agencies on the status of detainees and their bond conditions.
• Review status of