Release Assistance Officer

Initial Posting Date:

Application Deadline:

Agency:

Salary Range:

Position Type:

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Job Description:

Interviews: will be scheduled within two weeks after the application deadline.

Who We Are

Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) serves the public, and the people we serve may be facing challenging life circumstances, high levels of stress, or confusion about their next steps. The work you will do in this role affects members of our community who come to the court to have their cases resolved. We need people who want to impact their communities, value OJD’s efforts to remove barriers to access justice services, and welcome interacting with the public.

We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive team and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. We consider relevant work, lived experience, and education, plus any transferable skills and abilities that may meet our qualifications or the skills and attributes we need for this position. We welcome all candidates who are inspired by .

Benefits to You:

Position Highlights

The in Bend, Oregon, is hiring a Release Assistance Officer to join our team in the Pretrial Services unit.

In this role, you will determine defendants’ eligibility for court-appointed counsel and options for pretrial release by applying state laws, Chief Justice orders, and Presiding Judge orders and using risk assessment tools. You will determine who, upon release, is most likely to appear in court, is unlikely to commit new offenses, and does not pose a threat to the community or themselves. You will also monitor conditions of release and determine whether those conditions are being met.

Your work will focus on interviewing defendants being held in custody, pre-arraignment, as well as victims and other interested parties for purposes of determining risk and recommending release decisions. As part of the pretrial process, you will use internal law enforcement, jail, and court case management systems to research and complete risk assessments and determine release eligibility, then communicate that to the judge and attorneys through release recommendation reports. You will occasionally attend court to testify about recommendations for release, revocations of release, and other matters as needed.

Additionally, you will perform clerical and computer work, prepare new files, review court orders, and answer questions from judges, court staff, law enforcement, community partners, and the public about pretrial release or court-appointed counsel. Part of your time will be spent providing coverage for the Applications and Contributions Clerk, which involves collecting and reviewing court-appointed attorney applications from in-custody defendants who are set for same-day arraignment and appointing their counsel.

Assigned tasks may be changed to accommodate workload and organizational needs.

Instructions for Cover Letter and Work History/Resume

Your cover letter and work history/resume should demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications, the Special Qualifications, and the Requested Skills and Attributes, which are listed below.

Cover Letter

Work History/Resume

Failure to follow these instructions may result in rejection of your application. All application materials will be evaluated for consistency of information, and your letter will be evaluated for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and language use in addition to demonstrated experience.

The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. on the date listed above.

Minimum Qualifications

(These must be evident in your work history or resume.)

The qualified candidate must have a bachelor’s degree in business or public administration, behavioral or social/human services, or a closely related field.

OR

Four (4) years of experience in criminal justice or a court environment.

OR

Any combination of equivalent to four (4) years of experience that typically supports the knowledge, skills, and abilities for the position.

Special Qualifications

(These must be verifiable.)

The qualified candidate must have Law Enforcement Data Systems (LEDS) certification or have the ability to obtain certification within six (6) months of hire. Eligibility requirements for obtaining LEDS certification are available .

Requested Skills and Attributes

(These must be addressed in your cover letter.)

Working Conditions

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Criminal Background Check
Finalists for this position will be subject to an Oregon Judicial Department criminal history check and an extensive background investigation through the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. The background investigation includes some of the following general areas (however, this list is not all inclusive): personal/relative interviews, employment history dating back 10 years to include interviews with previous supervisors and coworkers, residence history for the past 10 years to include landlord, neighbor, and roommate interviews, and law enforcement/military/financial/legal/DMV/social media review. The successful candidate must meet all applicable background and criminal history checks and be of good moral character. Moral character is defined as possessing the attributes of empathy, courage, fortitude, honesty, loyalty, and additional virtues deemed to be morally good.

Adverse results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may result in disqualification if the circumstances are directly related to the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Reference Checks

By submitting your application to OJD, you consent to reference checks about your qualifications, your workplace performance, and your work product.

United States Employment Eligibility
OJD does not offer visa sponsorships. Within three days of hire, you will be required to complete the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s confirming authorization to work in the United States. OJD will use E-Verify to confirm that you are authorized to work in the United States.

Future Vacancies
Apply now if you are interested in this or future vacancies. This job announcement may be used to fill future vacancies in this class of work.

Veterans’ Preference
Eligible veterans who meet the qualifications will be given preference in the recruitment process. To receive preference, veterans must attach the appropriate documentation after they receive an email in their Workday inbox requesting the information to verify eligibility. The action item, asking veterans to attach their documentation, will arrive after they have submitted their initial application materials. Visit the Oregon job opportunities for additional details, information, and resources.

Conduct Expectations
Because of OJD's role in providing justice and upholding the rule of law, employees of the department are required to meet the highest standards of professional conduct and ethics while on the job, and also to maintain those same high standards when taking actions in their personal lives that could reflect on the department. As an employee, you will be expected to preserve the confidentiality of information received in the course of OJD employment.

Pay Equity
As an employer, OJD complies with Oregon’s pay equity law. In this job profile, we offer candidates new to OJD the first step of the salary range. For more information on pay equity, .

Employee Benefits
to access information specific to OJD employee benefits.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

OJD is an eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. To learn more about this program, and how to qualify, please .

Questions and Support

The Oregon Judicial Department embraces equal opportunity and affirmative action. We are committed to building a diverse team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.