State of Maryland

The Pretrial Release Investigator Trainee is the entry level of pretrial release investigative work for the Division of Pretrial Detention and Services (DPDS), Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, serving Baltimore City.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a Pretrial Release Investigations Supervisor or other designated supervisor.  Employees in this classification will be assigned to one of three shifts in order to maintain 24 hour coverage and may be required to work on weekends and holidays.  Employees are assigned to work sites at police districts and jails.  The work may require travel to various police districts to assist other investigators during peak work periods.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Pretrial Release Investigator Trainee, Pretrial Release Investigator I and Pretrial Release Investigator II are differentiated on the basis of the degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Pretrial Release Investigator Trainee learns to perform duties under close supervision.  The Pretrial Release Investigator I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Pretrial Release Investigator II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision. 

Interviews arrested persons in district police station lockups or jail in order to obtain pertinent pretrial release information;

Reviews charging documents and Commissioner’s Initial Appearance Forms;

Investigates and verifies background information obtained from arrested persons;

Prepares complete and accurate investigation reports and applies risk assessment criteria in order to make recommendations for pretrial release eligibility and classification level of supervision and conditions pending trial;

Attends bail review hearings in order to provide information and to assist the commissioners, judges and arrested persons;

Testifies in court proceedings concerning pretrial release investigations;

Instructs arrested persons concerning the required conditions for release;

Maintains records of pending investigations and investigated cases;

Tracks each case to determine the arrested person’s compliance with release conditions;

Conducts criminal record checks on defendants for judges and court commissioners;

Assists investigators at other police districts during peak work periods;

May supervise defendants on conditional bail release;

Performs other related duties.

Ability to learn rules, regulations, procedures and policies applicable to the State pretrial release program and criminal justice system;

Ability to learn law enforcement, criminal law and criminal court practices and procedures;

Ability to learn investigative methods;

Ability to learn interviewing techniques;

Ability to learn to prepare complete and accurate investigative reports;

Ability to learn to apply risk assessment criteria;

Ability to learn to testify as a witness in court proceedings;

Ability to communicate effectively with defendants, court and protective service personnel, social service agency personnel and the general public.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: None.

Note: Candidates may substitute additional investigative experience in law enforcement, court services, parole and probation or pretrial release work on a year-to-year basis for the required education.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit C- Regulatory, Inspection and Licensure classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial, and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining. Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.