State of Maryland

A Correctional Hearing Officer Supervisor is the supervisory level of work scheduling and conducting inmate disciplinary hearings in adult correctional institutions.  Employees in this classification supervise positions that adjudicate inmate disciplinary hearings involving major infractions and violations of the rules and regulations of the Division of Correction.  Employees in this classification supervise lower-level Correctional Hearing Officers.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from the Director of Operational Services or other designated administrative official.  Employees in this classification may be assigned to day, evening, night or rotating shifts which may include holidays and weekends.

Positions in this classification are evaluated using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing 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 Correctional Hearing Officer Supervisor is differentiated from the Correctional Hearing Officer II in that the Correctional Hearing Officer Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Correctional Hearing Officers while the Correctional Hearing Officer II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Plans, coordinates, supervises and evaluates the work of lower-level Correctional Hearing Officers;

Trains lower-level Correctional Hearing Officers;

Reviews the reports and recommendations of subordinate staff;

Maintains case management statistics of all inmate disciplinary hearing officers;

Acts as liaison between State agencies and federal and State courts and the Division of Correction to advise institutional officials on Division of Correction rules/regulations relating to inmate incident reports and hearings;

Defends determinations as management representative in appeals taken to the Office of Administrative Hearings;

Schedules and conducts inmate disciplinary hearings at assigned adult correctional institutions;

Reviews facts to determine guilt or innocence of inmate charged with one or more infractions and apply the appropriate penalties based on evidence and testimony presented in accordance with the Division of Correction Regulations (DCRs), other applicable rules, regulations and guidelines and case precedents;

Determines disciplinary actions that affect inmates privileges, length of sentences and levels of security classifications;

Reviews incident reports of inmate infractions before hearings;

Advises institutional officials of the Division of Correction Regulations relating to inmates incident reports and hearings;

Ensures inmates are provided with due process as required by State regulations and applicable local, federal and State court orders;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the purpose, activities and responsibilities of the Division of Correction;

Knowledge of trends in corrections and rehabilitation of criminal offenders;

Knowledge of inmate rights and laws;

Skill in analyzing facts presented in disciplinary reports and testimony to reach sound, reasonable conclusions;

Ability to interpret, apply and explain Division of Correction rules and regulations, as well as local, State and federal court rulings and Inmate Grievance Commission opinions to the inmate disciplinary process;

Ability to understand inmate base files and extract pertinent facts from the case records;

Ability to present clear and concise recommendations;

Ability to make independent and fair judgment under stressful conditions;

Ability to plan, coordinate, supervise and evaluate the work of Correctional Hearing Officers;

Ability to establish and maintain satisfactory working relationships with staff and representatives of other agencies.

Experience: Seven years of experience, three years of experience scheduling and conducting inmate disciplinary hearings in a correctional setting and four years of additional experience counseling or supervising adult inmates in a correctional setting.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and three years of experience scheduling and conducting inmate disciplinary hearings in a correctional setting for the required experience.

2.  Candidates may substitute six years of experience counseling, supervising adult inmates in a correctional setting involving inmate compliance with institutional rules and regulations or three years of experience conducting compliance investigations or evidential hearings in a correctional setting for the required three years of experience scheduling and conducting inmate disciplinary hearings in a correctional setting.

3. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience in correctional institutional specialty codes in the criminal justice field of work at a rate of two years of military experience for the required experience.

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 not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.