State of Maryland

A Pretrial Release Case Agent is the full performance level of work monitoring the activities of defendants awaiting adjudication in criminal proceedings to ensure compliance with pretrial release conditions ordered by the court. Employees in this classification do not supervise.

Employees receive general supervision from an administrator in the Pretrial Detention and Services Division (DPDS) in the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Employees may be required to work weekends and holidays. The work is conducted at various locations to include detention facilities, court rooms, law enforcement agencies, private residences, places of employment and health care treatment facilities.

Positions in this classification are evaluated 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 a class specification.

Monitors the activities of defendants awaiting adjudication in criminal proceedings to ensure compliance with pretrial release conditions ordered by the court;

Conducts intake conferences with defendants to verify the case file information and explain pretrial release conditions and consequences of non-compliance;

Contacts defendants by telephone and visits defendants at their residences or places of employment to confirm defendants' conduct is in accordance with the pretrial release conditions;

Contacts public and private service agencies such as drug/alcohol rehabilitation programs and educational or employment training programs to confirm that the defendant is participating in the program;

Reviews the case file, completes verification of information, and resolves factual discrepancies and errors of omission;

Reviews the defendant's risk assessment profile prepared by the pretrial release investigator to determine appropriateness of pretrial release recommendations for eligibility, classification level of supervision and conditions;

Contacts witnesses and victims of the crime for which the defendant is charged to ascertain whether they have been harassed or threatened;

Keeps abreast of community resources in order to match the individual needs of defendants such as drug/alcohol problems or physical abuse problems and develop and recommend alternative or additional conditions of pretrial release;

Requests supervisory override to transfer the defendant to regular release or to change the defendant's classification level of supervision due to an error in the case file information and initial risk assessment profile or due to the defendant's non-compliance with pretrial release conditions;

Drafts DPDS rescind orders for non-compliance cases for supervisory approval;

Prepares and maintains case progress reports and statistics of case activities;

Testifies in court proceedings concerning defendants' compliance to pretrial release conditions;

May monitor the activities of first time offenders charged with non-violent misdemeanors to ensure compliance with diversion program requirements;

May prepare written recommendations for the disposition of diversion cases such as dismissal of charges, postponement of trial or proceed with prosecution;

May verify outstanding warrants and recommend the recall of warrants on defendants unable to surrender;

May locate defendants that failed to appear for trial and attempt to persuade the defendant to surrender or notify law enforcement officials of the defendant's whereabouts;

May prepare recommendations on the acceptability of defendants' reasons for failing to appear for trial and testify in court proceedings concerning recommendations;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of rules, regulations, procedures and policies applicable to the State pretrial release program;

Knowledge of criminal law and criminal court practices and procedures;

Knowledge of interviewing techniques;

Knowledge of services offered by public and private agencies in the areas of substance abuse, physical abuse and educational and vocational training;

Skill in obtaining and recording factual information and analyzing the data gathered;

Skill in the application of pretrial release risk assessment criteria;

Skill in recognizing signs of alcohol, drug and physical abuse;

Skill in communicating effectively with defendants, courtroom personnel, attorneys, law enforcement officials and staff from public and private service agencies;

Skill in testifying in court proceedings;

Ability to review pretrial release investigative reports and risk assessment profiles and determine the appropriateness of pretrial release conditions;

Ability to apply pretrial release case management techniques;

Ability to prepare and maintain complete and accurate case reports;

Ability to maintain confidentiality of case material.

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

Experience: One year conducting pretrial release investigations which includes determining eligibility for pretrial release and recommending conditions of pretrial release to the court.

Note:

1.  Additional experience conducting investigations which requires obtaining and analyzing factual information and writing narrative reports of findings may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

2.  Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in special investigations or military police classifications or specialty codes in the criminal justice field of work at the rate of two years of military experience for one year of experience.