State of Maryland

An Institutional Parole Associate I is the entry level of work preparing cases for parole hearings at the Maryland Parole Commission, Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.  Employees in this classification may provide guidance and direction to clerical staff but do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from an Institutional Parole Associate Supervisor or other designated supervisor.  The nature of the work may require evening, holiday and weekend hours.  Positions in these classifications are assigned to the correctional institutions.

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 Institutional Parole Associate I and the Institutional Parole Associate II are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees. The Institutional Parole Associate I performs the duties under close supervision.  The Institutional Parole Associate II performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.

Interviews inmates and issues notification of parole procedures;

Reviews file with inmates to screen files and remove confidential and privileged information;

Certifies decisions, appeals, holds and revocations by reviewing with the inmate and securing the inmate's signature;

Sends home and employment plans for all approved paroles to Division of Parole and Probation field offices for verification;

Witnesses and signs Parole Release Orders and informs inmates of reporting instructions and special conditions;

Commutes to the Maryland Parole Commission Headquarters to transport files, release orders and other parole information;

Answers inmates' letters and requests for information regarding parole procedures;

Answers requests from counselors and provides other information concerning hearings;

Uses OBSICS computer for inquiry for Miles Message Switching and PARIS, which is the Commission’s inquiry screen;

Logs certification of decisions on PARIS screen;

Visits inmates on tiers, in lock-up, segregation, and medical areas to conduct parole interviews and review files;

Prepares statistical reports to document the workload of the office;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of interviewing techniques;

Ability to interview inmates to explain information and gather facts;

Ability to deal with persons with anti-social behavior;

Ability to explain case file information, terms of parole and other regulations clearly;

Ability to compile complete and accurate case files for parole hearings;

Ability to exercise initiative in emergency situations;

Ability to plan work in order to complete assignments on time;

Ability to treat personal information discreetly and confidentially.

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

Experience: Three years work experience involving public contact.

Note: Candidates may substitute education at an accredited college or university at a rate of thirty credit hours for each year of experience for the required experience.

1. Employees in this classification may be required to have access to a motor vehicle. Standard mileage will be paid.

2. Employees in this classification may be required to work at other institutions whenever workload levels warrant reassignment.

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 of 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 D, Health and Human Service Nonprofessionals classes.  As provided by the 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 levels 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 in 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.