Job Description

Requisition No: 860278 

Agency: Department of Corrections

Working Title: Victim Services Advocate

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 70012168 

Salary: $39,321.10 Minimum Hiring Rate 

Posting Closing Date: 09/21/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator 

We Never Walk Alone

WORKING TITLE: Victim Services Advocate

This open competitive advertisement is for a Career Service position located at Central Office in the Victim Services Unit.

The mission of the Office of Victim Assistance at the Florida Department of Corrections is to provide support, information, and advocacy for victims of crime. This includes ensuring that victims are informed about the status of offenders, their rights, and available resources. The office is dedicated to offering compassionate assistance, helping victims navigate the criminal justice system, and promoting their safety and well-being. By prioritizing the needs and concerns of victims, the Office of Victim Assistance aims to contribute to the overall mission of the department in maintaining public safety and fostering a sense of justice and healing for those affected by crime.

This position is not a telework position and is required to report to the FDC office in the area it serves.

JOB DUTIES:

While maintaining victim confidentiality, upholding victims’ rights, and using victim-centered and trauma informed care language, this position will:

• Provide Timely and Informative Notifications:  Assist in delivering timely notifications to victims and law enforcement for scheduled and unscheduled releases, inmate deaths, escapes, release errors, and early release programs, following Florida Department of Corrections’ rules and regulations.
• Maintain Victim Contact Information:  Swiftly and accurately obtain, enter, and update validated victim contact information to ensure seamless communication and support.
• Respond to Inquiries:  Independently review, research, and respond to communication requests from victims, criminal justice agencies, and other stakeholders in a trauma-informed and victim-centered manner, addressing victim services, inmate management, and safety planning.
• Guide and Advocate for Victims:  Gently guide victims through post-conviction processes, advocate for their needs, and support their participation in all steps.
• Liaison: Serve as a compassionate liaison between victims and departmental staff, addressing all concerns, issues, inquiries, and needs with empathy and dedication.
• Promote and Maintain VINE Service:  Actively promote the Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) service, maintain victim information in VINE, and ensure preferred notification methods are registered and updated.
• Actively Engage in Training: Seek out and participate in training regarding VINE, Victim Services, FDC Policy and Procedures and database management while maintaining required certifications and designations.
• Assist in Policy. Procedure and Workflow Development and Improvement: Pro-actively collaborate in the creation, review, and maintenance of policies, procedures, and workflows focused on victim-centered approaches. Assist with dynamic training sessions for FDC staff, criminal justice personnel, victim advocates, and others on best practices.
• Foster a Supportive Work Environment: Enthusiastically provide assistance and support to fellow staff members as needed, fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment.

BENEFITS:

• Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
• Comprehensive health insurance and life insurance with accidental death and dismemberment benefits.
• Supplemental Dental, Vision, Life, Disability and Hospitalization insurance.
• Tuition-Free college courses.
• Retirement Plans with the Florida Retirement System:

• • Pension Plan (Traditional Retirement Pension Plan)
  • Investment Plan (401(K)-Type Retirement Plan)
  • Deferred Retirement Option Program (Drop)
  • Deferred Compensation
  • Recently Retired? Beginning July 1, 2024, there is no longer a reemployment limitation; beginning with the 7th calendar month from the member's distribution date, there are no restrictions on working for an FRS employer. You will not be required to repay any prior distributions, and you may continue receiving distributions from the Investment Plan or Pension Plan without interruption.

REQUIREMENTS:

Please note, when submitting a college/university degree, if selected for this position official transcripts will be required.

• Four (4) years of corrections experience in auditing, coding, and verifying inmate sentence data, counseling, probation and parole, rehabilitative services or corrections administrative experience. Postsecondary education can substitute on a year-for-year basis for the required experience
• Professional experience in a position providing direct services or advocacy for crime victims. Master’s degree with a major course of study in criminal justice or one of the social or behavioral sciences can substitute on a year for year basis of the required experience.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, criminology, or a closely related field.

Support of knowledge, skills, and abilities should be demonstrated on the application, in the education, in the work experience, in the work sample, in the interview and/or during reference checks.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

BACKGROUND SCREENING REQUIREMENT

The Florida Department of Corrections requires all job applicants and volunteers to pass a Level 2 background check as per Chapter 435, Florida Statutes. This check must be completed before they can start working or volunteering.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY

The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) only hires U.S. citizens and those authorized to work in the U.S. FDC uses E-Verify to confirm an employee’s eligibility to work after completing the I-9 form. For online application issues, call the People First Service Center at 1-877-562-7287. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE. Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here . All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement. 

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