TEST ANNOUNCEMENT

NUMBER  2008-134

ISSUED   JULY 1, 2009

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

State Civil Service Commission

Examinations

for

CORRECTIONS ACTIVITIES SPECIALISTS AND MANAGERS

Exam No.	Job Titles		Job Codes	Pay Schedule and Range
1.		Corrections Activities Specialist	42800	EDOA*
2.		Corrections Activities Manager 1	42810	MA07*
3.		Corrections Activities Manager 2	42820	MA08**

  * Salary is based on a 40 hour work week

** Salary is based on a 37.5 hour week

(Contact Department of Corrections Human Resources at (717) 975-4901 for most recent salary information.)

When completing your application, please make sure you apply for all job titles for which you want to be tested.  You will NOT be permitted to add job titles after you test.

APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

VETERANS:  Pennsylvania law (51 Pa.C.S. §7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs.  To learn more about employment preferences and opportunities for veterans, visit the Commission’s website www.scsc.state.pa.us; visit one of our offices; or call our veterans information line, (717) 787-6039.

NATURE OF WORK

As a Corrections Activities Specialist, you will develop, schedule, coordinate, and conduct structured leisure-time activities for inmates in State Correctional Institutions.  You may also participate in planning, organizing, and evaluating recreational programs, supervising inmate work crews, developing and presenting information to inmates in group settings on such topics as wellness and life skills, and working with volunteer sponsored recreational activities.

As a Corrections Activities Manager 1 or 2, you will plan, organize, direct and coordinate leisure time activities for inmates in State Correctional Institutions.  You will also assess inmate activities programs, and participate in the development of leisure-time policy to ensure it complies with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections’ security regulations.  Supervision is exercised over Specialists, other professional staff, inmates and volunteer workers.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

You will be tested before your qualifications are reviewed.  Your test results will count only if you meet all job requirements.  If after reading the requirements you are not sure you qualify, contact one of the Commission’s offices listed at the end of this announcement.

You must be a Pennsylvania resident, of good moral character and able to perform the essential functions of the job.

You must pass a background investigation.  After you receive a conditional offer of employment, you must undergo a medical examination.

After being hired, you must attend and complete a 3-week basic training program at the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections’ Central Training Academy in Elizabethtown, Lancaster County.

If you currently are an employee of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, you need not repeat training that you already have completed successfully.

Minimum Requirements

Corrections Activities Specialist – A bachelor’s degree with major course work in recreation and physical education; OR an equivalent combination of experience and training.

Corrections Activities Manager 1 – One year of experience as a Corrections Activities Specialist; OR two years of experience in developing and conducting a variety of recreational activities, including one year in corrections and one year of supervisory or lead work experience, and a bachelor’s degree with major course work in recreation and physical education; OR an equivalent combination of experience and training.

Corrections Activities Manager 2 – Two years of experience as a Corrections Activities Specialist OR one year as a Corrections Activities Manager 1; OR three years of experience in developing and conducting a variety of recreational activities, including one year in corrections and one year of supervisory experience, and a bachelor’s degree, with major course work in recreation and physical education; OR an equivalent combination of experience and training.

Clarification of Requirements

You may substitute related education for the required experience or appropriate experience for the required education.  Unrelated experience or education will not be accepted.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

There are currently 114 filled Corrections Activities Specialist positions, 16 filled Corrections Activities Manager 1 positions, and 18 filled Corrections Activities Manager 2 positions.

Positions are located in State Correctional Institutions and facilities throughout the Commonwealth.  For a complete listing of institutions, refer to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections website at www.cor.state.pa.us and choose “Institutions” from the menu.

Approximately 10 appointments and promotions from lists are made annually.

Additional opportunities may occur due to normal turnover from retirements, promotions, transfers, resignations and so forth.

Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Bureau of Human Resources, 1920 Technology Parkway, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17050; Telephone:  (717) 728-5357; Internet:  www.cor.state.pa.us; Email:  ra-docjobs@pa.gov OR the Human Resources Office of the State Correctional Institution/Facility where you are interested in working.

Lists created by these tests will be used to fill future vacancies as they occur due to retirements, promotions, transfers, resignations and so forth. 

TESTING

The test will be administered on a computer.  Information about computerized testing is available online at www.scsc.state.pa.us OR in paper form at any Pennsylvania State Civil Service Commission office.  You will have a maximum of 2 hours to complete the test.

The test will cover the following subject areas:

Subject Area	Number of Questions
	Specialists 42800	Mgrs. 42810 & 42820
Recreation	25	25
Therapeutic Services	10	10
Effective Working Relationships	10	10
Effective Writing	15	15
Interpersonal Communication	20	20
Supervising Staff  (Mgr. only)		35
TOTAL	80	115

If you take the test and want to take it again, you may be retested after 6 months from the date of your test.  You must submit a new application to be retested.

These lists will replace any previous lists.

This test and scoring procedure is different from previous tests for these job titles.  If you have taken the test before, you may get a different score on this test.

TEST RESULTS

Employment and promotion lists will be established.  You will be notified in writing of your test results.  These lists will replace any previous lists.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply online at www.scsc.state.pa.us or submit your completed paper application to:

State Civil Service Commission

ATTN:  Applications

P.O. Box 569

Harrisburg, PA  17108-0569

Applications and further information can be obtained from:

1.	State Civil Service Commission:
	Harrisburg:  2nd Level, Strawberry Sq. Complex, 320 Market St.,
	P.O. Box 569, Hbg., 17108-0569; Telephone (Voice)
	(717) 783-3058, Text Telephone (Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing
	callers only) (717) 772-2685
	Philadelphia:  110 North 8th St., Suite 503, Phila., 19107;
	Telephone (Voice) (215) 560-2253, Text Telephone (Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing callers only) (215) 560-4367
	Pittsburgh:  411 Seventh Ave., Room 410, Pgh., 15219;
	Telephone (Voice) (412) 565-7666, Text Telephone
	(Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing callers only) (412) 565-2484
	Internet:  www.scsc.state.pa.us
2.	PA CareerLink offices
3.	The Human Resources offices listed under the "JOB OPPORTUNITIES"
	section of this announcement

For further information on testing, assistance for persons with disabilities, veterans' preference and other items, refer to the instructions provided with the "Application for Employment/Promotion."