There is an excellent step-by-step guide that will teach and show you how to become a juvenile probation officer. The education requirements have already been researched for you. The following information provided will explain the training information along with the experience that is required for a career in probation.
In This Article
The Duties
The role of a probation officer is to ensure that the adult or the juvenile offender is meeting all the conditions that have been stipulated by the court. The stipulations have to be set in lieu of incarceration. a juvenile probation officer will also monitor those who have been released from any jail. It is the role of a probation officer to make it possible for the individual to transition back in civilian life. The role and duty do include conducting interviews and providing employment help and assistance. If there are any rehabilitative services available or required it is the duty of the probation officer to assist and locate the services.
Employment
A juvenile probation officer is employed by a state or local government. This is a position that does offer a good deal of job security. There are many good benefits that come with this career. A parole officer will work with a large variety of parolees. There is an amount of risk that is involved in this career choice. There is a high risk especially when a parolee has filed and must be brought back to the system.
Job Conditions
There are some requirements and conditions that must be fulfilled in order to become a juvenile probation officer. There are educational conditions that must be met. There must also be some relevant experience that must be gained. This includes:
- Counseling
- Completing the state-mandated training program
These conditions will vary by each agency and by the state requirements. The education requirements include:
- Bachelor’s degree
- Criminal justice, social work
- Related work in probation, social work, corrections, or comparable discipline
- Critical-thinking, communication, sound judgments, and organization
- Some states do require a continuous education
The Age Range
Every state has a variation in regards to the age range that a juvenile probation officer will stay within. The BLS claims that most states do have the requirement that the candidates are to be of the age of 21 or older. 37 is the usual age cut-off. The other item is that a candidate must pass a criminal background check. This is checked for any felony convictions. There is also a test for any possible drug use that must be passed too.
Areas of Study
It is a good idea to obtain a bachelor’s or a master’s degree for the position of a juvenile probation officer. A good major to obtain would be in criminal justice. The other areas would include the following:
- Psychology
- Social work
- Counseling
The other areas that would prove beneficial to study are:
- Personality psychology
- Criminal law
- Social problems
The idea of obtaining an internship will also prove to be valuable in this pursuit.
See also: Correctional Officer Job Description
Programs for Training
There are government-sponsored training programs that are available once the other job requirements have been met. There may be a certification test that is available. There may be additional training in firearms. This can even be considered as continuing education. There are many additional programs that offer good training for juvenile probation officers.
