The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) hires probation and parole officers (called parole and probation agents in Maryland) within Anne Arundel County.
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Two field offices for parole and probation are housed in the county: one in Annapolis, the state’s capital, and one in Glen Burnie. Anne Arundel County parole and probation agent jobs are found within these two locations, although the job often involves travel to other places within the jurisdiction.
Essential Education to Become a Parole and Probation Agent in Anne Arundel County
Bachelor’s degree students who are 21 or older and interested in becoming a parole and probation agent in Anne Arundel County should take at least 30 hours of coursework in related and applicable disciplines. These include social services, behavioral services and correctional services.
Although a bachelor’s degree is the minimum educational requirement, Experience is not required for parole and probation agent jobs in Anne Arundel County.
Applying to Become a Parole and Probation Agent in Anne Arundel County
Whenever parole and probation agent jobs in Anne Arundel County are open, they are advertised on the State of Maryland Job Openings website . Interested candidates must apply online for these jobs.
The next step in the application process is to take, and pass, the Maryland Parole and Probation Agent Exam. Once passed, names of successful candidates are placed on a register of eligible new hires. The register is valid for one year from the date of application and passing the exam.
Training for Parole and Probation Agents in Anne Arundel County
The Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission mandates that all new parole and probation agents in Anne Arundel County complete 400 hours of training before beginning their job duties. Firearms training and qualification is only given to those agents for whom apprehension and arrest is part of the job.
All parole and probation agents in Anne Arundel County must complete 18 hours of continuing education each year to maintain their employment. If an agent uses firearms as part of the job, he or she must also re-qualify annually.
Anne Arundel County’s Drug Court
Anne Arundel County has been successful in its creation and implementation of an Adult Drug Court. Created as an alternative to jail for offenders who violate probation, the Adult Drug Court involves the supervision of offenders by a team including Anne Arundel County parole and probation agents, lawyers, law enforcement, and court coordinators. The program has proven to work in Anne Arundel County and to be cost-effective, as research has shown that it costs less to process probation violators through drug courts than through the traditional court system. Parole and probation agent careers in Anne Arundel County can therefore be viewed as trend setting for other parole and probation offices and drug courts throughout the nation.