The Nevada Department of Public Safety, Parole and Probation Division, oversees all probation and parole services in the State of Nevada. Probation and parole services are divided into two divisions: a Northern Command and a Southern Command, with Reno and its surrounding communities comprising the Northern Command. Reno and Nevada comprise about 80 percent of the total workload for probation and parole services.
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The Northern Command Supervision offices are located in Carson City, Elko, Ely, Winnemucca, Fallon, and Tonopah. Probation and parole officers in Reno are called upon to provide traditional law enforcement services (all officers are trained as Peace Officers in Nevada), which may include surveillance, search, and arrest, as well as provide community correctional services, such as counseling, mental health services, drug testing, and employment and educational placement.
Probation and Parole Officer Careers in Reno, Nevada: Employment Requirements
Because probation and parole officer jobs in Nevada are held by sworn peace officers, all candidates must have the following qualifications:
- Graduate from a Nevada POST-approved law enforcement academy as a Category I Peace Officer
- At least one year of experience as a DPS officer in Nevada or at least one year of experience in a police agency
Training Requirements for Probation and Parole Officers
Individuals who want to learn how to become a probation or parole officer in Reno will be expected to go through an intensive training program, which includes 480 hours of field training and classroom training in their first year of employment. All training is completed at the Department of Public Safety Training Division in Carson City.
New probation and parole officers can expect to study the following topics during their initial training period: time management, ethics, legal liability issues, reporting writing, substance abuse, personnel matters, policies and procedures, crisis intervention and domestic abuse, and caseload supervision, among others.
All peace officers in Nevada, including probation and parole officers, must complete basic firearms orientation, use of deadly force, officer survival, defensive tactics skills, control of evidence, gangs, and home visit practicum, just to name a few.
After the initial training period, all probation and parole officers must complete at least 24 hours of annual training throughout their careers. Probation and parole officers, through their annual training requirements, often seek specialized training as to enhance their professional skills. Such training may include: AIDS, drug abuse, gang and domestic violence training, or advanced training skills for trainers.
Probation and Parole Intensive Supervision Programs (ISU)
The Nevada Department of Public Safety has a number of programs in place to deal with offenders with a history of: gang affiliation, mental health problems, or substance abuse problems. The ISU has a specialized gang unit to deal with offenders with gang affiliation and an electronic monitoring unit, to deal with high-risk offenders.