There are 2 parole districts in West Virginia (Northern and Southern) and 6 parole regions, out of which 57 parole officers work. As of April 2011, there were 2,509 offenders under supervision in West Virginia.
Sponsored School(s)
The Southwestern Regional Director’s office is located in Huntington, and the southwestern region parole officers are assigned specific areas within the region, including the following counties:
- Cabell County
- Mingo County
- Logan County
- Putnam County
- Wayne County
The Application Process
Candidates for parole officer jobs in Huntington must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in one of the following programs (or a closely related field):
- Social work
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Criminal Justice
- Corrections
Further, all candidates must possess a West Virginia driver’s license and must be at least 21 years old. Candidates should expect to undergo a thorough criminal record and background check prior to being hired.
Individuals must submit an Application for Examination form, along with an updated resume, to apply to take the civil service test for parole officer jobs. Individuals must pass the exam to be placed to a register list, which is kept by the Division of Personnel, and all names on the list are ranked according to scores.
Huntington, West Virginia Parole Officer Training
New hires must serve a six-month probationary period, during which they must complete five weeks of training at the West Virginia Corrections Academy. Coursework covered during initial parole officer training includes: Non-Lethal Use of Force; OC Certification; Legal Issues; and Defensive Tactics, among others.
Upon the successful completion of Academy training, and after the completion of the probationary period, parole officers are certified as permanent employees with full, civil service status.
Thereafter, all parole officers in West Virginia must complete mandatory, in-service training through the Academy. They may also receive training credits for taking graduate courses or attending seminars.
Huntington’s Parole System in Fiscal Year 2011
The southwestern region of Parole Services, an agency within the West Virginia Department of Corrections, provides parole supervision in Huntington. In FY2012 West Virginia paroled 1,485 inmates:
- July 2011: 116
- August 2011: 134
- September 2011: 121
- October 2011: 105
- November 2011: 111
- December 2011: 149
- January 2012: 144
- February 2012: 123
- March 2012: 123
- April 2012: 122
- May 2012: 132
- June 2012: 105