The Denver Juvenile Probation District is committed to creating safer communities, lowering the recidivism rate, and empowering juvenile offenders and their families to realize positive change.
Probation officers make a starting salary of between $43,104 and $77,736 depending on experience, and receive hundreds of hours of training throughout their careers to keep them to be as sharp and up-to-date in the probations field as possible.
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Besides playing a critical role in traditional probation work, juvenile probation officers in Denver also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of creative rehabilitative programs, including:
- Juvenile Accountability Incentives Block Grant (JAIBG) for high-risk offenders
- Gang Unit
- Placement Caseload Program for the supervision of juveniles living in placement facilities
- Mental Health Program for juveniles with severe mental health issues
- Youth Drug Court
- Day Reporting: an intensive 8-week intensive education, treatment, and probation program
- GED Studies Program
- Female Offender Program
Education Requirements
The State of Colorado requires all probation officers to have a certain minimum level of education in order to be able to face the challenging demands of the job. Because juvenile probation officers will be working with youths from many different backgrounds and circumstances, a bachelor’s degree, preferably in the following fields, is required:
- Criminal Justice
- Social Work
- Psychology
- Sociology
Candidates for juvenile probation officer jobs in Denver should not be convicted felons, and should be of good moral character. After ensuring that they meet the minimum requirements for becoming a juvenile probation officer, candidates can move on to the application process.
Completing the Application Process
The State of Colorado Judicial Branch is in charge of the recruitment for juvenile probation officer jobs. Colorado makes up its own judicial district when it comes to probation jobs, which are listed on the Judicial Branch’s employment openings webpage as simply Probation Officer.
After the hiring and training processes new officers will have the option to work as part of the juvenile justice system. Depending on the instructions in the job announcement, candidates will either need to apply online or submit a Judicial Branch Application to the directed contact. Once an application has been determined to be complete and competitive, candidates will be notified about the next steps in the application process to become juvenile probation officers in Denver:
- Interview
- Testing
- Background investigation
- Physical and psychological evaluation
- Drug test
New Officer Training
The Colorado Judiciary Branch prides itself on the training provided to its juvenile probation officers in the first stages of their new careers, providing professional instruction on how to become an effective and capable public servant. Newly hired Denver officers are required to complete several training programs that include the Basic Safety Course, the New Employee Training Program, and the Probation Academy. These courses add up to 80 hours of intensive training and hands-on workshops providing instruction in the areas of:
- Juvenile issues and psychology
- Juvenile community resources
- Risk assessments and intake interviews
- Self-defense and restraint procedures
After their first year on the job, juvenile probation officers will need to complete a yearly Probation Academy through their fourth year of employment, along with an annual 40 hours of continuing education.