The Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department headquartered in San Antonio has nine units located throughout the county. It provides a wide range of services to juveniles (ages 10-16) who are either on deferred prosecution or court-ordered probation. The probation services department is divided into two divisions: the Field Services/Court division and the Education Division. The latter focuses on children with special needs who require specialized mental health treatment, skills training and/or intensive clinical services.
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Requirements for Becoming a Juvenile Probation Officer in Bexar County
Candidates for juvenile probation officer jobs in San Antonio and throughout Bexar County must be U.S. citizens over the age of 21 with at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year university.
Degrees are typically in corrections, criminal justice, social work or a related field. Preference is given to individuals who have also completed graduate studies/or have relevant work or volunteer experience. Candidates whose applications meet these requirements must successfully complete the following steps in the hiring process:
- Panel Interview
- IQ Intelligence Test
- Personality test
- Drug test
- Background check
How to Apply for a Juvenile Probation Officer Career in Bexar County
All candidates must complete an official application form in order to begin the process by which they become juvenile probation officers in Bexar County. Resumes are not accepted in lieu of this form and applications are only accepted for open positions which are listed on the Bexar County Human Resources/Job Opportunities website. Online application forms are found at the same website.
Juvenile probation officers in Bexar County can expect to earn an annual salary of $40,488.
Functions of Juvenile Probation Officers in Bexar County
The Bexar County juvenile probation department currently employs 165 juvenile probation officers who supervise juvenile offenders both before and after they are formally placed on probation by the Court. When a young person is caught committing a crime, the police officer turns him/her over to an intake juvenile probation officer who reviews the police report and interviews the juvenile in order to recommend whether he/she should be detained or temporarily released to a parent or guardian while awaiting a formal hearing. In 2007 alone, Bexar County intake probation officers processed 1,377 juveniles.
Special units of the Bexar County probation department include:
- Drug Court – focuses on juveniles with substance abuse problems
- Family Preservation – focuses on maintaining the family unit
- Project Connect – links juveniles with church leaders
- GED classes – for juveniles expelled from public school
- Restitution/Victim Services – ensures that juveniles compensate victims for monetary losses and offers victims general support