In recent years, the percentage of juveniles aged 10-17 who were on probation in Idaho was 20% higher than in the U.S. as a whole. Of approximately 7,600 juveniles on probation in Idaho each year, 95% remain in county programs, county supervision, and in their home communities. Juvenile probation officers in the county supervise these youths and help the majority of them to become productive citizens.
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Requirements to Become a Juvenile Probation Officer in Canyon County
The educational requirements to become a juvenile probation officer in Canyon County include possessing a bachelor’s degree. Factors that will disqualify potential applicants include:
- Felony or domestic battery convictions
- Having used marijuana within the past three years
- Having used any other illegal drug within the past five years
- Having the following history with illegal drugs
- Long-term abuse
- Sale, transport, or manufacture
POST Certification to Become a Juvenile Probation Officer in Canyon County
In Idaho, juvenile probation officers must be P.O.S.T. certified before they start their employment. This involves training for eighty hours at the Juvenile Probation Academy of the Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.).
After this basic training is completed, graduates must take the P.O.S.T. certification examination for juvenile probation officers. The graduates are allowed two tries to achieve a score of 75% to be eligible to pursue careers as juvenile probation officers.
On-the-Job Training to Become a Juvenile Probation Officer in Canyon County
New employees of the juvenile probation department in Canyon County learn how to become juvenile probation officers on the job through training provided by Field Training Officers. They receive at least 40 hours of training starting with an orientation of a facility. The topics covered include the following:
- Case management
- Legal and liability issues
- Court procedures and protocol
- Written skills
Trainees are monitored on a weekly basis on their skill in applying their training, along with:
- Public contact
- Attitude and interest
- Judgment
- Cooperation and loyalty
- Appearance
Continued Training of Juvenile Probation Officers in Canyon County
Juvenile probation officers in Canyon County are employed by the Third Judicial District Court. This court also includes Adams, Gem, Owyhee, Payette, and Washington Counties. The Juvenile Probation Department for Canyon County is located at North 12th Avenue in Caldwell.
To continue in their jobs, juvenile probation officers in the county must take part in at least twenty hours of training or coursework each year. It must include these topics:
- The Idaho Juvenile Corrections Act
- Statutes and rules of the state and county
- Status offender supervision
- Report writing
- Probation officer safety
- Case supervision
- Populations of varying risk levels
- Gender specific
- Balanced approach