Probation and parole services in Wilmington, Delaware, are provided by the Delaware Superior Court, Department of Corrections. The Department of Corrections has a unified correctional system that manages offenders from pre-trial status through community supervision.
The Department of Corrections operates all of the jails and prisons throughout the state, as well as the probation and parole system. In total, the Department of Corrections operated 18 facilities and offices. The Department of Corrections, as of 2012, supervised about 16,000 probationers in the community. As of June 2011, there were 2,567 employees within in the Department.
New Castle Community Corrections Center (NCCCC)
Within the Department of Corrections is Community Corrections, which oversees the 7 offices in the probation and parole division. Probation and parole officers in Wilmington work through the New Castle Community Corrections Center (NCCCC), which is also responsible for the Webb Community Correction Center, the Hazel D. Plant Women’s Treatment Facility, the Plummer Community Correction Center, as well as the following cities/towns:
The NCCCC currently supervises about 3,800 offenders.
How to be Eligible for Probation and Parole Officer Careers in Wilmington, Delaware
Individuals interested in Wilmington, Delaware-based probation and parole officer jobs must first meet minimum employment requirements, which include possessing a bachelor’s degree or higher and a valid driver’s license.
Candidates for probation and parole officer careers in Wilmington must undergo pre-employment drug testing and a criminal background check. In addition, all candidates must be able to pass a written exam to qualify for Wilmington probation and parole officer jobs. The exam consists of 100 questions in the areas of written communications, reading comprehension, and probation and parole concepts.
All new probation and parole officers in Wilmington must, upon hire, be able to successfully complete a nine-week Probation and Parole Officer basic training course, which is administered by the Employee Development Center (EDC), Delaware Department of Correction. Coursework includes training in such areas as defensive tactics, weapons, report writing, offender supervision, and emergency medical training.
Delaware Superior Court: Reentry Court in New Castle County
The Delaware Superior Court has initiated two reentry courts in New Castle County and Sussex County. The reentry court in New Castle County is designed to focus on repeat offenders who must meet a community service obligation to complete their course of rehabilitation.
Case managers in the New Castle County reentry court program work with offenders to establish reentry plans. Probation and parole officers work closely with community police officers to keep these offenders under intensive probation supervision. The reentry program includes three tiers of supervision:
- Phase I: Offenders meet weekly with their probation officer and the judge
- Phase II: Offenders meet biweekly with their probation officer and the judge
- Phase III: Offenders attend monthly status conferences