The city of Tallahassee, Florida is the main hub for community corrections operations in the central-northern area of the state. The main regional circuit office in Tallahassee is responsible for monitoring the operations of community corrections offices throughout six surrounding counties: Leon, Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty and Wakulla. Overall, the Tallahassee circuit office supervises six separate community corrections offices located throughout the six counties that it represents.
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Tallahassee proper has three probation and parole offices (the main intake office, a northern regional office and a southern regional office,) as well as probation and parole offices located in the cities of Monticello, Quincy and Crawfordville. In total, the Tallahassee, Florida circuit office is responsible for monitoring 4,986 offenders on probation or parole. There are more than 1,642 people incarcerated in the six counties combined, many of which will eventually be released on parole or have sentences commuted to probation.
Probation and Parole Officer Duties in Tallahassee, Florida
The role of the probation and parole officer throughout the entire state of Florida is unique because these officers are granted peace officer status, which means they perform many of the same duties as traditional police officers. For example, probation and parole officers in Tallahassee are permitted to arrest probationers or parolees under their supervision if the offender violated their probation. Probation and parole officers in Florida are also permitted to carry firearms, although it is not a requirement for them to do so.
Probation and parole officer jobs in Tallahassee are also broken up into separate categories. There are the six main community corrections offices responsible for monitoring and supervising the transition processes of serious offenders and mid-level offenders, and then there are additional subdivisions that are responsible for supervising the transition processes of offenders that are serving probation sentences for minor offenses and misdemeanors.
Minimum Requirements and Qualifications
In order to become a probation and parole officer in Tallahassee, candidates interested in applying should first review the minimum requirements and qualifications, which include the following:
- Must be a United States citizen
- Must have a bachelor’s degree
- Must have a valid drivers license
- Must be of high moral character
- Must be at least 19 years of age
- Must complete training and exams
The Training Academy
Applicants that meet all the basic requirements will then be put through a hiring process that includes a series of interviews, examinations and tests. Applicants who pass all of those steps and are deemed qualified and prepared for a probation and parole officer career in Tallahassee will then be required to enroll in the training academy before full-time employment begins.
Probation and parole officer training is 16-weeks long and includes courses in arrest procedures, community outreach, psychology, counseling, investigations and firearms training (if the officer opts to carry a firearm on duty.)
Probation and parole officers are required to complete 640 hours of training during their first year and 40 hours of ongoing training every year after that.