Johnson County is a largely suburban area in the northeastern region of Kansas. Probation services in Johnson County operate under the 10th judicial district, one of 31 districts in the state. All probation services are provided under the supervision of the Kansas Court Services division of the state government.
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Johnson County’s Intensive Supervision Probation (ISP) division is responsible for monitoring offenders in the county, including the cities of:
- Shawnee
- Olathe
- Gardner
- Lenexa
Applicants looking to get a probation officer job in Johnson County must complete a series of interviews, examinations and meet a host of basic requirements in order to enroll in training classes and continue with a career in the state.
How to Become a Probation Officer in Johnson County: Requirements
and Qualifications
The first step for applicants is to review the basic requirements, qualifications and experience parameters. In order to get hired by the 10th judicial district ISP division, applicants must meet all of the following requirements:
- Must be at least 18 years of age
- Must be a United States citizen
- Must have a valid driver’s license
- Must be of high moral character
- Must be able to pass a criminal background check
Education and Experience Requirements
All applicants seeking a position as an adult probation officer in Johnson County and the 10th judicial district of Kansas must at least have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. It is preferred that the bachelor’s degree be in criminal justice, counseling, social work, psychology, criminology, sociology or a field that is very closely related to one of the above.
Applicants with at least two years of experience in the last five years in jobs that involve interviewing people, providing counseling, working with people that have substance abuse and/or mental health and behavioral problems, writing formal reports and working with social welfare programs are given preference over applicants that do not have such experience. The experience can be through employment, internships or volunteer work.
Training
All probation officer recruits in Johnson County, Kansas must complete 2 ½ days of training during their first year of employment with the ISP division of the judicial district court. After the first year of employment, probation officers must complete additional training, the length of which is dependant on procedural changes in Johnson County as well as the progress of the employee being trained.
The training involves learning the proper procedures for counseling probation offenders and making arrests. Although probation officers in the 10th judicial district do not have peace officer status, they are still authorized to make arrests as long as they are arresting an offender that is under their supervision at the time of the probation violation.