Sedgwick County makes up the entirety of the 18th judicial district in Kansas as far as probation and parole services are concerned. The two adult probation offices in Sedgwick County are located in Wichita, which serves other cities in the county including Derby, Goddard, Park City and Bel Aire. In total, Kansas has 31 judicial districts, all of which operate under the Kansas Court Services Division.
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In the state of Kansas, probation and parole officers are separated into two divisions: The supervision division and the probation offender intake division. While probation officers in each division of the Sedgwick County probation office must perform different tasks, the training remains the same for both. In order to become a probation officer in Sedgwick County, the 18th judicial district of Kansas, applicants must meet a set of basic requirements and qualifications, as well as complete the hiring and training processes.
Requirements and Qualifications
Basic Requirements – In order to be considered for a probation and parole officer job in Sedgwick County, applicants must meet certain minimum requirements and qualifications. These requirements include the following:
- Must be at least 21 years of age
- Must be a United States citizen
- Must have a valid driver’s license
- Must be a resident of the state of Kansas
- Must have a criminal record free of serious misdemeanors and felony charges
Degree Requirements – Applicants are required to have at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school, as recognized by the state of Kansas. It is preferred that the degree be in corrections, counseling, criminology, psychology, social work, sociology or a field that is closely related to one of the fields of study mentioned.
Preferred Qualifications – Along with a bachelor’s degree, applicants are given preference if they have at least two years of experience in conducting interviews, performing investigations, writing formal reports, supervising criminals, working with people that have substance abuse problems and/ or behavioral and psychological problems and working with rehabilitation and specialized service providing organizations.
Training and Certification
In order to obtain a career as a probation and parole officer in Sedgwick County, applicants must meet the requirements and complete the hiring process. Upon successful completion of the hiring process, applicants are hired on with the 18th judicial district and then enrolled in training. During the first year of employment with the judicial district, probation officers are required to complete 2 ½ days of training in order to learn investigation techniques, as well as how to use proper arrest procedures. Upon completion of the training, probation officers are given the Kansas Association of Court Services Officers certification.
There is additional training required each year after the first year, which varies depending on employee progress and changes made to probation and parole service procedures in Sedgwick County and the 18th judicial district.