Kentucky’s 15th judicial district is located in the northeast section of the country near the Ohio and West Virginia borders. While the area is largely rural, there is a fairly substantial number of parole and probation offenders in the area. The main parole and probation office in the 15th judicial district is located in Catlettsburg, and there are two satellite offices located in Maysville and Paintsville respectively.
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Steps to Become a Probation and Parole Officer in Catlettsburg, Kentucky
Requirements and Qualifications – When applicants look into how to become probation and parole officers in Catlettsburg and the rest of the 15th judicial district, they must first review the basic qualifications and requirements for the position. The basic requirements are as follows:
- Must be at least 21 years of age
- Must be a United States citizen
- Must reside in the state of Kentucky
- Must be able to pass a drug screen and a criminal background check
- Must have a valid drivers license
- Must be legally able to carry a firearm
Education Requirements – In addition to the above requirements, applicants must also have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. There is no requirement for what the field of study was, btu it is preferred that applicants have either school, work, volunteer or internship experience in social work, counseling, psychology, sociology, criminology or a career field very closely related to these subjects.
Training Academy – Since probation and parole officers in the 15th judicial district do have peace officer status, recruits must learn how to make arrests and how to handle a firearm. In Kentucky, probation and parole officers are authorized to make arrests of offenders under their supervision that violated the terms of their sentence, and it is mandatory that officers carry a firearm while on duty.
During the first year on the job, probation and parole officers in Catlettsburg, and throughout the 15th judicial district are required to complete 120 hours of training courses at the training academy in Sandy Hook. The training includes investigation skills, arrest techniques, counseling and firearm certification, among many other subjects.
After the first year of employment, all probation and parole officers are required to complete 40 hours of training each and every year while employed by the Kentucky Department of Corrections. The additional training includes having to get firearms qualification every year as well.
The Jurisdiction Covered by Kentucky’s 15th Judicial District
The 15th judicial district is also notable because it covers the most counties out of any of the judicial districts in the state of Kentucky. In total, the 15th judicial district covers the counties of Boyd, Bracken, Carter, Elliott, Fleming, Greenup, Johnson, Lawrence, Lewis, Martin, Mason, and Morgan, which includes larger towns like Huntington, Summit and Morehead. All probation and parole operations in the state operate under the supervision of the Kentucky Department of Corrections.