There are eight juvenile probation sub-offices that operate in the second region of Maine’s juvenile probation services division. The offices are located in the cities of Augusta, Auburn, Bath, Belfast, Farmington, Rockford, Rumford, Skowhegan, Paris and Waterville. The main office is located in Augusta. In total, each sub-office employs an average of about five juvenile corrections officers. All juvenile probation services operate under the supervision of the Maine Department of Corrections, Juvenile Community Corrections division.
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Officers in Maine do not have peace officer status, which means they do not have the same authority as other correctional officers in the state. Juvenile probation officers are not authorized to carry firearms, but they are granted the ability to make arrests as long as those being arrested are under the supervision of the arresting officer.
The responsibilities of juvenile community corrections officers are organized into three categories:
- Diversion
- Risk and needs assessment
- Commitment to authority
Juvenile corrections officers can refer offenders into diversion programs, which are meant to adjust a juvenile offender’s probation sentence. The other major responsibility for officers is to assess the needs of juvenile offenders and provide them with the resources needed to live a normal life and resolve any conflicts they may put them at risk of reoffending.
Education and Work Experience Requirements
In order to obtain a juvenile probation officer job in Kennebec County, Maine, applicants must first meet a set of basic education and work experience requirements.
Education – Applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree and six months of related work experience. The bachelor’s degree must be from an accredited university or college as recognized by the state of Maine, and it must be in criminal justice, counseling, behavioral sciences or a similar field of study.
Experience – The work experience must be in juvenile parole, counseling, case management, social work or a related career field. In some special circumstances, an equivalent combination of work and education experience can be substituted for the above requirement guidelines.
Juvenile Community Corrections Training
Once hired to become an officer, recruits must attend a Department of Corrections training academy and complete 80 hours of training within the first year on the job. After graduation from the academy, recruits are then put under the supervision of an officer for six months of on-the-job training at one of the sub-offices located in the Kennebec County region.
Every year after the first year of employment, juvenile community corrections officers must complete an additional 40 hours of training. The additional training will refine skills learned at the training academy and during on-the-job training, and will also update officers on new procedures and policies as defined by the Juvenile Community Corrections division of the Main Department of Corrections.