The city of Baltimore and Baltimore County in Maryland house a total of 11 probation offices, all under the supervision of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS). Baltimore, Maryland probation officers, referred to as parole and probation agents, may be based out of any of these offices.
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Baltimore City probation offices include:
- Central Field Office
- Region II Regional Office/Guilford Ave Field Office
- Northeast Field Office
- Northwest Field Office
- Southern Field Office
- Southwest Field Office
- Southeast Field Office
Baltimore County’s probation offices include:
- Arbutus/Catonsville Field Office
- Dundalk Field/DDMP (Drinking Driver Monitor Program) Office
- Essex/Rosedale Field/DDMP Office
- Towson Field Office
Education Necessary to Become a Parole and Probation Agent in Baltimore
The DPSCS requires all applicants for probation and parole officer jobs in Baltimore to have a bachelor’s degree with at least 30 college credits in correctional, behavioral or social sciences prior to applying for a position. No experience is required, but all applicants must be at least 21 years old.
At least once per year, DPSCS will advertise open parole and probation agent positions at the State of Maryland Job Openings website. Those interested in becoming a parole and probation agent in Baltimore should apply online and then follow the instructions for scheduling and taking the state parole and probation agent examination.
Applicants who pass the examination are placed on an eligible register and may be called to continue with the hiring process as Baltimore parole and probation agent jobs arise.
Training for Parole and Probation Agents in Baltimore
The only way to become a parole and probation agent in Baltimore is through formal training. During the first year as a parole and probation agent in Baltimore, new agents are expected to complete 400 hours of training. They will not be trained in the usage of firearms unless the parole and probation agent is in the apprehension unit.
Each year, parole and probation agents in Baltimore must complete 18 hours of continuing education training in order to maintain their jobs. If working in the apprehension unit, a parole and probation agent must also re-qualify yearly for firearms usage.
Baltimore’s new Parole and Probation Initiatives
Parole and probation agents in Baltimore and across the state of Maryland have been focusing their rehabilitation efforts on violent criminals. They report that, because of this initiative, in fiscal year 2012, the rate of violent crime dropped in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. There was a 31 percent decrease from 2011 in the number of homicides committed by offenders under the supervision of Baltimore-based parole and probation agents, as well as a 55 percent decrease from 2011 in the number of non-fatal shooting victims. These statistics demonstrate the tremendous effect that parole and probation agent careers in Baltimore can have on the community as a whole.