The Central Region of the Juvenile Justice Services department in Maryland consists of seven division offices and one facility to provide services for the counties of Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and parts of Washington. The division offices are located in the cities of Towson, Essex, Owings, Westminster, Bel Air, Ellicott and on the outskirts of Baltimore.
Sponsored School(s)
The facility is the Charles H. Hickey Jr. School and is also located on the outskirts of Baltimore. In total, the division offices serve a juvenile offender population of 5,715, which accounts for more than 20 percent of all juveniles that are on probation in the state. The Charles H. Hickey Jr. School has a population of 71 males, and is responsible for providing services to juveniles who have violated their probation sentences and required to stay at the facility and go to school there, while also receiving counseling and rehabilitation services.
Education and Other Minimum Requirements
All applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college, as recognized by the state. There is no requirement for the field of study, but preference is given to applicants that have a degree in a related field, such as criminal justice, psychology, social work, counseling or other social and behavioral science subjects.
In order to become a juvenile probation officer in Frederick County, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements and qualifications:
- Must be at least 21 years of age
- Must have a valid driver’s license
- Must be a United States citizen
- Must pass a criminal background check
- Must pass a drug screen test
- Must be willing to relocate as needed
The Hiring Process
Only candidates who meet the minimum requirements and qualifications will be selected to move on through the rest of the hiring process, which includes the following:
- A written examination
- A physical agility test
- Psychological and medical examinations
- Interview with a board of representatives from the Juvenile Justice Services department
- Drug screen and criminal background check
Training
Once a recruit moves through the hiring process, they will then be required to enroll in the Department of Corrections training academy during the first year their correctional officer job in Frederick or the surrounding counties. The training academy consists of 320 hours of intensive training in communication skills, departmental procedures, administrative processes, probation investigation procedures and a host of other skills, techniques and procedures.
Once the training academy is completed, recruits become full-time employees with the Juvenile Justice Services department and will be placed in one of the division offices or facilities located in the Central Region.
After the first year of employment, all juvenile probation officers in Towson and the other cities are required to complete an additional 40 hours of training at the academy each and every year that they work as an officer in the state of Maryland.