In Grand Rapids, Michigan, probation and parole officer jobs fall under the jurisdiction of the Grand Rapids Area of the Outstate Region of the state’s division of probation and parole. The Grand Rapids Area includes a main office on Ionia Avenue, and supervises the following probation and parole offices:
Sponsored School(s)
- Calhoun Probation
- Grand Rapids Parole
- Ionia County
- Battle Creek Parole
- Branch County
- Barry County
- Kent Probation
Probation and parole officer careers in Grand Rapids can be found in any of these field offices located within the greater Grand Rapids Area.
Education Necessary to Become a Probation and Parole Officer in Grand Rapids
The Parole/Probation Officer 9, which is the title for Grand Rapids entry-level probation and parole officer jobs, is a training position. No experience is necessary in order to become a probation and parole officer in Grand Rapids. A bachelor’s degree, however, is required. It must be within one of these disciplines:
- Social work
- School social work
- Sociology
- Social work administration
- Psychology
- Education psychology
- Family relations
- Human services
- Child development
- Counseling or guidance
- Criminal justice
- Theology
- Correctional administration
- Criminology
Application Process to Become a Probation and Parole Officer in Grand Rapids
When a probation and parole officer job is available in Grand Rapids, it will be listed online at the State of Michigan Job Opportunities website. Applicants are expected to apply online and to submit official college transcript copies. Those who are considering probation and parole officer careers in Grand Rapids should not apply if they do not have a driver’s license and vehicle, a telephone listed in their name, and a criminal record clear of any felony convictions or pending felony charges.
Training for Probation and Parole Officers in Grand Rapids
Because the entry-level position is that of a trainee, expect to become a probation and parole officer in Grand Rapids through training. Three phases exist for the training of new probation and parole officers. The first is a general orientation that all Michigan state employees take, and is done in the first 30 days on the job. The second part of the training is on-the-job for 360 hours at the field office. The third part of the training for probation and parole officers in Grand Rapids is classroom and computer courses, including:
- Residential programs
- Criminal justice sentencing
- Technical rule violations
- Community resources
- Supervisions standards and classification
- Electronic monitoring systems
- Substance abuse
- Interviewing techniques
- Sentencing guidelines
- Interstate compact
- Probation violation process
- Offender supervision
- Probation process
- Parole process
- Pre-sentence investigations
- Parole violation issues
- Pre-parole process
Every year, probation and parole officers in Grand Rapids are expected to take in-service courses directly related to their job duties. This is necessary to maintain a probation and parole officer career in Grand Rapids.