In the state of Michigan, juvenile probation services are divided up according to community leaders suggestions. Needless to say, this is a very unusual approach when compared to how most other states organize their juvenile probation programs. In total, there are more than 80 juvenile probation locations spread throughout the state, and the locations are in schools, community centers, churches, local police stations and other unconventional locations.
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Because of the unusual organization, Oakland County offers plenty of interesting opportunities for people looking to become juvenile probation officers. Oakland County has a dozen juvenile probation locations spread throughout the urban areas of Pontiac, Warren and Farmington Hills, as well as the more rural and suburban locations outside of the cities.
Rather than operating via judicial districts, each juvenile probation center located in Oakland County operates independently of each other, and thus each center provides different services and may operate in a completely different manner.
Juvenile Probation Officer Job Duties
In Oakland County, juvenile probation officers work mainly as casework managers. Primary responsibilities include preparation of social history reports for judges, assessing the probation needs of each juvenile while on trial and making treatment and probation sentence suggestions to judges and other community officials.
In Oakland County, there is no fixed sentencing for minors, and juveniles will remain on probation until it is deemed to be no longer needed. Juvenile probation officers in Oakland County are permitted to make arrests when an offender under the officer’s supervision does not comply with the guidelines of their probation sentence.
Education Requirements
When applying for juvenile probation officer jobs in Oakland County, all applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, as recognized by the state of Michigan.
In some cases, an equivalent amount of work experience in counseling, casework, sociology, law enforcement, criminal justice, psychology, education, management, administration or a related field can be substituted for the education requirement. Also, those with a degree in one of those subjects will be given special consideration during the interview, hiring and recruitment process.
Training to Become a Juvenile Probation Officer in Oakland County
Training in Oakland County differs according to where a juvenile probation officer is placed. In most cases, new recruits will be required to complete a written examination and at least 40 hours of course training, or on-the-job training to learn how to become a juvenile probation officer in Oakland County.
All juvenile probation officers in the state of Michigan are required to receive certification as a caseworker. In order to receive the certification, officers must complete a 2 ½ day orientation program and complete a written examination with a passing score.
In some cases, additional training is required after the first year of employment in Oakland County.