Ramsey County is the second most populous metropolitan area in Minnesota, and one of the largest juvenile probation service providers in the state. In Minnesota, juvenile probation and parole services are operated by one of three state corrections departments:
- The Community Corrections department
- The Minnesota Department of Corrections
- The County Probation Officers department
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In Ramsey County – which includes parts of St. Paul, as well as the suburbs of the city and the surrounding rural areas – all juvenile probation services are operated under the supervision of the County Probation Officers (CPO.) The CPO oversees juvenile probation services for 28 counties through the state, which makes it the largest juvenile corrections department in the entire state of Minnesota.
Basic Duties
Probation officer jobs in Ramsey County may involve working with both adults and juvenile probation offenders. These officers may also be required to work in parole areas as well, depending on placement within the department.
Officers in the county do not have peace officer status, but are authorized to make arrests of offenders under their supervision. Other day-to-day tasks include:
- Performing interviews with offenders
- Conducting investigations
- Completing casework
- Filing reports
- Communication with judges, other officers, supervisors and family members of probation offenders
The job also requires quite a bit of administrative work and occasionally requires conflict resolution and crisis management skills.
Education and Other Requirements
Juvenile probation officer positions in Ramsey County require that all applicants have at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school. It is preferred that the bachelor’s degree major be in one of the following fields:
- Criminology
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Counseling
These or other fields closely related to criminal justice, law, behavioral science or social services are best suited for juvenile probation officer jobs in Ramsey County.
In some cases, a combination of education experience (as in, a high school diploma or GED) in combination with extensive work experience can replace the education requirement. The work experience must be comprehensive and closely related to one of the preferred fields of study listed above.
In addition to the education requirements, applicants must also meet the following requirements:
- Must be a United States citizen
- Must be at least 21 years of age
- Must have a valid driver’s license
- Must be able to pass a criminal background check and a drug screen test
- Must be willing to relocate
- Must be in good physical condition
Training to Become a Juvenile Probation Officer
Applicants who meet the basic requirements and complete every step of the hiring process are then required to complete the standard training for the juvenile probation officer position. All recruits are required to complete 60 hours of training classes.
The training involves arrest procedures, report filing procedures, conflict resolution and communication skills, First Aid training, counseling techniques and a host of other skills and attributes needed to perform the job successfully.
Juvenile probation officers are then required to complete an additional 40 hours of training each and every year after the first year of employment.