Lewis and Clark County is part of the greater 2nd judicial district of Montana. The judicial district consists of the cities of Helena, Bozeman, Livingston, Anaconda and Dillon, among many others. It is the third largest district in the state of Montana, and also the third largest juvenile probation and parole service provider in the state.
In Montana, juvenile probation operates under the supervision of each district’s Youth Court. The field offices located in Lewis and Clark County, as well as the rest of the 2nd judicial district, consist of a chief supervisor juvenile probation officer, several juvenile probation officers and a variety of administrative and support staff.
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It is the duty of juvenile probation officers in the 2nd judicial district to carry out probation sentences and provisions as dictated by the judicial district Youth Court judge, who makes all decisions regarding the sentences of juvenile offenders serving probation in the region.
Juvenile Probation Officer Duties in Lewis and Clark County
Juvenile probation officers are expected to carry out the orders of the Youth Court judge in their district. The duties include supervising youth that are on probation, providing casework services, making referrals to outside agencies, conducting regular interviews and check-ups with juvenile offenders and their family and investigating the history of the juveniles, among many other duties and responsibilities.
Education, Experience and Training Requirements For Juvenile Probation Officers
Education – Officers operating in the 2nd judicial district are required to have at least a bachelor’s degree in a human services related field of study. Human services consist of social work, counseling, psychology, sociology and a host of other similar fields. Applicants with a master’s degree are given special preference in the 2nd judicial district, as well as the rest of the state of Montana.
Experience – In some cases, work history can be substituted for the degree requirement, as long as the applicant can demonstrate that the work experience is relevant to the field and that they possess the skills and knowledge needed to perform the basic duties of a juvenile probation officer in Lewis and Clark County.
Training – All juvenile probation officer recruits are required to complete 40 hours of basic training during their first year of employment with Lewis and Clark County. After the first year of employment, all officers are required to complete an additional 16 hours of training.
Juvenile Probation Officer Salaries in Lewis and Clark County
According to the 2012 Occupational Outlook Handbook released by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, juvenile probation officers in the county- and in the rest of the state- make an average salary of about $39,000 a year, depending on experience and other qualifications. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, juvenile probation officer jobs around the country are expected to rise by about 10-percent over through 2020, which is slightly higher than average for law enforcement related positions.