Hastings, Nebraska, is the jurisdiction of the 10th Judicial District Court of Nebraska. The 10th Judicial District Court is comprised of Adams County, in which Hastings is located, as well as the following areas:
- Probation office: Hastings
- Probation office: Holdrege
- Probation office: Minden
However, probation services for counties in the 10th Judicial District are provided by the 7th Probation District, which is handled by the Norfolk probation office.
Hastings, which has about 25,000 residents, is the county seat of Adams County and is part of the Hastings Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes both Clay and Adams Counties.
Minimum Employment Requirements for Probation Officer Careers
in Hastings, Nebraska
All individuals interested in pursuing probation officer careers in Hastings, Nebraska, must be under the age of 37 at the time of their appointment and must be prepared to undergo a thorough background investigation.
In addition, all probation officers must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in criminal justice or one of the social sciences fields. They must also have at least one year of experience serving others in a welfare setting.
How to Become a Probation Officer in Hastings through Training
Training is a necessary component of all probation officer jobs in Hastings, Nebraska – NE. Within the first six months of employment, for example, all new probation officers are required to complete at least 120 hours of training in such areas as:
- Duties and responsibilities of probation officers
- Officer safety
- Operational policies and procedures
- Substance abuse and suicide prevention
- Violence and domestic violence issues
Further, probation officers, within the first 6 months of employment, must also complete at least 35 hours of substance abuse training. Thereafter, they must complete at least 24 hours of annual training.
Probation-Based Programs in Hastings, Nebraska
OffenderLink
Nebraska’s Office of Probation Administration employs OffenderLink, an automated interactive voice response telephone reporting and web-based monitoring system for low and very-low probation cases. Offenders on probation are tasked with calling into the automated telephone system on a monthly basis. Any changes to their contact information, employment, or contact with law enforcement must be reported during these monthly calls.
OffenderLink reduces the workload of probation officers in Hastings, Nebraska, and improves officer efficiency, thereby allowing them to focus their efforts on offenders who pose more of a risk to the community.
Pre-Sentence Investigations
Presentence investigations are carried out by probation officers who provide information to the court regarding an individual’s criminal history, their educational background, their employment background, victim information, and drug and alcohol use, among others. The information provided by probation officers is then analyzed by the judge making the sentencing decision.
SSAS
Nebraska’s Specialized Substance Abuse Supervision, also known as SSAS, is targeted at supervising individuals who are considered high-risk substance abuse offenders. Probation officers, through the SSAS, address both the treatment and supervision needs of the offenders in hopes of reducing recidivism and relapse rates.