Parole officers in Nebraska, work out of the Omaha District Parole Office, one of 10 parole offices throughout the state that are overseen by the Nebraska Board of Parole. Although the Nebraska Board of Parole is separate from the Department of Correctional Services, the two agencies work together to provide supervision to inmates who are released on parole.
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In FY2009 there were 1,116 parolees in Nebraska, which included 813 Nebraska parolees, 208 interstate transfers, and 62 lifetime sex offenders. During the same period, there were 296 parole revocations and 718 parolees successfully discharged from parole supervision.
Omaha, as the largest city in Nebraska, had a population of nearly 409,000, as of the 2010 census. The Omaha Metropolitan area had a population of more than 877,000 residents during the same period, making it the 60th largest metropolitan area in the country.
Minimum Qualifications for Parole Officer Careers in Omaha
Candidates for parole officer careers in Omaha must possess one of the following:
- A bachelor’s degree in social sciences, behavioral sciences or criminal justice and one year of experience working with offenders; OR
- An associate’s degree in one of the above areas and three years of experience working with offenders; OR
- College credits or training or career development equal to one year of education and four years of experience working with offenders; OR
- Five years of experience working with offenders
Minimum Physical Standard Screening Requirements
Candidates for Omaha, Nebraska, parole officer jobs must be able to pass a pre-employment Minimum Physical Standard (MPS) screening, which includes successfully completing the following:
- Push 38 pounds for a distance of 50 yards
- Pull 32 pounds for a distance of 50 yards
- Static squatting/kneeling for 4 minutes
- Lift 80 pounds from floor to waist
- Carry 80 pounds for a distance of 50 feet
- Lift 28 pounds overhead with both the right and left arms
- Climb a flight of steps holding 50 pounds
- Climb 3 flights of steps holding 25 pounds
- Walk a brisk pace for one mile, timed
Other pre-employment testing required to become a parole officer in Omaha includes a medical exam, a drug screen, and a thorough background investigation.
How to Become a Parole Officer in Omaha, Nebraska through Training
Once employed, all new parole officers in Omaha, Nebraska, must complete 5 weeks of pre-service training at the Staff Training Academy. All new employees of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services must complete training through the Staff Training Academy, which is located in northeast Lincoln.
During FY2011-2012, 2,595 individuals attended training at the Academy. Of those, 361 attended pre-service training and 1,133 individuals attended in-service training.
New parole officers must complete at least 102 hours of pre-service training, while individuals with direct inmate contact must complete 140 hours of training.
The pre-service training program includes a number of courses, all of which are designed to prepare new officers who will work in a correctional environment, including:
- Personnel Issues
- Discrimination and Harassment
- Report Writing
- Orientation to Safety and Sanitation
- Use of Force
- Correctional Communications
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Basic Life Support/Basic First Aid
- Emergency Preparedness
- Sexual Abuse/Assault Awareness
- Substance Abuse
- Stress Management
- Introduction to Legal Issues