Carson City is the third largest provider of juvenile probation services in the state, and is unique as it is an unincorporated city with an independent juvenile justice system. On average, the Carson City juvenile justice services department monitors the sentences of nearly 150 juvenile offenders each year.
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In Carson City, juveniles are considered to be any offender between the ages of 8 and 21. The main responsibility for juvenile probation officers in the region is to provide rehabilitative services to youth offenders in order to lower their risk of reoffending. Duties include:
- Counseling services
- Making referrals
- Community outreach
- Monitoring behavior
- Ensuring that the juveniles are doing everything required of them according to their probation sentence
Juvenile probation officers are also required to conduct investigations, perform interviews with juveniles, their family and school officials and to testify in court when needed.
Education and Experience Requirements for Juvenile Probation Officers
Applicants considering applying for juvenile probation officer jobs with the Carson City juvenile justice services department must have at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. It is preferred that the degree be in sociology, psychology, criminal justice, criminology or a very closely related field.
Applicants can bypass the education requirement if they have an associate’s degree and two years of work experience in a related field. The education requirement can also be bypassed if an applicant has a high school diploma and four years of relevant work experience.
Certification and Training for Juvenile Probation Officers
Once hired by the juvenile justice services department, entry-level juvenile probation officers must receive various certifications and complete training. This includes passing of the Peace Officer Standards and Training test with a score of at least 70 percent. The written, multiple choice examination assesses an officers understanding of basic law enforcement principles and departmental standards.
It is also required that juvenile probation officers have P.O.S.T certification throughout their career with the juvenile justice services department in Carson City.
In addition, all juvenile probation officers are required to have CPR training and maintain certification throughout their employment.
Depending on the department that the juvenile probation officer works in, they may be required to attend and graduate from a training academy. Those officers that are not required to graduate from a training academy are required to complete on the job training with a veteran juvenile probation officer.
Additional training and certification may be needed after the first year of employment with the department. Training includes arrest procedures, investigation techniques, how to testify in court, public outreach, community skills and a host of other skills that are needed on a day to day basis as a juvenile probation officer.