Misdemeanant Probation Officer

County of Kittitas•Ellensburg, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position is responsible for the supervision and counseling of approximately 500 adult misdemeanant offenders, gathers legal/social facts for sentencing recommendations to the courts, assesses offender compliance with probation requirements, and reports non-compliance to the courts. Must maintain courteous and cooperative working relationships with administrative and other County personnel, public agencies, and the general public, and work under the guidance of Local/State/Federal regulations, and County policies/procedures. This position is considered open until filled with a first review after 6/23/2026. Candidates should apply as soon as possible for optimal consideration.

Requirements

High School Diploma or GED equivalent.
Bachelor’s Degree in sociology, psychology, or criminal justice, or related field.
Counseling skills necessary to evaluate and act on offender crisis, assess offender needs, motivate offenders, and make recommendations to the court.
Experience working within adult probations systems and/or working with adult offenders with issues such as alcoholism, domestic violence, mental illness, sexual deviancy, etc.
Two (2) or more years of experience as a Probation Officer may substitute for the minimum qualifications listed above in accordance with ARLJ Rule 11.
Valid Washington State driver’s license.
Must pass the Adult Services Academy within six (6) months of employment.
A criminal history and background check will be performed on qualified applicants. Convictions may preclude candidates from employment in certain circumstances. Factors such as seriousness of the conduct, number of convictions, the place and manner in which the position will be performed, and any verifiable information related to the candidate’s rehabilitation, good conduct, work experience, education, and training will be taken into consideration.

Responsibilities

Provide supervision and counseling for approximately 500 adult misdemeanant offenders to ensure successful completion of court orders and community protection
Interview adult offenders and evaluate social, employment, medical and criminal history data.
Develop an individual probation plan for each offender; determine and direct the offender’s responsibility for following specific recommendations.
Explain probation requirements and court orders to offenders and relevant parties involved.
Enforce probation requirements to ensure compliance with court orders.
Resolve conflicts or concerns which might interfere with compliance by offenders.
Refer offenders to appropriate community resources such as DV Perpetrators treatment, mental health, and alcohol treatment.
Monitor offender’s progress and compliance with treatment and conditions conducting crisis intervention as necessary.
Gather legal/social facts for sentencing recommendations to the courts and make appropriate referrals to treatment or other services for adult offenders
Review police reports, statements, diagnostic evaluations, and prior legal and social files.
Interview offender, family, victims, and other pertinent individuals having a relationship to the case.
Diagnose offense-specific or environmental factors relevant to preventing further offense behavior by using a risk assessment instrument to assist determining threat to the community.
Advise offenders of problem areas and make suggestions for alternate behavior.
Develop recommendations for the courts’ use in sentencing.
Develop probation plans which protect the community and provide for the offender’s change needs.
Prepare, present, and testify to written reports and recommendations at court hearings.
Answer questions from offenders, treatment agencies, law enforcement, or judges regarding recommendations and written reports.
Assess offender’s compliance with probation requirements and report non-compliance to the courts
Periodically review case files of offenders and determine if offender is in compliance, and if not, identify areas of non-compliance.
Record information in case files using case management software and determine if additional actions are needed.
Inform offenders of steps needed to rectify situation if not in compliance.
Use strength-based interventions to encourage successful compliance with probation.
Prepare a violation report if necessary and deliver to the court, which initiates probation violation hearing.
Testify at hearings and recommend appropriate court-ordered sanctions for probation violations.
Represent Probation Services and individual professional image to agencies and the community through development and maintenance of a positive and effective relationship
Maintain integrity of position through professional enhancement by attending trainings and professional organization(s).
Advise law enforcement, courts, and community agencies of available departmental services.
Develop programs for presentation to schools, community groups, volunteers, interns and agencies.
Assist related agencies in the presentation of programs and training.
Attend community meetings, boards, committees and task forces.
Develop clear lines of communication with treatment providers and referral agencies.
Assist other treatment providers through case staffing and information sharing.
Support other staff members, train, advise and supervise interns and volunteers who assist with caseload, court appearances and interaction with other agencies
Serve as a resource to co-workers in matters of law, policy, or procedures in the absence of supervisory personnel.
Provide a safe and secure environment for staff, as well as maintain confidentiality of office and records.
Train interns and volunteers in the areas of adult misdemeanant probation law, policy and procedures and techniques for dealing with adult offenders.
Select adult offenders to be involved in programs that interns will supervise and monitor.
Develop case plans and goals for interns to achieve with assigned clients.
Write reports to intern’s professor describing goals and expectations and evaluate performance.