Probation Parole Officer

State of Montana • Great Falls, MT

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Montana Department of Corrections (DOC) is creating a safer Montana through Accountability, Rehabilitation and Empowerment. The Public Safety Division operates Montana’s prisons safely and securely and provides supervision and support for offenders in the community through its Probation and Parole Bureau. The work performed in this division is integral to the department’s mission to create a safer Montana through accountability, rehabilitation, and empowerment. The Probation and Parole Officer position, guided by the Department of Corrections (DOC) mission, plays a central role in managing the correctional population, promoting public safety and encouraging offenders to make positive life changing decisions for their future.

Requirements

• Must have skills and abilities to equally balance social work and law enforcement duties.
• College degree in a related field such as criminology, psychology, social work, sociology, or guidance and counseling and some formal training in behavioral sciences.
• POST Basic Certification after attending training at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy and successfully completing one year of employment with the Department of Corrections.
• Be a citizen of the United States of America.
• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Be fingerprinted for a criminal history search.
• Not have been convicted of a crime for which s/he could have been imprisoned in a federal or state penitentiary.
• Be of good moral character, as determined by a thorough background screen.
• Be a high school graduate or issued a GED or its equivalent.
• Possess or be eligible for a valid Montana driver’s license.
• Cover Letter
• Resume
• State of Montana Application
• Background screens which may include criminal records check, child/patient/offender abuse registries, and reference checks will be conducted for this position.
• Any person who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or is the subject of a court order of protection for “an intimate partner or child of such intimate partner” cannot lawfully possess a firearm or ammunition.
• Candidates who have been convicted of any felony or a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence or were issued a court order of protection are not qualified for this position.
• Any person who has 1) engaged in sexual abuse in a prison, jail, lockup, community confinement facility, juvenile facility, or other institution; 2) been convicted of engaging in or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force, or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse; or 3) been civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in activity as described in the latter, are not qualified for this position.

Nice To Haves

• Exceptions to the educational requirements must be approved by the department.
• Related work experience in the areas listed in subsection (1)(b) may be substituted for educational requirements at the rate of 1 year of experience for 9 months formal education if approved by the department.
• All present employees are exempt from this requirement but are encouraged to further their education at the earliest opportunity.
• Work experience that may be substituted for the educational requirements in subsection (1)(a) includes experience in the areas of corrections/detention, criminology, education, medicine, psychiatry, psychology, law, law enforcement, social work, sociology, psychiatric nursing, or guidance and counseling.

Responsibilities

• Cooperates with, and solicits information from, the public and criminal justice system and supervises and counsels 80-100 offenders.
• Conducts pre-sentence investigations and makes placement recommendations concerning those offenders sentenced to DOC.
• Makes recommendations for rehabilitation, treatment plans, conditions of probation, the need for incarceration, and appropriate level (i.e. local jail or Montana State Prison) to the District Court and Parole Board through a written pre-sentence investigation report.
• Refers offenders to appropriate resources or programs using departments supervision standards, a risk and needs assessment as well as knowledge of state and community resources and monitors the progress of the client for compliance.
• Investigates alleged violations of probation or parole using knowledge of policies & procedures pertaining to violations, search warrants & investigations.
• Arrests and detains violators and testifies in district court and information hearings relative to sentencing or revocation of client’s probation or parole status.
• Officers are trained to handle situations if probation & parole offenders or inmates become hostile & pose a physical threat. This requires the use of Oleoresin Capsicum “O.C. Spray” and firearms and carrying handcuffs.
• Officers may work varying schedules to include nights and week-end hours and may be called back to work at any hour of the day or night and be available 24/7 when called upon to assist any Department of Corrections Facility or Law Enforcement Agency.
• The Officer needs to physically make an arrest, defend selves, in high-risk volatile scenarios in and away from the office.
• Travel for job may be required up to 10%25 of the time in addition to travel for training.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation
• Generous State of Montana Benefits
• State of Montana employment may qualify for student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree