Burleigh County juvenile probation services are under the jurisdiction of the Division of Juvenile Services within the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Burleigh County is found within Unit 3 of the DVS along with 19 other counties including Sheridan, Logan and Billings. Juvenile corrections specialists use a variety of programs to monitor, supervise and rehabilitate youths consigned to probation and detention aftercare.
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Degree Options for Juvenile Probation Officers in Burleigh County
Entry Level – Juvenile probation officer jobs in Burleigh County can be found on the North Dakota State Government human resources page. The job title for entering officers is Juvenile Corrections Technician, which receives a salary between $39,384 and $65,640 per year. Applicants must meet the following qualifications in order to become a Burleigh County juvenile probation officer:
- Must have a bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Social work
- Counseling
- Criminal justice
- Juvenile justice
- Should possess high moral character and be able to pass a background check
Juvenile Corrections Specialist – Upon promotion, officers can attain the title of Juvenile Corrections Specialist, which provides an annual salary between $42,816 and $71,352 per year. The minimum requirements for this position include a bachelor’s degree in social or behavioral sciences, or criminal justice and at least two years of experience in supervising juvenile delinquents. A master’s degree may be substituted for one year of work experience.
Senior Juvenile Corrections Specialists – The highest level officers are labeled Senior Juvenile Corrections Specialists with annual salaries ranging from $51,252 up to $85,416. This requires at least a bachelor’s degree and three years of work experience as a Juvenile Corrections Specialist.
Before entering field service, new officers must complete 40 hours of training. After the initial year, officers must complete training as prescribed by Professional Development Sessions.
Key Tools in Combating Juvenile Delinquency
One of the most important tools utilized by juvenile probation officers are the Juvenile Drug Courts, which have had 400 juvenile participants between 2000 and 2009. Of those, 169 have successfully completed the program. Almost 39 percent of participants were discharged from the program for noncompliance or other offenses. Since the inception of the program almost 95 participants have hailed from the Bismarck and Burleigh County region.
The South Central Judicial District which includes Burleigh County had almost 2,008 juveniles cases filed in 2009. Of these 745 were diverted to private treatment programs, while 476 were informally adjusted. About 554 were discharged without prosecution while 227 resulted in formal petitions. In 2009, the total number of juvenile cases in the state was 7,942.
Juvenile probation officers may implement a variety of methodologies to supervise youths including drug and alcohol testing, sex offender supervision and GPS monitoring. Officers who are in charge of juvenile sex offenders receive specialized training. This training includes the use of highly developed assessment tools like the Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool—Revised, which helps identify the unique needs and risks associated with the youth.