Juvenile Probation Officer Careers in Columbia, South Carolina

Richland County and Columbia are part of South Carolina’s 5th Judicial District, which had 1,227 new juvenile cases in FY2011-2012, an 11 percent increase from the previous year. Of those, 81 percent of those cases were classified as violent or serious, a 35 percent increase from the previous year.

Further, 38 percent of all the new juvenile cases in FY2011-2012 were referred to probation.

Eligibility for Juvenile Probation Officer Careers in Richland County, South Carolina

Degree – Juvenile probation officer careers in Columbia are available to candidates who possess a bachelor’s degree in a social services or a human services program. Further, candidates must possess at least one year of probation or parole work.

Exams – All candidates for juvenile probation officer jobs must be able to pass a background investigation, a drug test, and a medical examination.

Basic Training – Juvenile probation officers, although they do not need to be certified in South Carolina, must receive at least 62 hours of basic training within 3 months of being hired.

Ongoing Training – All juvenile probation officers must also complete 68 hours of annual, in-service training within the first year and 40 hours each additional year.

About the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice

The South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), a state cabinet agency, provides services to juveniles and their families through 43 county offices, which serve the state’s 46 counties. Juvenile probation officers in Columbia, also commonly referred to as community case managers, serve about 5,000 juveniles each year.

The DJJ is responsible for incarcerated juveniles, as well as juveniles on parole or probation. The DJJ is broken down into four divisions and two support offices:

  • Division of Community Services
  • Division of Rehabilitative Services
  • Office of Planning and Programs
  • Office of the Inspector General