There were 13,254 serious crimes committed in Salt Lake City in 2011, with most of the perpetrators being introduced or returning to the criminal justice system. And this figure does not include those convicted of lesser crimes. Probation officers – known in Salt Lake City as adult probation and parole officers to distinguish them from their juvenile officer counterparts and emphasize their dual-role capabilities – play a critical role in the rehabilitation of offenders. The Utah Department of Corrections has its central adult probation and parole office located in Salt Lake City, where it provides services to the city’s numerous offenders. In 2012 there were approximately 230 people employed as adult probation and parole officers in the city, making an average annual wage of over $46,000.
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Education for Salt Lake City Adult Probation and Parole Officers
Adult probation and parole officer jobs in Salt Lake City involve navigating the criminal justice system while at the same time conducting investigations and assessing their assigned offenders. This requires a level of skill and education, quantified by the State of Utah as at least a high school diploma. Preference can be shown to candidates with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, or criminal justice, as well as to candidates who are bilingual or who have related work experience.
Officers in Salt Lake City go through an extensive training process during the first year in their new career as they learn how to become probation officers. This involves gaining certification from the Department of Public Safety in the Correctional Officer II training course as well as CAT-I certification. After the first year’s training adult probation and parole officers must complete a total of 40 continuing education hours annually.
Candidates who are up for challenging careers and jobs as adult probation and parole officers can begin the application process by monitoring Utah’s state-level online jobs postings. Salt Lake City is located in region three of Utah’s Department of Corrections. Candidates cannot apply until there is an opening, and before applying candidates must create an online application account with the State’s department of human resources. There are four Department of Corrections Probation and Parole offices in the city that may list vacant positions on the state website:
- Orange Street Community Corrections Center
- Bonneville Community Corrections Center
- Fortitude Treatment Center
- Region Three Central Office
What to Expect in Salt Lake City
By a recent count adult probation and parole officers dealt with 6,923 offenders in Salt Lake City’s region, or 42 percent of all the offenders in the state. Officers work with people in a variety of legal circumstances, with the following being in order from most to least common:
- Felony Probation: the offender has made an agreement to abide by the terms of probation in the place of a prison sentence for a felony offense
- Parole: early release from a correctional facility because of good behavior or other reasons
- Class A Probation: the offender has been adjudicated of a Class A misdemeanor and agreed to follow his or her terms of probation