Great Falls, Montana, is part of Region 3 the Adult Community Corrections Division within the Nevada Probation and Parole Bureau. Region 3 has offices in Great Falls, as well as the following areas:
- Cascade City Regional Prison
- Cut Bank
- Havre
- Lewistown
- NEXUS
- Shelby
- Crossroads Correction Center
According to the Nevada Probation and Parole Bureau, there were about 12,800 felony offenders in Nevada in July 2012, with nearly 80 percent of those offenders (10,214) in community corrections. Of those offenders in community corrections, 7,915 were in a probation or parole program.
As of July 2012, there were 15 probation and parole officers in Great Falls who were responsible for a caseload of 852 offenders.
Education, Experience and Training Requirements
Individuals who want to learn how to become a probation or parole officer in Great Falls must first possess a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in one of the social science fields, including guidance, counseling, social work, criminology, psychology, or sociology, as well as two years of related experience.
Individuals may qualify, on a case by case basis, by substituting education requirements for formal education.
All candidates for parole and probation careers in Great Falls must be able to successfully pass a criminal fingerprint check, a background investigation, and a driver’s license check.
In addition to initial training through according to Montana public safety officer standards and training council, probation and parole officers in Great Falls must complete at least 14 hours of annual training directly related to their powers and duties.
Great Falls, Montana Probation and Parole Programs
Probation and parole officers in Great Falls may provide specialized services to offenders through a number of programs, including the Intensive Supervision Program (ISP), which provides increased supervision and drug and alcohol monitoring; the ISP Sanction Program, which includes increased supervision and a treatment component; and the Enhanced Supervision Program (ESP), which includes drug and alcohol testing and an alternative sanction component that helps offenders change their behavior as to reintegrate back into the community.
Probation and parole officers may also focus their caseload on specific populations of offenders, including those with mental health issues and gang affiliations, sexual offenders, those with chemical dependency issues, Native Americans, and Veterans.