Adult Probation Officer Recruitments

Do you have what it takes to be an Adult Probation Officer?

Probation Officers can make a positive difference in the lives of criminal offenders, providing them with the skills, resources, and accountability to live a productive, law-abiding life.  Due to the nature of the work, it is important for candidates to assess if they possess the skills and personal characteristics needed to succeed as a Probation Officer. Candidates are asked to consider the following information carefully.

Are you:

• A person of integrity? Do you possess sound moral and ethical principles, are trustworthy, reliable, accountable for your actions and act with honor?
• Someone that is Motivational?  Can you support and encourage behavior change?
• A clear communicator?  Can you interact, actively listen, and engage justice-involved individuals in a supportive and respectful manner to assist in the behavioral change process?
• Organized and able to meet deadlines? Can you manage time and deadlines while juggling other operational demands?
• Able to complete paperwork and administrative work on a daily basis? This is a large part of the Probation Officer position.
• Able to express your thoughts in writing? Having the skills to document activity, decisions, and progress in a clear, credible, and concise manner is a very important skill to possess in this role. In addition, the ability to critically evaluate information and evidence and present it in a convincing manner is equally important.
• Able to work any time? A probation officer's duties typically are not Monday-Friday, 8 to 5.  Dependent on the assignment, there will be times when officers will work evenings, nights, or weekends. These hours give probation officers the freedom to flex their work schedule. 
• Personable and relationship-oriented? Much of your time will be spent in the community, meeting with justice-involved individuals, family members, employers, and treatment providers to assist in effective behavior-change and relationship-building.
• Comfortable with uncertain situations? Although very rare, you could find yourself in a situation where your safety may be compromised.
• Emotionally stable? Are you able to draw clear and healthy emotional boundaries?
• A critical thinker? Can you analyze complex information to form judgments and draw conclusions while considering the implications and consequences of all options?
• A decision-maker? Can you select logical and optimal choices from all available options?

If you believe you have the skills mentioned above and want to embark on a career where you can change the lives of those in your community, we welcome you to join our team, a team for positive change!

Minimum Requirements

The following are the minimum requirements for Adult Probation Officers Pursuant to the Arizona Code of Judicial Administration Part 6, Chapter 1, Section 6-106 and A.R.S. §§ 12-251(C) and 8-203(C):

• Be a United States Citizen or have legal resident status
• At a minimum, possess a bachelor's degree from a college or university accredited by the US Department of Education or CHEA
• Be a minimum age of 21 years

Pay

Candidates will start at the pay rate of $29.00 per hour and are eligible for a one-time payment of $1,500.00 after six months and another one-time payment of $1,500.00 after 18 months of continuous employment.  Placement at a higher salary rate may be considered for prior comparable, directly related probation or parole experience. 

Want to know what an Adult Probation Officer Does?

Check out our Adult Probation Officer recruitment video and then see the Maricopa County Adult Probation Department in action in this PBS Presentation:

Department Ride-Alongs

If you are interested in scheduling a Ride-Along to learn more about the Adult Probation Officer position, please email APDRideAlong@jbazmc.maricopa.gov.

Adult Probation Officer Recruitment Process:

The process will generally take 3-6 months but may take longer to complete. Applicants will advance to the next stage of the process once they have successfully completed and passed the previous step. 

 A timeline of the process:

• Applications will only be accepted online during the posting period on our website. Resumes cannot be submitted in lieu of an application.
• A link to our online background packet is emailed to you to be completed and returned. This is an extensive questionnaire that requires you to fill out personal information and provide supporting documents. This step may take you 2-3 hours to complete.  A typical time to complete the packet and return it could take you up to 2 weeks.   It is advisable to start collecting your documents at the time you submit your application.  The documents you will need are listed on the upper right-hand side of this page.
• Background investigations are conducted and usually take 2-4 weeks but may take longer. During this time, job history will be validated, and references will be contacted.
• Background interviews are conducted.
• Polygraphs are performed by our polygraph vendors. Results can take up to a week to receive.  Polygraphs are conducted in person in the Phoenix area for all applicants.
• Psychological Evaluation.  Like the polygraph, the psychological evaluation is completed in person in Phoenix for all applicants.  Due to the time it takes to evaluate the results, the polygraph, and psychological evaluations, typically are not conducted on the same trip should you need to travel from another state.  Travel expenses are the responsibility of the applicant. 
• For successful candidates, start dates are then coordinated.

Probation Officer Academies for Successful Hires:

Probation Officer Academies are conducted quarterly. Our Academies are primarily conducted at our offices Monday through Friday during normal business hours. For those that are hired prior to the start of an academy, you may work in a shadowing capacity with an experienced officer.

The Probation Officer Academy consists of:

• New Employee Orientation (1 week)
• New Officer Training, Education, and Skill Building (3 weeks)
• Probation Officer Certification (2 weeks)
• Defensive Tactics (1 week)
• Field Coaching (1 week)

Frequently Asked Questions for Prospective Adult Probation Officers:

Click here for Answers

Communications

Most of our communications for the Adult Probation Officer position are conducted by email. Please check your email (and junk mail) regularly if you are involved in one of our open recruitments.

If you have any additional questions about this recruitment, please contact us at 602-372-9675, APDRecruitment@JBAZMC.maricopa.gov, or via social media.