Deputy Probation Officer I - Institution

Placer County offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees, including:

• Holidays: 14 paid holidays per year, 2 of which are floating holidays*
• Vacation leave: 10 days/year with ability to accrue 25 days/year
• Sick leave: 12 days/year*
• Cafeteria plan: 6% of employee’s salary will be contributed towards employee to use towards 401(k), dependent care, medical co-insurance, or cash
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance available for employees and dependents
• $50,000 life insurance policy at no cost to employee
• CalPERS retirement plans
• Retiree medical insurance
• Deferred compensation
• Education allowance: up to $1,200 per year
• Bilingual incentive: incumbents may be eligible for bilingual incentive pay depending upon operational needs and certification of proficiency.

*Amounts will be prorated for part-time employees and employees hired after the first of the year.

The information above represents benefits currently available to permanent Placer County employees and may be subject to change. Applicants should inquire about the most current benefit package during hiring interviews or by contacting the Human Resources Department. For a detailed listing of benefits, please click here to view General benefits.

For more information regarding the benefits Placer County has to offer please visit Placer County's Human Resources website.

To provide for the care and custody of incarcerated juveniles in county institutions; and to provide counseling on an occasional basis to juvenile wards.

This is the entry level class in the Deputy Probation Officer - Institution series.  Incumbents work within the juvenile facility setting in any capacity for which they are properly trained and are expected to become fully trained in all aspects of institutional work. This class is distinguished from Probation Assistant in that the latter class performs technical work which does not require completion of Core training and Probation Assistant cannot assume sole responsibility for supervision of juveniles. This class is flexibly allocated with Deputy Probation Officer II – Institution.

Receives immediate to general supervision from a Supervising or Senior Deputy Probation Officer – Institution; may receive technical and functional supervision from a Deputy Probation Officer II - Institution. Following completion of required Title 15 training, the incumbent may perform direct supervision of juveniles alone.

• Organize and supervise a group of delinquent and/or emotionally disturbed juveniles on a shift in recreational, work, and study activities, including meals, personal hygiene, athletics, and housekeeping chores; confer with supervisory personnel regarding medical problems, etc. 
• Maintain security and safety of juveniles and staff; employ prescribed security measures while directing youths in their daily routine; handle routine disciplinary problems. 
• Make frequent security checks of assigned areas in the facility to safeguard the juveniles, building, and equipment against disturbances, fires, and other hazards. 
• Admit and release juveniles upon proper authority; book juveniles; make detention decisions. 
• Conduct individual and group crisis counseling to modify anti-social behavior and aid detainees in making proper adjustments to the detention situation; counsel juveniles and families in an attempt to create a constructive group social atmosphere. 
• May assist with the development of a treatment plan for detained children. 
• Communicate with parents, probation officers, police, or other individuals as required. 
• Keep and maintain records; prepare reports; may perform various clerical duties, such as typing and posting of booking records.
• Escort and transport adults and juveniles to a variety of locations, including court appearances within the County and in other states. 
• Search minors for weapons, contraband, or narcotics. 
• Serve meals.
• Participate in group and individual in-service training programs. 
• Perform related duties as required.

It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below.

Experience and Training:

Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying.  A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience: No experience is required.

Training: An Associate of Arts degree or equivalent (completion of 60 units at an accredited college, with at least 9 units in the behavioral sciences). Experience as a group or youth counselor, or other paid, full-time experience in related juvenile work may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

Required License or Certificate:

• Must successfully complete Section 832 Penal Code Training (Search and Seizure) within 90 days from date of hire.
• Must successfully complete the Basic Juvenile Institutions Course certified by the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) within one year from date of hire.
• Must successfully complete First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) within one year of date of hire. 
• Must maintain valid First Aid and CPR certificates.
• May need to possess a valid driver’s license as required by the position.  Proof of adequate vehicle insurance and medical clearance may also be required.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, a valid Class B driver’s license, or the equivalent, may be required depending on the particular assignment.

Special Requirements:

• Employees in this classification are peace officers as defined by section 830.5 of the Penal Code and must satisfy the State of California criteria for peace officer status.
• Must meet minimum standards required for Peace Officers as set forth in Section 1029 and 1031 of the Government Code.
• Must meet the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) standards in Title 15, Sections 130-132.
• Must pass a background investigation.
• Must meet physical standards established for County Safety employees, including a psychological examination that qualifies candidates to carry firearms.
• May be required to qualify for use of a firearm when assigned to transportation positions.

Knowledge of:

• Criminal justice structure and system.
• Human behavior.
• Principles and theory of criminal justice and rehabilitation as applied to criminal offenders including juveniles.
• Problems involved in handling juveniles under restraint.
• English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Report writing.

Ability to:

• Learn to maintain security and safety of incarcerated juveniles within an institutional setting.
• On an intermittent basis, analyze individual behavior and social systems; identify potential problems among clients; interpret and understand human behavior; explain procedures and policies to inmates; problem solve situations by mediating disputes; know routine safety and security measures.  Continuously observe wards and adults under supervision and remember past behavior and medications.
• On an intermittent basis, sit while preparing reports or counseling juveniles; walk to supervise wards within the institutions; stand, bend, and squat to book juveniles into the facility or perform searches; kneel to restrain a juvenile; climb in situations of pursuit; manage physical confrontations when individuals become physically abusive; use fine hand manipulation for handcuffs, weapons, and computer use; visual, auditory, and sense of smell needed for supervision of incarcerated juvenile; physically restrain juvenile and adult inmates; and lift very heavy weight.
• Learn to apply restraints, handcuffs, and shackles.
• Perform arrest, search, and seizure activities safely and within the confines of the law.
• Learn Departmental computer system and operation.
• Read and apply court orders.
• Exercise good judgment and make sound decisions under a variety of conditions.
• Inspire confidence and gain the respect of juvenile wards and adult program participants.
• Work effectively in difficult situations.
• Lift and carry a person in the event of an emergency.
• Act quickly and calmly in emergency situations.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Be sensitive to various cultural and ethnic groups present in the community.
• Maintain good physical, emotional, and mental condition to satisfactorily perform the functions of the position.

Online Examination (100%) 

The online examination may include multiple choice, true/false, fill-in, matching, and/or essay type questions directly related to the required knowledge and abilities for this classification.

Additional information and a study guide for this examination may be found on the BSCC website here.

Prior to the date of hire, applicants must undergo a fingerprint test by the Department of Justice, pass a medical examination (which may include a drug screening and possibly a psychological evaluation), sign a constitutional oath, and submit proof of U.S. citizenship or legal right to remain and work in the U.S.  For some positions, applicants may also be required to submit proof of age, undergo a background investigation (which may include a voice stress analysis and/or a polygraph), and/or be bonded. Additionally, positions in law enforcement classifications and those supporting law enforcement functions will be required to complete a conviction history questionnaire prior to or during the interview process. Applicants for positions with access to Medi-Cal billing software or who are licensed providers must clear the Federal Exclusion List, credentialing, and social security verification. Failure to clear these requirements may result in an employment offer being withdrawn.

The eligible list resulting from this recruitment may be certified as a substitute list for a substantially similar classification. For this purpose, a substantially similar classification is one at a lower level in the same classification (example: entry level vs. journey level) and/or a similar classification (similar work performed, similar training and experience qualifications required). If you are contacted for an interview by a County department, you will be informed of the classification and other relevant information. If you choose not to interview for a substantially similar classification, you will remain on the eligible list for which you originally applied.

Placer County offers an expedited process for qualifying certain applicants for interviews. Candidates currently employed, or employed within the last year, by a public agency operating under a personnel civil service or merit system may be eligible to be placed on a Public Agency Eligible List and certified as eligible for appointment to a similar job assignment without going through the examination process. For more information on the Public Agency Eligible List, to download forms, or to apply, please click here.

Thank you for your interest in employment with Placer County. Placer County is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to an active nondiscrimination program. It is the stated policy of Placer County that harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are prohibited and that all employees, applicants, agents, contractors, and interns/volunteers shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, transfer, and promotion will be based on the qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled regardless of gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, race (including traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks, and twists), color, ancestry, religion (including creed and belief), national origin, citizenship, physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics/information), age (40 or over),  marital status, military and/or veteran status, sex (including parental status, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), political orientation, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law. Please contact the Human Resources Department at least 5 working days before a scheduled examination if you require accommodation in the examination process. Medical disability verification may be required prior to accommodation.