Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Probation Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Salary board approves two new adult probation officer positions funded by supervision fees
Summary
Clearfield County’s salary board voted to create two adult probation officer positions — an ARD officer and an institutional officer — with the courts funding salaries from the probation supervision fund at $85,000 per year for four years.
Clearfield County’s salary board voted Wednesday to create two adult probation officer positions — one focused on Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) caseloads and one to handle institutional duties tied to jail turnover.
The change, requested by the courts, will be funded from the county’s probation supervision fund at a total of $85,000 per year for four years, according to the courts’ written agreement to commissioners.
Vocational services director Mr. Burkhart described operational reasons for the split. “Currently, our adult supervisor supervises a caseload of right now it's a 109 cases of ARD probation. But he also has all the duties of supervisor that oversees the department to aid adult officers and clerical staff. And it's difficult for that position to properly supervise staff, handling a caseload of a 109 individuals,” Burkhart said. He added the institutional officer would “handle all home plans, ... do drug testing from the jail on those cases that have concurrent probation and just manage the turnover to jail better.”
Commissioners and court officials said the reorganized roles aim to improve supervision, reduce jail days and let supervisors focus on administrative and training duties required to maintain state grant eligibility. Judge Cherry signaled support for the change and the written funding agreement with the commissioners.
The salary board motion to create the two positions passed without recorded opposition. The board noted the $85,000 figure is the total annual salary commitment for the two positions combined, not per position. Commissioners also discussed workplace location for the institutional officer, saying the county may allow the hire to be based in an annex office and travel to the jail as needed to improve recruitment prospects.
The new positions are to be funded through the probation supervision fund rather than general tax revenue, the courts said.
The salary board approved the minutes from its Jan. 7 meeting and then moved on to other items after the staffing vote.
