Juvenile and Adult Probation

Judicial departments within the counties deliver adult and juvenile probation services. In some counties, a single agency delivers all probation services. In others, juvenile probation, misdemeanor, or municipal probation may be under separate agency structures. The probation staff serves at the pleasure of the presiding judges, but the Judicial Conference of Indiana establishes employment eligibility and salary levels.

Arming policy is locally decided and is up to the “pleasure of the supervising judge”. The supervising judge decides the policy and rules for probation officers that are not already established by the Judicial Conference of Indiana.

Probation officers are not classified as peace officers. They do not have police powers to arrest or take into custody. Some departments have officers who are “special deputies” and who carry police officer capabilities through the trainings and certification they receive from law enforcement. For example, officers in Marion County’s probation field team have special deputy powers and they carry firearms. Allen County juvenile officers are special deputies and some (not all) also carry a firearm.   Indiana probation standards require all probation departments to have policies and procedures if the department is going to carry firearms.

Firearm education and training would comply with local law enforcement policies and procedures.

There are no private companies providing adult and juvenile probation supervision.

Juvenile and Adult Parole

The Parole Division (adult and juvenile) of the Indiana Department of Correction (under the Executive Branch) reports to the Deputy Commissioner of Programs and Community Services. There are nine parole districts that cover Indiana’s 92 counties.

Indiana’s firearm policy was instituted in 1995 in part by union pressures and partly due to a shooting in which an armed correctional officer killed a parolee.

Carrying a firearm is not mandatory for juvenile and adult probation/parole officers. They are not classified as peace officers but they do have the power to arrest or take into custody parolees. Psychological testing was done in the past, but was discontinued due to union pressure.

Trainers, trained by the Emergency Response Team, provide firearm training. Officers must have permanent status (at least 6 months) before they can take the training to carry. Only officers who choose to carry are required to take the training that must be proficiently completed prior to carrying a firearm. The officers receive additional training and are re-certified each year.

The officers are required to carry a 9/MM pistol that is provided by the state.

There are no private companies providing parole supervision services.

For updates or corrections to the information on this page, please contact: Diane Kincaid