Juvenile Probation and Parole

By statute, each county with a population of 100,000 or more has a County Juvenile Bureau which provides intake, probation, and aftercare services. Within the Executive Branch of state government, the Office of Juvenile Affairs, Department of Juvenile Justice, provides intake, probation, and parole services in other counties.

Juvenile Justice Specialists do not carry a firearm. They are not classified as peace officers and do not have the power to arrest or take a juvenile into custody against their will.

Oklahoma state statute O.S. 21-1277 prohibits certain places a person with a license can carry a concealed weapon; such as any public building, courthouses, airports, or any office that displays a sign saying weapons are prohibited.

At the time of the survey, there were no private companies providing juvenile probation aftercare/parole supervision services.

Adult Probation and Parole

In Oklahoma, within the Executive Branch, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Division of Probation and Parole/Community Corrections provides adult probation and parole services.

It is optional for adult probation and parole officers to carry a firearm except in the execution of a felony arrest. When conducting an arrest, at least one officer must be armed. In Oklahoma, they must be a state certified peace officer in order to be a probation or parole officer. They do have the power to arrest. Officers are customarily armed when conducting such tasks as home visits, serving of arrest warrants, field arrests and the recapturing of absconders. Except when conducting an arrest, the firearm must be concealed. Oklahoma’s firearm policy was instituted around 1970.

All officers are required to receive firearm education and training from the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) and must proficiently complete this training prior to being allowed to carry a firearm. CLEET training requires officers to receive psychological testing (MMPI-2). Officers are required to annually receive 16 hours of continuing education and training, two hours of which are training on handling the mentally ill.

The officers may carry a state issued firearm or they may provide their own firearm upon approval by the district supervisor. The state issues 9mm firearms, 4”-5” barrel. Personal firearms may be a 9mm, .40 caliber, or .45 caliber, also with a 4”-5” barrel. If an officer provides their own firearm, they must provide their own ammunition. They can often receive a law enforcement discount with a letter from the department stating that it will be used in the performance of their duties. Those using high capacity magazines normally have to supply a letter on department letterhead stating that it will be used in the performance of their job duties.

Generally, there are no private companies providing adult probation or parole supervision. However, there is at least one private probation office operating in Oklahoma.

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