Juvenile Probation and Parole

The Probation Division of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS), within the Executive Branch of state government, administers probation services in 91 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. DCS also administers aftercare services in all 95 counties. In the other four counties, Juvenile Courts, within the Judicial Branch of state government, administer their own juvenile probation departments. Each of those counties has county probation officers employed by the Juvenile Court in addition to DCS probation officers.

Juvenile probation officers do not carry a firearm. They are not classified as peace officers and do not have the power to arrest.

There is a state law that prohibits probation officers from carrying a firearm.

At the time of the survey, it was not under consideration to allow these officers to carry a firearm.

Some private companies also supervise delinquent offenders on probation.

Adult Probation and Parole

In Tennessee, within the Executive Branch of state government, the Board of Probation and Parole, Division of Field Services oversees adult felony probation and parole supervision services and misdemeanor probation cases that were pled down from felony charges.

Adult probation and parole officers do not carry a firearm. They are not classified as peace officers and do not have the power to arrest.

By policy, adult probation and parole officers in Tennessee are prohibited from carrying firearms.

At the time of the survey, it was not under consideration to allow them to carry a firearm.

There are private companies providing adult probation supervision for cases from the General Sessions Court. There is a community corrections program that is a statewide grant. When a judge sentences them to community corrections, the offenders are sentenced to public and private community corrections agencies with fiscal oversight provided by the Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole. The counties manage community corrections programs.

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