PRINTER'S NO. 347
No. 303 Session of 1983
INTRODUCED BY WACHOB, HALUSKA, PISTELLA, GALLAGHER, RYBAK, POTT,
VAN HORNE, MORRIS, DAWIDA AND PERZEL, MARCH 14, 1983
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 14, 1983
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of August 6, 1941 (P.L.861, No.323), entitled,
2 as amended, "An act to create a uniform and exclusive system
3 for the administration of parole in this Commonwealth;
4 providing state probation services; establishing the
5 'Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole'; conferring and
6 defining its jurisdiction, duties, powers and functions;
7 including the supervision of persons placed upon probation
8 and parole in certain designated cases; providing for the
9 method of appointment of its members; regulating the
10 appointment, removal and discharge of its officers, clerks
11 and employes; dividing the Commonwealth into administrative
12 districts for purposes of probation and parole; fixing the
13 salaries of members of the board and of certain other
14 officers and employes thereof; making violations of certain
15 provisions of this act misdemeanors; providing penalties
16 therefor; and for other cognate purposes, and making an
17 appropriation," further providing for hiring and training
18 standards for all adult, juvenile and county probation and
19 parole officers.
20 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
21 hereby enacts as follows:
22 Section 1. The act of August 6, 1941 (P.L.861, No.323),
23 referred to as the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole
24 Law, is amended by adding a section to read:
25 Section 13. (a) In order to qualify for hiring as a
26 probation or parole officer under this act or as a juvenile or
1 county probation officer, a person shall:
2 (1) Hold the minimum of a bachelors degree from an
3 accredited college or university; and
4 (2) Have successfully passed a standard parole officer
5 examination as established and administered by the State Civil
6 Service Commission. The commission may declare examinations
7 administered locally by municipalities to be equivalent to the
8 State examination.
9 (b) The commission may waive the degree requirement of
10 clause (1) of subsection (a) of this section in accordance with
11 standards jointly established by the board and Juvenile Courts
12 Judges Commission.
13 (c) In every calendar year of employment, all levels and
14 classifications of probation and parole officers shall complete
15 a minimum of forty hours of continuing training and education,
16 which shall include, but not be limited to:
17 (1) Relevant academic courses in accredited colleges and
18 universities.
19 (2) Professional development conferences.
20 (3) Inservice training workshops and seminars.
21 (4) Programs offered by other community and criminal justice
22 agencies and organizations.
23 (d) For purposes of this training, time spent in supervisory
24 conferences shall not be applied to the forty hour requirement.
25 (e) The employing unit of government shall either provide or
26 cover the cost of such approved training, either in full or as
27 specified in any applicable collective bargaining agreement.
28 (f) Employes who fail to meet the forty hour annual training
29 requirement shall be subject to administrative sanctions.
30 Section 2. The hiring qualifications of section 13(a) and
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1 (b) shall apply only to persons hired on and after the effective
2 date of this act.
3 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 90 days.
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