FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What do you need to qualify?
CSO - The minimum requirements for a CSO are 1) 18 years of age; 2) possess and maintain a valid California drivers license; 3) no felony convictions; 4) U. S. Citizen or permanent resident alien who has applied for citizenship; 5) high school diploma or GED.

DPO - The requirements are:
A) Bachelor's degree, preferably with a major in behavioral science, social science, psychology, sociology, criminology or a related field from a college/university; OR

B) An Associate's degree from a college/university OR 60 semester units of academic coursework PLUS 2 years of experience in custodial care, probation, parole, treatment counseling, correctional, patrol, and/or a criminal investigative field.

Substitution:
Related experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis up to a maximum of four (4) years.

2. What kind of experience do you need?
CSO - The CSO position is an entry level position and requires no prior experience.

DPO - The DPO position requires no prior experience if you have a Bachelor's degree. If you have an Associates degree or 60 semester units, you must have 2 years of related experience.

3. What is the difference between a DPO and a CSO?
A CSO position is an entry level position. The educational requirements are less in that the only educational requirement is a high school diploma. However, if you are interested in promoting to DPO, the CSO position provides the required experience if you don't have a Bachelor's degree. CSO's and DPO's staff our juvenile facilities and our adult Work Furlough facility. The Juvenile Facility consists of a 240-bed detention facility, which houses minors awaiting Court and waiting transfers to the commitment program or placement, and a 180-bed commitment program, a gymnasium, classrooms, large recreation fields, a vocational training center, program/facility administrative offices, a full scale kitchen and laundry, medical and visiting areas. Both CSO's and DPO's provide programming, such as the Thinking For a Change program to the minors in custody. The Juvenile Courts' building includes the juvenile delinquency, dependency and general courtrooms, Judges' chambers and related support space. CSO's also supervise work crews who are performing community service hours. The Work Furlough Program is an adult facility where individuals go to their regular jobs during the day and return to the facility at night.

Deputy Probation Officers have a wide variety of assignments and can be assigned to either supervise adults or juveniles. DPO's assigned to Investigation Units are assigned cases of clients who have been convicted, or a petition has been sustained for a criminal offense. DPO's interview clients, conduct victim interviews and determine restitution, where appropriate. DPO's assigned to investigations compile a prior history of criminal offenses and make a sentencing recommendation to the Judge regarding an appropriate sanction. If probation is recommended, the DPO assigned to the investigation also recommends appropriate terms and conditions of probation, based on the circumstances of the offense and previous criminal behavior, should the individual be placed on probation. In a Field Supervision assignment, the DPO supervises individuals the Court has placed on probation. They enforce the terms and conditions of probation that the Court has imposed. If an individual violates their terms and conditions of probation, it is the responsibility of the Field Services DPO to return clients to Court and inform the Court regarding the nature of the violation.

4. How much do you pay?
The starting pay for a Correctional Services Officer is $2,757.37 per month (however, initial appointment is usually made above the entry level salary). The starting pay for a Deputy Probation Officer is $3,505.46. For additional salary information, please refer to the Career Opportunities section for Corrections Services Officers and Deputy Probation Officers. There are also educational incentives for both classifications. Associate's degree - 2.5% above base salary; Bachelor's degree - 3.5% above base salary; Master's Degree - 5% above base salary. Additionally, employees are entitled to a shift differential for working evening and night shifts. Bilingual incentives also may apply based upon your job assignment and level of fluency.

5. Do you offer benefits?

If you are hired for a permanent position, you are entitled to benefits. The County offers peace officers “safety” retirement. Additional benefits offered to all permanent employees include medical, dental, and vision insurance. You may participate in both the 401 (k) and 457 deferred compensation plans. You will also receive paid vacation and sick leave and are offered optional group life insurance.

6. Where do I turn in my application?

While you may submit a paper application, if you wish, the Probation Agency highly recommends that you apply on-line. You may apply on-line at www.ventura.org/hr . If you choose to mail your application, the address is listed at the bottom of the job announcement. If you are applying for a student aide or volunteer position, you must return the application to Probation Administration at the Government Center in the Sheriff's Main Jail on the third floor.

7. What are the hours for a CSO?
Working as a CSO involves shift work. The specific shift hours vary slightly by the needs of the facility. However, the three shifts involve daytime, evening and night shifts. CSO's receive extra pay for working the evening shifts and night shifts. CSO's are required to work weekends.

8. What are the hours for a DPO?
DPO's primarily work Monday through Friday during the daytime. However, some assignments may require evening and weekend work. Another benefit is a 9/80 work schedule. DPO's, with their supervisor's approval, are allowed to work 80 hours in each two week pay period, usually 44 hours one week and 36 hours the next. This primarily means working 9 hours per day instead of the traditional 8, but every other weekend DPO's have a 3 day weekend. Certain DPO's assigned to the Investigations Units are allowed to telecommute, which means that they work from their home 3 days per week and only actually come into the office 2 days per week. DPO's assigned to work at the Juvenile Facility are required to work a schedule that may involve a nontraditional work schedule. This may include shift work as well as working weekend days. DPO's receive extra pay for working evening shifts and night shifts.

9. How long does the selection process take and what is involved in the process?

The application timeframe is as follows: Submit application (recruitment is generally open for 4 weeks). Applications are screened (2 weeks). Qualified candidates are invited to sit for exam(s), exam is now on-line and results are given the same day (1 week). Passing candidates are invited to a selection interview (2 weeks following exam). Top candidates are selected and referred to background (1 week following selection interview). You should expect the process to take about 10 weeks from the date you apply to the date you are notified of whether you will advance beyond the selection interview. If you are successful in the selection interview you will be placed into background, which can take approximately 4 months. The background process includes a polygraph examination, Live Scan fingerprinting, a psychological evaluation and physical examination. If you successfully complete the background process, you will receive a job offer.