Ohio § 2301.27

§ 2301.27.

(A)(1)(a) The court of common pleas may establish a county department of probation.  The establishment of the department shall be entered upon the journal of the court,

and the clerk of the court of common pleas shall certify a copy of the journal entry

establishing the department to each elective officer and board of the county.  The department shall consist of a chief probation officer and the number of other

probation officers and employees, clerks, and stenographers that is fixed from time

to time by the court.  The court shall appoint those individuals, fix their salaries, and supervise their

work. (b) When appointing a chief probation officer, the court shall do all of the following: (i) Publicly advertise the position on the court's web site, including, but not limited

to, the job description, qualifications for the position, and the application requirements; (ii) Conduct a competitive hiring process that adheres to state and federal equal employment

opportunity laws; (iii) Review applicants who meet the posted qualifications and comply with the application

requirements. (c) The court shall not appoint as a probation officer any person who does not possess

the training, experience, and other qualifications prescribed by the adult parole

authority created by section 5149.02 of the Revised Code or the department of youth services, as applicable.  Probation officers have all the powers of regular police officers and shall perform

any duties that are designated by the judge or judges of the court.  All positions within the department of probation, except positions held by probation

officers in the juvenile division of a court of common pleas, shall be in the classified

service of the civil service of the county. (2) If two or more counties desire to jointly establish a probation department for those

counties, the judges of the courts of common pleas of those counties may establish

a probation department for those counties.  If a probation department is established pursuant to division (A)(2) of this section

to serve more than one county, the judges of the courts of common pleas that established

the department shall designate the county treasurer of one of the counties served

by the department as the treasurer to whom probation fees paid under section 2951.021 of the Revised Code are to be appropriated and transferred under division (A)(2) of section 321.44 of the Revised Code for deposit into the multicounty probation services fund established under division (B) of section 321.44 of the Revised Code . The cost of the administration and operation of a probation department established

for two or more counties shall be prorated to the respective counties on the basis

of population. (3) Probation officers shall receive, in addition to their respective salaries, their

necessary and reasonable travel and other expenses incurred in the performance of

their duties.  Their salaries and expenses shall be paid monthly from the county treasury in the

manner provided for the payment of the compensation of other appointees of the court. (4) Adult probation officers shall be trained in accordance with a set of minimum standards

that are established by the adult parole authority of the department of rehabilitation

and correction.  Probation officers in the juvenile division of a court of common pleas shall be

trained in accordance with a set of minimum standards that are established by the

department of youth services. (B)(1)(a) In lieu of establishing a county department of probation under division (A) of this

section and in lieu of entering into an agreement with the adult parole authority

as described in division (B) of section 2301.32 of the Revised Code , the court of common pleas may request the board of county commissioners to contract

with, and upon that request the board may contract with, any nonprofit, public or

private agency, association, or organization for the provision of probation services

and supervisory services for persons placed under community control sanctions.  The contract shall specify that each individual providing the probation services

and supervisory services shall possess the training, experience, and other qualifications

prescribed by the adult parole authority or the department of youth services, as applicable.  The individuals who provide the probation services and supervisory services shall

not be included in the classified or unclassified civil service of the county. (b) A court of common pleas that has established a county probation department or has

entered into an agreement with the adult parole authority as described in division (A) or (B) of section 2301.32 of the Revised Code may request the board of county commissioners to contract with, and upon that request

the board may contract with, any nonprofit, public or private agency, association,

or organization for the provision of probation services and supervisory services,

including the preparation of presentence investigation reports to supplement the probation

services and supervisory services provided by the county probation department or adult

parole authority, as applicable.  The contract shall specify that each individual providing the probation services

and supervisory services shall possess the training, experience, and other qualifications

prescribed by the adult parole authority.  The individuals who provide the probation services and supervisory services shall

not be included in the classified or unclassified civil service of the county.  A nonprofit, public or private agency, association, or organization providing probation

services or supervisory services under this division is hereby designated a criminal

justice agency in the provision of those services, and as such is authorized by this

state to apply for access to the computerized databases administered by the national

crime information center or the law enforcement automated data system in Ohio and

to other computerized databases administered for the purpose of making criminal justice

information accessible to state criminal justice agencies. (2)(a) In lieu of establishing a county department of probation under division (A) of this

section and in lieu of entering into an agreement with the adult parole authority

as described in division (B) of section 2301.32 of the Revised Code , the courts of common pleas of two or more adjoining counties jointly may request

the boards of county commissioners of those counties to contract with, and upon that

request the boards of county commissioners of two or more adjoining counties jointly

may contract with, any nonprofit, public or private agency, association, or organization

for the provision of probation services and supervisory services for persons placed

under community control sanctions for those counties.  The contract shall specify that each individual providing the probation services

and supervisory services shall possess the training, experience, and other qualifications

prescribed by the adult parole authority or the department of youth services, as applicable.  The individuals who provide the probation services and supervisory services shall

not be included in the classified or unclassified civil service of any of those counties. (b) The courts of common pleas of two or more adjoining counties that have jointly established

a probation department for those counties or have entered into an agreement with the

adult parole authority as described in division (A) or (B) of section 2301.32 of the Revised Code may jointly request the board of county commissioners of each county to contract

with, and upon that request the board may contract with, any nonprofit, public or

private agency, association, or organization for the provision of probation services

and supervisory services, including the preparation of presentence investigation reports

to supplement the probation services and supervisory services provided by the probation

department or adult parole authority, as applicable.  The contract shall specify that each individual providing the probation services

and supervisory services shall possess the training, experience, and other qualifications

prescribed by the adult parole authority.  The individuals who provide the probation services and supervisory services shall

not be included in the classified or unclassified civil service of the county.  A nonprofit, public or private agency, association, or organization providing probation

services or supervisory services under this division is hereby designated a criminal

justice agency in the provision of those services, and as such is authorized by this

state to apply for access to the computerized databases administered by the national

crime information center or the law enforcement automated data system in Ohio and

to other computerized databases administered for the purpose of making criminal justice

information accessible to state criminal justice agencies. (C) The chief probation officer may grant permission to a probation officer to carry

firearms when required in the discharge of official duties if the probation officer

has successfully completed a basic firearm training program that is approved by the

executive director of the Ohio peace officer training commission.  A probation officer who has been granted permission to carry a firearm in the discharge

of official duties, annually shall successfully complete a firearms requalification

program in accordance with section 109.801 of the Revised Code . (D) As used in this section and sections 2301.28 to 2301.32 of the Revised Code , “community control sanction” has the same meaning as in section 2929.01 of the Revised Code .