Sec. 8. (a) As used in this section, "board" refers to the board of directors of the judicial conference of Indiana established by IC 33-38-9-3.

(b) The board shall adopt rules consistent with this chapter, prescribing minimum standards concerning:

(1) educational and occupational qualifications for employment as a probation officer;

(2) compensation of probation officers;

(3) protection of probation records and disclosure of information contained in those records;

(4) presentence investigation reports;

(5) a schedule of progressive probation incentives and violation sanctions, including judicial review procedures; and

(6) qualifications for probation officers to administer probation violation sanctions under IC 35-38-2-3(e).

(c) The conference shall prepare a written examination to be used in establishing lists of persons eligible for appointment as probation officers. The conference shall prescribe the qualifications for entrance to the examination and establish a minimum passing score and rules for the administration of the examination after obtaining recommendations on these matters from the probation standards and practices advisory committee. The examination must be offered at least once every other month.

(d) The conference shall, by its rules, establish an effective date for the minimum standards and written examination for probation officers.

(e) The conference shall provide probation departments with training and technical assistance for:

(1) the implementation and management of probation case classification; and

(2) the development and use of workload information.

The staff of the office of judicial administration may include a probation case management coordinator and probation case management assistant.

(f) The conference shall, in cooperation with the department of child services and the department of education, provide probation departments with training and technical assistance relating to special education services and programs that may be available for delinquent children or children in need of services. The subjects addressed by the training and technical assistance must include the following:

(1) Eligibility standards.

(2) Testing requirements and procedures.

(3) Procedures and requirements for placement in programs provided by school corporations or special education cooperatives under IC 20-35-5.

(4) Procedures and requirements for placement in residential special education institutions or facilities under IC 20-35-6-2.

(5) Development and implementation of individual education programs for eligible children in:

(A) accordance with applicable requirements of state and federal laws and rules; and

(B) coordination with:

(i) individual case plans; and

(ii) informal adjustment programs or dispositional decrees entered by courts having juvenile jurisdiction under IC 31-34 and IC 31-37.

(6) Sources of federal, state, and local funding that is or may be available to support special education programs for children for whom proceedings have been initiated under IC 31-34 and IC 31-37.

Training for probation departments may be provided jointly with training provided to child welfare caseworkers relating to the same subject matter.

(g) The conference shall, in cooperation with the division of mental health and addiction (IC 12-21) and the division of disability and rehabilitative services (IC 12-9-1), provide probation departments with training and technical assistance concerning mental illness, addictive disorders, intellectual disabilities, and developmental disabilities, including evidence based treatment programs for mental illness and addictive disorders and cognitive behavior treatment.

(h) The conference shall make recommendations to courts and probation departments concerning:

(1) selection, training, distribution, and removal of probation officers;

(2) methods and procedure for the administration of probation, including investigation, supervision, workloads, record keeping, and reporting; and

(3) use of citizen volunteers and public and private agencies.

(i) The conference may delegate any of the functions described in this section to the advisory committee or the office of judicial administration.

As added by Acts 1979, P.L.120, SEC.6. Amended by Acts 1980, P.L.89, SEC.5; P.L.240-1991(ss2), SEC.68; P.L.1-1992, SEC.71; P.L.18-1995, SEC.2; P.L.55-1997, SEC.2; P.L.98-2004, SEC.82; P.L.85-2004, SEC.44; P.L.1-2005, SEC.125; P.L.141-2006, SEC.10; P.L.145-2006, SEC.31; P.L.1-2007, SEC.102; P.L.147-2012, SEC.2; P.L.117-2015, SEC.9; P.L.179-2015, SEC.8; P.L.149-2016, SEC.41; P.L.161-2018, SEC.24.