§15A-7-5. Powers and duties of state parole officers.

(a) Each state probation and parole officer employed by the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation shall:

(1) Investigate all cases referred to him or her for investigation by the Commissioner of Corrections and Rehabilitation and report in writing on the investigation;

(2) Update the standardized risk and needs assessment adopted by the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation pursuant to §62-12-13(h) of this code for each parolee for whom an assessment has not been conducted for parole by a specialized assessment officer;

(3) Supervise each parolee according to the assessment and supervision standards determined by the Commissioner of Corrections and Rehabilitation;

(4) Furnish to each parolee under his or her supervision a written statement of the conditions of his or her parole together with a copy of the rules prescribed by the Commissioner of Corrections and Rehabilitation for the supervision of parolees;

(5) Keep informed concerning the conduct and condition of each parolee under his or her supervision and report on the conduct and condition of each parolee in writing as often as required by the Commissioner of Corrections and Rehabilitation;

(6) Use all practicable and suitable methods to aid and encourage a parolee and to bring about improvement in his or her conduct and condition;

(7) Keep detailed records of his or her work;

(8) Keep accurate and complete accounts of, and give receipts for, all money collected from parolees under his or her supervision, and pay over the money to persons designated by a circuit court or the Commissioner of Corrections and Rehabilitation;

(9) Give bond with good security, to be approved by the Commissioner of Corrections and Rehabilitation, in a penalty of not less than $1,000 nor more than $3,000, as determined by the Commissioner of Corrections and Rehabilitation; and

(10) Perform any other duties required by the Commissioner of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

(b) Each probation and parole officer, as described in this article, may, with or without an order or warrant:

(1) Arrest or order confinement of any parolee or probationer under his or her supervision; and

(2) Search a parolee or probationer, or a parolee or probationer’s residence or property, under his or her supervision. A probation and parole officer may apply for a search warrant, and execute the search warrant, in connection to a parolee’s whereabouts, or a parolee’s activities. He or she has all the powers of a notary public, with authority to act anywhere within the state.

(c) Notwithstanding any provision of this article to the contrary, the Commissioner of Corrections and Rehabilitation may issue a certificate authorizing any state parole officer who has successfully completed the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s training program for firearms certification, which is the equivalent of that required of any correctional employee under §15A-3-10 of this code, to carry firearms or concealed weapons. Any parole officer authorized by the Commissioner of Corrections and Rehabilitation may, without a state license, carry firearms and concealed weapons. Each state parole officer, authorized by the Commissioner of Corrections and Rehabilitation, shall carry with him or her a certificate authorizing him or her to carry a firearm or concealed weapon bearing the official signature of the Commissioner of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

(d) State parole officers, in recognition of the duties of their employment supervising confinement and supervised release, and the inherent arrest powers for violation of the same which constitute law enforcement, are determined to be qualified law-enforcement officers as that term is used in 18 U.S.C §926B.

(e) Any state parole officer may carry a concealed firearm for self-defense purposes pursuant to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 926B if the following criteria are met:

(1) The Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation has a written policy authorizing a state parole officer to carry a concealed firearm for self-defense purposes;

(2) For those state parole officers wishing to avail themselves of the provisions of this subdivision, there shall be in place in the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation a requirement that those state parole officers must annually qualify in the use of a firearm with standards which are equal to or exceed those required of sheriff’s deputies by the Law-Enforcement Professional Standards Program; and

(3) The Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation issues a photographic identification and certification card which identify the state parole officers who meet the provisions of this subdivision, as law-enforcement employees of the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation pursuant to the provisions of §30-29-12 of this code.

(f) Any policy instituted pursuant to this subsection shall include provisions which:

(1) Preclude or remove a person from participation in the concealed firearm program;

(2) Preclude from participation persons prohibited by federal or state law from possessing or receiving a firearm and;

(3) Prohibit persons from carrying a firearm pursuant to the provisions of this subsection while in an impaired state as defined in §17C-5-2 of this code.

(g) Any state parole officer who participates in a program authorized by the provisions of this subsection is responsible, at his or her expense, for obtaining and maintaining a suitable firearm and ammunition.

(h) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting the amendments to this section during the 2022, regular session of the Legislature to authorize those state parole officers wishing to do so to meet the requirements of the federal Law-Enforcement Officer’s Safety Act, 18 U.S.C. § 926B.

(i) The privileges authorized by the amendments in this section enacted during the 2022, regular session of the Legislature are wholly within the discretion of the Commissioner of Corrections and Rehabilitation.