§62-12-5. Probation officers and assistants.

(a) Each circuit court, subject to the approval of the Supreme Court of Appeals and in accordance with its rules, is authorized to appoint one or more probation officers and clerical assistants.

(b) The appointment of probation officers and clerical assistants shall be in writing and entered on the order book of the court by the judge making such appointment and a copy of the order of appointment shall be delivered to the Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals. The order of appointment shall state the annual salary, fixed by the judge and approved by the Supreme Court of Appeals, to be paid to the appointed probation officer or clerical assistants.

(c) The salary of probation officers and clerical assistants shall be paid at least twice per month, as the Supreme Court of Appeals by rule may direct, and they shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred in the line of duty in the field. The salary and expenses shall be paid by the state from the judicial accounts thereof. The county commission shall provide adequate office space for the probation officer and his or her assistants to be approved by the appointing court. The equipment and supplies as may be needed by the probation officer and his or her assistants shall be provided by the state and the cost thereof shall be charged against the judicial accounts of the state.

(d) A judge may not appoint any probation officer, assistant probation officer, or clerical assistant who is related to him or her either by consanguinity or affinity.

(e) Subject to the approval of the Supreme Court of Appeals and in accordance with its rules, a judge of a circuit court whose circuit comprises more than one county may appoint a probation officer and a clerical assistant in each county of the circuit or may appoint the same persons to serve in these respective positions in two or more counties in the circuit.

(f) Nothing contained in this section alters, modifies, affects, or supersedes the appointment or tenure of any probation officer, medical assistant, or psychiatric assistant appointed by any court under any special act of the Legislature heretofore enacted, and the salary or compensation of those persons shall remain as specified in the most recent amendment of any special act until changed by the court, with approval of the Supreme Court of Appeals, by order entered of record, and any such salary or compensation shall be paid out of the State Treasury.

(g) In order to carry out the supervision responsibilities set forth in §62-26-12 of this code, the Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals, or his or her designee, in accordance with the court's procedures, may hire multijudicial-circuit probation officers, to be employed through the court's Division of Probation Services. Such officers may also supervise probationers who are on probation for sexual offences with the approval of the administrative director of the Supreme Court of Appeals or his or her designee.

(h) 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, state probation officers are determined to be qualified law-enforcement officers as that term is used in 18 U.S.C. § 926B.

(i) Any state probation 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 Supreme Court of Appeals has a written policy authorizing probation officers to carry a concealed firearm for self-defense purposes.

(2) There is in place a requirement that the state probation officers annually qualify in the use of a firearm with standards for qualification which are equal to, or exceed those required of sheriff's deputies by the Law-Enforcement Professional Standards Program;

(3) The Supreme Court of Appeals issues a photographic identification and certification card which identify the state probation officers as qualified law-enforcement employees pursuant to the provisions of §30-29-12 of this code.

(j) 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 defines in §17C-5-2 of this code.

(k) Any state probation 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.

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

(m) The privileges authorized by the amendments to this section enacted during the 2022 regular session of the Legislature are wholly within the discretion of the Supreme Court of Appeals.

(n) The Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals, or his or her designee, may hire field training probation officers to provide uniform training to new and current probation officers statewide.  A field training probation officer shall have all the powers granted to a probation officer under this code while performing his or her duties.