The Indiana Probation Standards require all probation departments to have policy and procedure manuals. Specifically, Standard 1.3 states: “The Chief Probation Officer shall prepare a manual of policies and procedures for operation of the department that is consistent with existing laws and local rules. All written policies, procedures, rules and regulations should be dated, reviewed at least annually, and approved by the court(s).”
The commentary to Standard 1.3 states: “It is critical that such a document [the policy and procedure manual] reflect fundamentally sound and clearly understood directives. It [the policy and procedure manual] should be kept current and made available to all employees.”
Chief Probation Officers in need of assistance with drafting or revising policy and procedure manuals may contact the Office of Court Services at 317-232-1313.