MultCo looks to fill 'vital' roles for public safety at Department of Community Justice

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Multnomah County launched a hiring campaign in late November to fill positions that are "vital" to community safety at the Department of Community Justice.

The campaign is asking community members to "come find your why" at the department, which helps youth, adults, and families with parole and probation services and aims to address underlying problems that drive crime.

The department also claims to have the only survivor-led victim and survivor services in Oregon.

DCJ has a variety of open roles including parole and probation officers, corrections technicians, and juvenile custody services specialists.

The roles will help with the thousands of people the department serves every year and can help keep low recidivism rates.

In 2022, of the 7,590 adults on supervision at the department, 4% were convicted of a misdemeanor or felony within one year of their supervision start date, according to the county.

Multnomah County highlights part of it's success with the help of the lived experience of some staffers.

As part of the campaign, Juvenile Court Councilor De'Andre Frison said he found his "why" as a role model.

“When I was 13 years old, I was placed on probation, during that process I realized there wasn’t somebody that had lived experience that had actually gone through the things I was going through at the time. So, I knew that once I had the opportunity to be that individual and provide my lived experience to be guidance for the youth going through that same process, I had to take full advantage of that opportunity. You’re a mentor, you're a family advocate,” Frison said.

DCJ highlights its recognition as a national leader by the American Parole and Probation Association, and hopes to reel in staff with competitive pay, benefits, and "generous" paid leave.