(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 courts procedures, may hire multijudicial-circuit probation officers, to be employed through the courts 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.