(a) The Director of the Clay County Community Corrections Program and employees of the program shall constitute law enforcement officers of the State of Alabama with authority to make arrests and serve arrest and search warrants in the performance of their official duties to the same extent as deputy sheriffs are authorized and empowered in the counties, so long as he or she holds a current certification from the Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training Commission. The powers of arrest under this section shall be limited to investigations and arrests involving criminal acts committed at facilities of the program and acts committed by persons under their supervision which constitute a violation of supervision or the commission of a criminal offense. The program director or any community corrections employee with law enforcement authority may arrest any person under his or her supervision if he or she has probable cause to believe the offender has committed a criminal offense or violated the conditions of supervision. In case of an arrest without a warrant, the community corrections director or employee shall prepare a written warrant setting forth that the offender has, in his or her judgment, violated a condition or conditions of supervision or committed a criminal offense, and the warrant shall be sufficient for having the offender brought forthwith before the court for determination as to probable cause of the commission of a crime or charge of violation of a condition of supervision. The court may order detention of the offender pending further hearing, after which the court may revoke probation or participation in the community corrections program, or both, pursuant to Section 15-18-175(d)(3).
(b) The director and employees of the Clay County Community Corrections Program given power of arrest by this section shall be required to comply with the minimum standards in effect on May 13, 2019, relating to state law enforcement officers.