Mo. Rev. Stat. § 559.609
The associate circuit or municipal judges approving the private entity to function as a probation office shall base their decision on factors such as length of time in the probation field, experience in supervising various types of offenders, the financial ability to operate a probation office in the jurisdiction, and other factors as the judges deem necessary and relevant.
(L. 1992 S.B. 540 § 1 subsec. 6)