Parole officers and probation officers play a role in criminal justice systems by supervising offenders who have been released from incarceration and, often, in recommending sentencing in courts of law.
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Probation Officer Qualifications on wiseGEEK:
- Upon completing college, an individual must apply for a job with the federal probation service and undergo specialized training before being allowed to work in the field. Upon first applying to a probation officer training program, you must be over the age of 21 years and under the age of 37 years.
- Many local, regional, and national governments have regulations governing probation officer schooling requirements. These often change depending on whether a person is seeking a position as a federal probationofficer, juvenile probation officer, or another specialized position.
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Job description
Probation officers work to rehabilitate offenders by enforcing the conditions of court orders and release licences, conducting offender risk assessments in order to protect the public, and ensuring offenders' awareness of the impact of their crime on their victims and the public.
Each year, probation officers supervise around 225,000 offenders. They make assessments to advise courts, manage and enforce community orders, and work with prisoners during and after sentencing.
Probation officers interact with offenders, victims, police and prison colleagues on a regular basis. They also work closely with local authorities, social services, housing departments and a range of independent and voluntary sector partners.
Typical work activities
The work activities and tasks of a probation officer vary from day to day but typically involve some or all of the following:
- providing pre-sentence reports on people charged with an offence, which help magistrates and judges to decide what sentence should be passed;
- managing and enforcing community orders made by the courts, which may involve participation in group programmes (usually run by specially trained probation officers), ensuring offenders attend supervision with a probation officer, and/or ensuring offenders undertake unpaid work that benefits the community (if offenders do not cooperate, the probation officer will arrange their return to court for a further punishment);
- delivering specialist programmes to change offenders' attitudes and behaviour in order to help reduce further offending;
- providing specialist reports to prison governors and parole review boards that help determine whether a prisoner should be released and, if so, under what conditions (e.g. curfew/tagging order or probation supervision);
- undertaking meticulous record keeping and review processes;
- working with prisoners during and after their sentence, helping them to reintegrate into the community;
- liaising with victims of serious crime to keep them informed about a prisoner's progress in prison;
- gathering feedback from the victim(s) about the impact of the offence and any fears and concerns about the proposed release of the prisoner;
- working with other agencies to help local crime reduction and community safety (e.g. police, local authorities, courts, health services, substance/misuse/drug services, voluntary agencies and youth offending teams);
- managing approved premises (formerly called hostels), which provide accommodation for people on bail or probation or offenders on parole;
- attending court, sometimes to testify about written recommendations in reports
A probation officer works for the criminal justice system, supervising offenders who have not yet been sentenced for crimes or individuals who have been sentenced to probation or given suspended sentences. This differentiates a probation officer from a parole officer, who supervises prisoners who have been released early for good behavior. In some regions, the functions of parole and probation officer are combined for greater efficiency.
Primarily, a probation officer ensures that the terms of a probation are enforced. For example, a court may agree to put someone on probation if they agree not to consume drugs or alcohol, and to refrain from socializing with certain people. The probation officer meets with this individual along with family, friends, and employers, on a regular basis, and he or she may perform random visits or tests to ensure that the person is complying with the probation restrictions.
The number of people supervised by a probation officer varies, depending on region and the number of people out on probation at any given time. Most criminal justice systems try to keep people with the same officer, encouraging continuity of care. This also ensures that changes in behavior are quickly noted, as when someone meets with a probation officer once a month for three years, a sudden change in personality will be fairly obvious.
These members of the criminal justice community may or may not be law enforcement officers, depending on their training and the region. If a probation officer is a member of law enforcement, he or she can carry a weapon and serve arrest warrants. If not, the court may still grant a probation officer a concealed weapon permit for the purpose of self-protection in this potentially dangerous job.
In addition to supervising people, probation officers also write regular reports on their charges. These reports make note of good behavior, lapses on the terms of the probation, and missed or rescheduled meetings. While on probation, someone is subject to random searches or the revocation of probation based on information filed in this reports. These reports are also considered during the sentencing process.
Typically, a probation officer works with either adults or juveniles, but not both. He or she often has a degree in social work or a related field, in addition to specific training as a probation officer. In addition to monitoring offenders, probation officers also help to work on treatment andrehabilitation plans, and they may offer counseling and similar services as well.
