Probation officer
A probation and parole officer is an official appointed to investigate, report on, and supervise the conduct of convicted offenders on probation or those released from incarceration to community supervision such as parole. Most probation and parole officers are employed by the government of the jurisdiction where they operate, although some are employed by private companies that provide contracted services to the government.
Duties and functions
The responsibilities of a probation or parole officer are varied. While most of the public considers these officers as mere supervisors of offenders, their role within the legal system is significantly broader and more complex. While their roles vary throughout the world, they are commonly responsible for upholding conditions of supervision as sentenced by a court or other governmental entity, which includes specific case management to reduce an offender's risk to re-offend.
At a minimum, they are required to possess above-average oral and written communication skills and have a broad knowledge of the criminal justice system. This includes knowledge of the roles, relationships, and responsibilities that are distributed among the government agencies and outside organizations such as the courts, the parole authority, the prison system, local jails, prosecuting attorneys, other law enforcement and corrections agencies, treatment providers, etc. Officers must understand the applicable case law and sentencing guidelines. Additionally, they must have the ability to work with an extremely diverse population of individuals who have been convicted of various crimes. They must also accept the potential hazards of working closely with a criminal population. In the United States, most jurisdictions require officers to have a four-year bachelor's degree and prefer a graduate degree for federal probation officer positions.
Officers are usually issued a badge or other credentials indicating their position and sometimes rank. In some cases, they may carry a pistol openly or concealed and often carry less-than-lethal devices such as pepper spray or tasers for self-protection. Typically, probation and parole officers do not wear standard law enforcement uniforms but dress in plainclothes, business, or casual attire.
The structure of probation and parole agencies varies. Traditionally, these agencies have a loosely based paramilitary command structure and are usually headed by a chief, field supervisor, or director. In some U.S. states, probation departments fall under a county sheriff, and officers may be uniformed and integrated into the agency's structure. In both systems, some parole and probation officers supervise general caseloads with offenders who are convicted of various offenses. Others may hold specialized caseload positions and work with specific offenders such as sex offenders, gang members, offenders sentenced to electronic monitoring (such as house arrest) or GPS monitoring, and cases with severe mental health, substance abuse, and/or/or violent histories.
- More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Probation_officer ]
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