Department of Community Supervision: Parole Officer Many people who find themselves engulfed in law enforcement or criminal justice careers desire to serve their community; to help others and protect the citizens from offenders who have caused harm, by breaking the law. There are several career paths that a person can take to achieve their goal to serve their communities. Parole officers focus their efforts on enforcing conditions of release, incarcerating those who fail to comply with those conditions, reintegrating offenders safely into society, and closely monitoring parolees, thereby protecting the community. Siegel and Worrall (2014) defined parole as “the planned community release and supervision of incarcerated offenders before the …show more content…
expiration of their full prison sentence (p. 328). Prison overcrowding, budget constraints and changes in mandatory sentencing guidelines are a few reasons parole is being embraced for non violent offenders. The cost of parole supervision in 2014 was about $4.03 per parolee, compared to $53 per inmate/per day to incarcerate an offender with the Department of Corrections (pap.georgia.gov). There are more cost-effective options for rehabilitating offenders. The increase in cost effectiveness and the need for community supervision means there is a greater demand for parole officers. Requirements Minimum Requirements As with many employment opportunities, there are minimum requirements that must be met before one can be considered for a position as a Parole Officer. An applicant must be at least 21years of age, have U.S. Citizenship, have no felony convictions and have a valid driver’s license. The applicant must have acceptable scores on the COMPASS, ASSET, SAT, ACT, or CPE test or have passed the Criminal Justice Test (pap.georgia.gov) Education The education requirements for parole officers in Georgia are a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited 4-year college in social work, criminal justice, behavioral sciences, or a Master’s Degree. Training Parole officers undergo extensive training for employment. Parole Officers are classified as POST certified state peace officers with authority to carry firearms and arrest parolees. They must successfully complete a minimum of eight week Peace Officer Standards and Training course at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center located in Forsyth, Georgia. All parole officers must complete an additional 20 hours of in-service training on an annual basis, including mandatory firearms qualification and use of deadly force (pap.georgia.gov). Selected candidates will undergo four weeks of job relevant Basic Probation Officer Training (BPOT). Job Duties The job duties and responsibilities for a position with the State Board of Pardons and Paroles include: interviewing prison inmates, their family, former employers, and other community references to prepare background investigations.
They combine current and past criminal information on inmates from police and judicial sources into complete legal reports which assist Parole Board Members with parole decisions. Officers supervise those who are approved to be released on parole and work with other state agencies and community resources to build intervention programs which facilitate the parolee's successful integration back into society. The officer may perform random drug testing, monitor employment history and meet weekly or bimonthly with the offender to guide the parolee's observance of parole conditions …show more content…
(pap.georgia.gov). Personal Characteristics To meet the demands of this position, Parole Officers need to possess a variety of personal skills such as communication skills, critical thinking, emotional stability and organizational skills.
Communication skills include written communication, verbal communication and even body language. These are important because Probation Officers must be able to effectively listen and interact with different people. A probation officer with good communication skills is able to help the offender understand what is expected and acceptable behavior during probation. Probation officers need to make logical decisions; in a timely manner and critical-thinking helps officers assess the needs of individual offenders before determining the best resources for helping them. Emotional stability is an important skill workers must possess because they also cope with hostile individuals or otherwise upsetting circumstances on the job. Organizational skills include an attention for detail, multitasking abilities, proficient use of an organizational/computer system and strong memory recall. Organizational skills are essential because officers are responsible for reporting back to supervisors and keeping detailed records of their clients. Probation officer should also be able to stay on top of relevant and current resources available in the community that may serve the differing needs of their clients. Probation officers must be able to manage multiple cases at the same time
(bls.gov). Salary The salaries for Georgia Parole officers vary based on the competitiveness in the area and the population. Larger cities pay more than smaller ones because there is a greater demand for Parole Officers. The average pay is about $32,000.00 per year (bls.gov). Specialization Some probation officers specialize in a certain type of casework. For example, an officer may work only with domestic violence offenders, sex offenders, or with substance-abuse cases. Officers receive training specific to the group that they are working with so that they are better prepared to help that type of offender. In Georgia, the sex offenders who are granted parole are supervised by the Department of Community Supervision. Sex offenders are the most closely monitored group of parolees. Under the supervision of Georgia’s Department of Community Supervision, they are subject to intensive parole conditions in addition to the standard parole conditions. These conditions protect other innocent children from becoming victims. After researching the option of Parole Officer as a career, I have concluded that this choice may be a good fit for me. I consider community safety my principal mission. I would like to work for the Georgia Department of Community Supervision as a Parole Officer who specializes in monitoring sex offenders. The education and certification requirements are achievable and compatible with the Computer Science degree I have. Serving my community by protecting the innocent outweighs the strenuous case loads and paperwork the job requires. Being able to monitor a sex offender and keep him or her from damaging the life of another innocent person, would make this job rewarding. It would also be rewarding to help someone reenter society and become a productive member who does not act on criminal impulses..
Parole is a controversial issue because its vase ways to debate the challenges and problems that will exist. It’s like a side effect to medication based on one’s effectiveness belief. In like manner, the public media allows others who aren’t immediately effected to become tertiary, and secondary victims. It is the door to open opinions. An inmate is released from a sentence given parole and then assigned a parole and probation officer. The one thing that will make probation and parole successful is the supervision of the program and rehabilitation or residential treatment center. This will support the goal to maximize the good behavior and minimize the harmful behaviors of individuals. Probation is a good program because it’s a form of rehabilitation that gives inmates elevate space to obey rules and regulations. On the contrary, probation is risky just like any new diet plan that people use to
Without proper motivation, many inmates may lose sight of their overall goal to improve their behavior. However, for the safety of the public, the requirements for parole should be strict enough to allow only the rehabilitated individuals out so there are less chances of violent re-offenders within the public. These constraints should serve only to filter out dangerous individuals, and should be flexible enough to provide the hope necessary to benefit offenders who are ethically ready to enter the general public. Furthermore, having the parole available to those who deserve it increased the overall compliance of inmates within prisons. Everyone deserves a second chance and probation should not serve to deprive offenders of that.
The offender must meet with the probation officers in the schedule dates. In case the offenders is not doing what she/he are suppose to do their probation could be revoked which means that most likely they would go back to jail. Probation officers are in charge of different offenders with different criminal offenses. Probation officers have a big caseload. Probation officers main goal is for offenders to rehabilitate and built better lives that doesn't involve criminal activity. A probation officer duty is to main contact with the offender and at least go see him once a month. The probation officer should visit the offender at his house, school, or work. The offenders also have to meet up with the probation officer at the Probation Center. A day in the life of a probation officers varies, they are always risking their life because they meet up with offenders from minor offenses to murder. A probation officer is trying to change the lives of criminals and sometimes it is impossible to help the criminals if they keep choosing
Zhang, S. X., Roberts, R. E. L., & Callanan, V. J. (2006). Preventing parolees from returning to prison through community-based reintegration. Crime & Delinquency, 52(4), 551-571.
There is some important history he or she should know about the profession. Probation and parole officers have been around for quite some time. They are very important in the society we have today.
If I was to become a probation officer, one thing I would want to be is efficient, and successful. There would be several things I would try to focalize my attention on; supervision in communities, and its importance. Probation officers have very complex, and hard job; but if done with the right intentions, and the will to help people you can help change people’s lives.
from arrest through parole, rather than the result of the activities at any single phase. Addressing
Given what’s been said, one may ask me why it is that I aspire to be a correctional officer. And the answer to that question is rather simple. I want to be a correctional officer because I thrive on a rush of euphoria to course through my veins. And being a correctional officer will allow an endless supply of euphoria to course through my veins. And with that said, I don’t need to further explain why such a career is what I long for.
All in all, the ideas surrounding the criminal justice system were affirmed by the field practice experience. Many open doors have resulted from the venture into the field of probation. As an advocate and future employee of the criminal justice system the skills and intellect gained from the college of criminal justice at SHSU along with the internship opportunity with the Dallas County Adult Probation Department will serve as a path to a successful career. The talented individuals and extraordinary situations encountered on the journey will not be forgotten.
Each of these criminal justice professionals keeps the criminals off the street or discovers ways to return them to society. Criminal justice professionals must be able to work with your mind and help protect the rights of others. The roles, responsibilities, and various career opportunities within these fields are vital to serving societal needs.
Helping people is also something I enjoy. To me, correctional officers not only take charge over the inmates, but also help them. Arranging counseling meetings, making sure they get where they need to be, and making sure that they have all of their necessities are just a few ways that the officers help make their stay as laid-back as possible. In movies and television shows, prison guards are portrayed as nasty and offensive to the inmates, but that is not permitted in reality. Correctional officers still respect and care for the inmates. Becoming a correctional treatment specialist also appealed to me. According to an article by Kristen Mallegg, “correctional treatment specialists who also may be known as case managers or correctional counselors, counsel offenders and develop rehabilitation plans for them to follow when they are no longer and prison or on parole.” (Mallegg 88) She adds, “They may evaluate inmates using questionnaires and psychological tests. They also work with inmates, probation officers, and staff of other agencies to develop parole and release plans.” (Mallegg 88) This kind of work interests me because I enjoy helping others develop plans of action and giving
Walker, Jeffery T., Ronald G. Burns, Jeffrey Bumgarner, and Michele P. Bratina. "Federal Law Enforcement Careers: Laying the Groundwork." Journal of Criminal Justice 19.1 (2008): 110-135. Web. 20 Apr 2011.
School-based probation allows the probation officer to “ intervene in crisis situations involving the juvenile probationers, assist schools in handling disruptive behavior by probationers and other youths, coordinate interventions with the schools and other agencies, coordinate reentry efforts for youth returning from a juvenile justice facility, and serve as an agent of early intervention for disruptive or truant youth who are not yet involved in the juvenile justice system (Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention, n.d., p.
To support reintegration, correctional workers are to serve as advocates for offenders in dealing with government agencies assisting with employment counseling services, medical treatment, and financial assistance. They argued that corrections focal point should be increasing opportunities for the offenders, to become law abiding citizens and on providing psychological treatment. This model of corrections advocates avoiding imprisonment if possible for the offender and also in favor of probation, therefore offenders can obtain an education and vocational training that would help their adjustment in the community. In the community model corrections advocated for inmates incarcerated to spend very limited time in prison before been granted parole.
...ernment. On the other hand, probation is a judicial function. Also, parolees have already spent time in prison before being released into to the community while probationers usually haven’t (in most states). In some jurisdictions, both are supervised by state employed officers or agents, while in others they are supervised by separate probation or parole agencies (Stohr, Walsh, & Hemmens, 2013, p.270). Parole and probation officer (sometimes these jobs are combined in some jurisdictions) have two common roles: to protect the community and to assist the probationers/parolees to become more productive, law-abiding members of the community. This dual role makes them both law enforcement officers as well as social workers.