Profession as a Probation Officer Best for you?
One of the most challenging and probably rewarding professions in felony justice is that of a devoir officer. Copie officers take the front line in working with and monitoring released offenders in order to prevent these people from carrying out new criminal offenses and being reincarcerated. By helping to keep offenders out of prison, probation officers can improve the quality with the lives with their probationers when saving the government significant amounts of profit the process. Though significant progress is expected in the field for future years and the spend is generally great, working as a probation officer is not for everyone. This kind of paper supplies a review of the relevant literature to determine the responsibilities and typical work tasks of probation officials, the types of job environments that they encounter, countrywide salary levels and the view for this position in the future. A summary of the research and important conclusions concerning probation officers and their work are provided in the conclusion.
Review and Analysis
Background and Overview
Many people have likely either seen a examen officer on television or in the movies, but these quick glimpses into the busy lives of devoir officers tend not to reflect precisely what is actually included. According to Black’s Law Dictionary (1991), a examen officer is usually “one who supervises a person (commonly juveniles) added to probation by a court in a criminal going forward. They are required to report to the court the progress with the probationer also to surrender these people if they violate the terms and condition of their very own probation” (p. 1202). Also, the U. S. Bureau of Labor and Figures reports that probation officers “work with and screen offenders to stop them by committing new crimes” (Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, 2012). The general tasks described inside the foregoing meanings are consonant with the specific responsibilities that probation officials are expected to accomplish, which include the next:
1 . Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their particular progress in accomplishing goals and keeping the conditions specified inside their probation agreements and rehab plans.
2 . Recommend helpful action or perhaps initiate court action in answer to noncompliance with terms of probation or losung.
3. Provide drug and alcohol tests, including unique drug screens of offenders, to check compliance with substance abuse treatment programs.
4. Prepare and keep case file for each designated inmate or offender.
your five. Discuss with offenders how this kind of issues while drug and alcohol maltreatment and anger management complications might have performed roles inside their criminal habit.
6. Execute prehearing and presentencing brought on and state in court docket regarding offenders’ backgrounds and recommended sentences and sentencing conditions.
several. Inform offenders or inmates of requirements of conditional release, including office appointments, restitution payments, or educational and work stipulations.
almost eight. Write reports describing offenders’ progress.
9. Arrange for medical, mental well being, or substance abuse treatment companies according to individual needs or perhaps court requests.
10. Regulate people on community-based phrases, such as digitally monitored house detention, and offer field oversight of probationers by executing curfew inspections or visits to home, operate, or college (Probation police officer tasks, 2012, para. 2).
Although the tasks assigned to probation officers will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, the above-listed jobs are consistent with those responsibilities that are described in the relevant literature (Weisburd, Waring and Chayet, 2001). The demand to get probation representatives is expected to continue to boost through 2020. For instance, in line with the U. T. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, “Continued growth in the demand for examen and losung services will certainly lead to fresh openings to get officers” (Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, 2012, para. 2). About thirty seven, 300 fresh probation officers jobs are expected to be obtainable by 2020 (Probation expert tasks, 2012).
Educational and Aptitude Requirements
At present, the academic requirements pertaining to probation representatives usually incorporate a bachelor’s degree at a minimum and these requirements are generally above those required for police officers; nevertheless , this requirement also differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction (Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, 2012). In addition , most of employers also require copie officer job seekers to pass oral, written, and psychological examinations prior to becoming accepted pertaining to the position (Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, 2012). In the United States, the median annual rent for copie officers was $47, 2 hundred in mid-2010 (Probation representatives and correctional treatment experts, 2012), or perhaps about $23. 00 hourly (Probation expert tasks, 2012). There are currently about 93, 000 probation officers working in the United States (Probation officer tasks, 2012).
The credentials needed to become a probation officer haven’t always mirrored those necessary to become a officer; however , lately, the probation officer career has become even more professionalized, plus the difference involving the requirements to get police officers and probation representatives are becoming much less distinct. In this regard, Dominey (2010) reports that, “In yesteryear, there were significant differences in the arrangements pertaining to and targets of the teaching and education of those intending to become probation officers and police officers” (p. 6). More recently, even though, the devoir officer occupation has become carefully aligned with that of police authorities, but with a stronger emphasis on higher education as part of the method. As Dominey points out, “Over the past 10 years, the training intended for both occupations has moved closer collectively, with the use of nationwide vocational requirements and the creation of a array of awards located in higher education. Probation officer training has been situated in higher education for much of their history” (2010, p. 7).
Besides educational credentials, potential probation officials need to be aware of some of the additional requirements that go hand-in-hand with the work, including the next attributes set forth in Table 1 below.
Table one particular
Desirable Features for Copie Officers
Characteristic
Description
Integrity
The devoir officer job requires becoming honest and ethical.
Self-Control
The job needs maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult conditions.
Stress Tolerance
The job requires accepting critique and coping calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Consistency
The job needs being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling responsibilities.
Attention to Details
The job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing job tasks.
Adaptability/Flexibility
Job needs being available to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety at work.
Independence
The work requires developing one’s individual ways of performing things, guiding oneself with little or no oversight, and based on oneself to get items done.
Concern for Others
The work requires being sensitive to others’ needs and emotions and staying understanding and helpful at work.
Cooperation
The work requires becoming pleasant with others on the job and presenting a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Persistence
Finally, the job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Resource: Adapted from Police Officer Jobs, 2012 at http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary / 21-1092. 00
Types of Probation Representatives
Despite the characteristics in their task descriptions, you will find a number of different positions available for devoir officers, which includes those set forth in Table 2 beneath.
Table two
Types of Probation Officials
Position Type
Description
Copie officers
Also called as community oversight officers in certain states, these professionals supervise individuals who have been added to probation. They work to ensure that the offender is not really a danger for the community and also to help in their rehabilitation. Probation officers create reports that detail each offender’s treatment plans and their progress simply because were placed on probation. Many probation officers work with possibly adults or juveniles. Just in small , and mostly country, jurisdictions do probation representatives counsel both equally adults and juveniles.
Pretrial services representatives
These professionals research an offender’s background to determine if that offender may be safely allowed back into the community before their trial date. They must assess the risk and make a recommendation into a judge who decides on the appropriate sentencing or perhaps bond volume. When offenders are allowed back into the city, pretrial representatives supervise those to make sure that they will stay with the terms with their release and appear at their particular trials.
Losung officers
These types of officers work together with people who have recently been released by jail and are also serving losung to help them re-enter society. Parole officers monitor post-release offenders and provide them with various methods, such as drug abuse counseling or perhaps job schooling, to aid within their rehabilitation. By doing this, the officials try to change the offenders’ habit and thus reduce the risk of that individual committing another crime and having to return to jail or prison.
Correctional treatment professionnals
Also known as case managers or correctional advisors, these officers counsel offenders and develop rehabilitation programs for them to stick to when they are no longer in jail or on parole. They could evaluate inmates using questionnaires and emotional tests. They also work with inmates, probation officials, and staff of various other agencies to build up parole and release programs. For example , they may plan education and teaching programs to improve offenders’ job skills. Correctional treatment professionals write case reports that cover the inmate’s history and the chance that he or she