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Parole Officer Job Description
The parole officer job description describes the important role of monitoring and supervising recently released offenders of the law. On the city, county, state, and even federal level, these officers, within their jurisdiction, work with criminals who were recently released from a sentence early and are thus being monitored for good behavior. The career helps to progress the criminal justice system and maintain public safety, and is therefore a rewarding and fulfilling career‚ and also a good reason to enroll in courses and go back to school if you are looking for a change.
When a former prisoner is released from their sentence prior to the originally set date, this semi-freedom can be revoked at any time based on bad behavior, such as repeating offenses that got them imprisoned in the first place, or doing otherwise illegal things. Allowing the prisoners to have this parole sentence means an opportunity for them to re-assimilate back into society and to avoid jeopardizing this opportunity.
Duties of a Parole Officer
A parole officer is not to be confused with a probation officer. Parole officers maintain an individual’s conditional release based on good behavior and staying away from illegal activities. A probation officer works with criminals who have been placed on probation in lieu of serving jail time. The two perform similar functions, but work with different individuals and for different reasons.
What the parole officer does to help along this process is to assist the individual in finding employment or education, and provide them with some form of housing if necessary. Rehabilitation also means conducting routine drug screenings to ensure that the individual is clean and not involved in illegal buying or selling of drugs.
In order to protect themselves, as they are often found in risky situations, parole officers are armed and ready to protect themselves. A parole officer may also be given not only firearms, but badges and often police powers as well, depending on jurisdiction.
A parole officer is the individual who can recommend, in parole hearings, the future outcome of their parolees based on what they observe on the job and the behavior they note. This is a large part of the parole officer’s job, as it shows the results of their monitoring. Officers may be currently involved in upwards of a hundred active cases at one time. Therefore, rehabilitation of the individual and a detailed report of progress are two major aspects of a parole officer’s job.
Scope of Parole Officer Work
Who does a parole officer work with, though? Parole officers often observe criminals with histories in sexual abuse, violent tendencies, substance abuse and/or drug dealing. Parole officers may even need to make use of GPS monitoring in order to aid house arrest, as well as drug screening when necessary.
Many online colleges offer degrees that will allow you to have an exciting career as a parole officer. This rewarding career is an important piece of the correctional system’s puzzle. Paired with a good salary and the ability to ensure justice within the community, the parole officer job description will convince you that this is an excellent career option.
