Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

The work

Core tasks

1. 01Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
2. 02Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
3. 03Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
4. 04Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
5. 05Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school.
6. 06Investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure.
7. 07Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole.
8. 08Arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders.
9. 09Develop liaisons and networks with other parole officers, community agencies, correctional institutions, psychiatric facilities, and aftercare agencies to plan for helping offenders with life adjustments.
10. 10Administer drug and alcohol tests, including random drug screens of offenders, to verify compliance with substance abuse treatment programs.
11. 11Inform offenders or inmates of requirements of conditional release, such as office visits, restitution payments, or educational and employment stipulations.
12. 12Participate in decisions about whether cases should go before courts and which court should hear them.

Capabilities

Essential skills

Employment outlook

Where the role is heading