How to hire a parole officer

How to hire a parole officer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step parole officer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a parole officer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new parole officer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your parole officer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a parole officer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect parole officer also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of parole officers.

   Type of Parole Officer	Description	Hourly rate
   Parole Officer	Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists monitor and work with probationers to prevent them from committing new crimes.	$14-31
   Juvenile Probation Officer	A juvenile probation officer is in charge of managing and supervising cases of youth offenders who are under parole or probation. Their responsibilities typically revolve around monitoring the youth offenders' activities by conducting regular visits and interviews, recommending rehabilitation plans, testifying in court as needed, and coordinating with external parties such as schools, social services, and law enforcement agencies... Show more	$14-34
   Adult Probation Officer	An adult probation officer works with offenders, monitoring their behavior and activities to prevent them from committing crimes. Part of their job is to evaluate the offenders' criminal history and overall profile to determine and develop rehabilitation and treatment plans, arrange suitable programs or refer them to other services, coordinate with the offender's family and friends, and facilitate regular drug tests and other examinations... Show more	$14-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sex Offenders
   • Criminal Justice
   • Social Work
   • Public Safety
   • Substance Abuse
   • Mental Health
   • Rehabilitation
   • Law Enforcement Agencies
   • Parole
   • Community Resources
   • Community Agencies
   • General Supervision
   • Community Services
   • Criminal History

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage significant DUI caseload to court-ordered and conditional probation completion.
   • Monitor clients every movement through GPS equipment provide by the division.
   • Perform random drug testing, monitor GPS equipment, install GPS monitoring on high risk offenders.
   • Perform superior case management responsibilities; serve subpoenas and request warrant issuance.
   • Comply information on clients' social and legal history in order to formulate effective rehabilitation strategies.
   • Prepare documents including information in computer base management system, warrants, subpoenas, other legal documents etc.

   More parole officer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your parole officer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A parole officer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, parole officers' average salary in missouri is 52% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level parole officers earn 53% less than senior-level parole officers.
   • Certifications. A parole officer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a parole officer's salary.

   Average parole officer salary

   $45,474yearly

   $21.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level parole officer salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2026

   Average parole officer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Colorado	$46,751	$22
   2	Texas	$46,672	$22
   3	Hawaii	$41,470	$20
   4	Nebraska	$39,704	$19
   5	Indiana	$35,332	$17

   Average parole officer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	State of Connecticut	$50,339	$24.20	6
   2	The State of Oregon	$48,514	$23.32	5
   3	Texas Department of Transportation	$45,815	$22.03	16
   4	State of Colorado	$40,441	$19.44	37
   5	State of Ohio	$38,432	$18.48	74
   6	Indiana State Police	$36,804	$17.69	26

4. Writing a parole officer job description

   A parole officer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a parole officer job description:

   Parole officer job description example

   JOIN OUR TEAM!
   
   We are transforming and saving lives at DYS!
   
   A safer Ohio: one youth, one family and one community at a time.
   
   About Us…
   
   Our mission at the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) is to improve Ohio's future by habilitating youth and empowering families and communities. We believe that all youth will be given an opportunity to live up to their greatest potential and staff are our greatest resource.
   
   DYS is the juvenile corrections system for the state of Ohio. DYS is statutorily mandated to confine felony offenders, ages 10-21, who have been adjudicated and committed by one of Ohio's 88 county juvenile courts. During their stay with DYS, youth are engaged in programming that is designed to address their criminological and behavioral needs. DYS reaches thousands of youth in facilities and those on parole.
   
   Our Guiding Principles…
   
   * Demonstrate staff are our greatest resource
   * Treat everyone with respect
   * Cultivate a trauma responsive environment for staff and youth to thrive
   * Provide the best support and services for youth and families
   * Advance our culture of inclusion through understanding and appreciating staff and youth differences
   * Commit to and encourage collaboration and continuous improvement to produce better outcomes for those we serve
   * Celebrate collective successes and support one another through opportunities to improve
   
   To learn more about DYS, please visit our website by clicking here.
   
   What You'll Do…
   
   The Department of Youth Services provides stability, support, safety, and security for all youth and employees at DYS. The Juvenile Parole Officer [JPO] will provide valuable experience and knowledge to the youth in our care.
   
   Duties for the Juvenile Parole Officer include, but are not limited to:
   
   * Develop case plans to support successful transition of juvenile offenders back into the community
   * Monitor caseload of juvenile offenders on parole status
   * Coordinate community services that support goals & objectives of case plan, interviews youth & family to develop & monitor case plan goals
   * Monitor progress & adherence to parole
   * Maintain contact (e.g., in-office, home &/or field visits, in writing, by telephone) with youth, family, school officials & other services
   * Impose graduated sanctions/interventions & incentives for youth compliance & noncompliance, enforce court ordered actions
   * Respond to unexpected circumstances &/or crisis situations involving parolees in caseload
   * Prepare, type & transmit comprehensive case communications & reports (e.g., social histories, case assessments, progress reports, revocation reports, discharge reports) for court submission
   * Formulate & present recommendation for court disposition; collaborate with law enforcement agencies, court personnel & other community representatives on recommendations, placement & services
   
   Qualifications…
   
   Leadership, professionalism, creativity, strong interpersonal communication skills, good judgment of people and situations, change agent, excellent customer service, and solution driven.
   
   What's in it for you…
   
   At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:
   
   Medical Coverage
   
   * Quality, affordable, and competitive medical benefits are offered beginning the first of the month after hire.
   
   Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance
   
   * Dental, vision and basic life insurance premiums are free after one year of continuous service.
   
   Work/Life Balance
   
   * Paid time off, including vacation, personal, and sick leave
   * 11 paid holidays per year
   * Childbirth/Adoption leave
   * Caregiver leave
   
   Professional Development Funds
   
   * Eligible employees have up to a total of $3,500 per fiscal year to use for tuition reimbursement, professional development, seminars and conferences.
   
   Ohio Public Employees Retirement System
   
   * OPERS is the retirement system for State of Ohio employees. The employee contributes 10% of their salary towards their retirement. The employer contributes an amount equal to 14% of the employee's salary. Visit the OPERS website for more information.
   
   Deferred Compensation
   
   * The Ohio Deferred Compensation program is a 457(b) voluntary retirement savings plan. Visit the Ohio Deferred Compensation website for more information.
   
   The State of Ohio is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin (ancestry), military status, disability, age (40 years or older), genetic information, sexual orientation, or caregiver status in making employment-related decisions about an individual.
   
   Undergraduate core coursework in criminal justice, criminology, social work, sociology or related field; valid driver?s license; 6 mos. exp. in probation or parole case management &/or probation or parole crisis management. -Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications For Employment noted above.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find parole officers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any parole officers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level parole officers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your parole officer job on Zippia to find and recruit parole officer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit parole officers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new parole officer

   Once you've selected the best parole officer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new parole officer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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