What does a probation and parole officer do?
A probation and parole officer is responsible for monitoring the activities and behavior of a probationary or paroled offender outside the prison, making sure they never commit crimes again or return to the life of crime. Part of their job is to study the offenders' criminal history, develop and recommend rehabilitation and treatment plans, coordinate other services, and ensure that the offender knows the conditions of their release. They maintain an active communication line with the offenders and their families, conduct regular interviews and assessments, and communicate with rehabilitation and treatment programs to ensure the offenders' attendance and compliance.
Probation and parole officer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real probation and parole officer resumes:
- Interview probationers/parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining terms specify in their rehabilitation plans while maintaining documentation.
- Monitor violent offenders place on both active and passive GPS restrictions throughout all of Delaware.
- Utilize GPS tracking and alcohol monitoring devices to monitor offender compliance.
- Develop and implement extensive case management plans to continue the rehabilitation process and work towards successful completion of probation.
- Interview probationers/parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining terms specify in their rehabilitation plans while maintaining documentation.
- Conduct DNA, drug, and alcohol testing on offenders and take appropriate action when tests results are positive.
- Conduct random home visits and drug testing, collect DNA from probationers to be send to the TBI for processing.
- Review referral history and other JJIS data for accuracy and conduct data collection for statistical purposes within establish rules.
Probation and parole officer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 23% of Probation And Parole Officers are proficient in Social Work, Criminal Justice, and Rehabilitation. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Emotional stability, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Probation And Parole Officers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Social Work, 23%
Applied proper balance of social work and law enforcement.
- Criminal Justice, 12%
Work closely with other criminal justice and law enforcement agencies in a collaborative effort to reduce criminal activity in the community.
- Rehabilitation, 6%
Implement extensive case management planning using Evidence Based Practice to continue the rehabilitation process and work toward successful completion of supervision.
- Mental Health, 5%
Provided case management services for Probationers and provided referrals for Drug/Alcohol, Vocational/Educational, and Mental Health services.
- Community Resources, 4%
Refer offenders to employment, treatment programs, and other community resources using Department prescribed supervision standards.
- Field Supervision, 4%
Provided field supervision of persons on probation/parole status.
Most probation and parole officers use their skills in "social work," "criminal justice," and "rehabilitation" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential probation and parole officer responsibilities here:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a probation and parole officer to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "probation officers and correctional treatment specialists must be able to effectively convey information to different types of people, including clients and their families, lawyers, judges, and treatment providers." Probation and parole officers often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "conduct office visits, home visits, telephone communications, drug test, testify in court proceedings, serve warrants. "
Organizational skills. probation and parole officers are also known for organizational skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to probation and parole officer responsibilities, because "probation officers and correctional treatment specialists must be able to manage multiple cases at the same time." A probation and parole officer resume example shows how organizational skills is used in the workplace: "learned to implement a more productive organizational/time management system as a result.skills used- criminal law and criminal procedure- time management- public speaking"
The three companies that hire the most probation and parole officers are:
- Wyoming8 probation and parole officers jobs
- State Of Idaho
3 probation and parole officers jobs
- Hennepin County Library2 probation and parole officers jobs
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Compare different probation and parole officers
Probation and parole officer vs. Treatment specialist
The duties of a treatment specialist depend on their line of work or industry of employment. In the medical industry, a treatment specialist is primarily responsible for developing treatments according to the needs and conditions of a patient. They gather and analyze a patient's medical history and records, conduct extensive tests and examinations, coordinate with other medical experts, and discuss the extent of treatments to patients. Furthermore, a treatment specialist must maintain an active communication line with staff for a smooth and efficient workflow.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between probation and parole officers and treatment specialist. For instance, probation and parole officer responsibilities require skills such as "field supervision," "violation reports," "public safety," and "domestic violence." Whereas a treatment specialist is skilled in "substance abuse," "behavioral issues," "mental illness," and "social histories." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Treatment specialists tend to make the most money working in the non profits industry, where they earn an average salary of $44,419. In contrast, probation and parole officers make the biggest average salary, $44,993, in the government industry.On average, treatment specialists reach similar levels of education than probation and parole officers. Treatment specialists are 1.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Probation and parole officer vs. Correctional casework specialist
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, probation and parole officer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "social work," "criminal justice," "rehabilitation," and "mental health." Meanwhile, a correctional casework specialist has duties that require skills in areas such as "board reports," "legal data," "criminal cases," and "office equipment." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Correctional casework specialists tend to reach higher levels of education than probation and parole officers. In fact, they're 7.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Probation and parole officer vs. Parole agent
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a probation and parole officer is likely to be skilled in "rehabilitation," "drug tests," "substance abuse treatment," and "social services," while a typical parole agent is skilled in "conduct investigations," "caseload management," "substance abuse," and "firearms."
Most parole agents achieve a similar degree level compared to probation and parole officers. For example, they're 2.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Probation and parole officer vs. Parole supervisor
Types of probation and parole officer
Updated January 8, 2025
