Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

Career Description: Provide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.

Industry: Community and Social Services

Other Job Titles for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
• Write reports describing offenders' progress.
• Inform offenders or inmates of requirements of conditional release, such as office visits, restitution payments, or educational and employment stipulations.
• Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
• Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
• Develop rehabilitation programs for assigned offenders or inmates, establishing rules of conduct, goals, and objectives.
• Develop liaisons and networks with other parole officers, community agencies, correctional institutions, psychiatric facilities, and aftercare agencies to plan for helping offenders with life adjustments.
• Arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders.
• Provide offenders or inmates with assistance in matters concerning detainers, sentences in other jurisdictions, writs, and applications for social assistance.
• Arrange for postrelease services, such as employment, housing, counseling, education, and social activities.
• Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole.
• Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
• Supervise people on community-based sentences, including people on electronically monitored home detention.
• Assess the suitability of penitentiary inmates for release under parole and statutory release programs and submit recommendations to parole boards.
• Investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure.
• Conduct prehearing and presentencing investigations and testify in court regarding offenders' backgrounds and recommended sentences and sentencing conditions.
• Recommend appropriate penitentiary for initial placement of an offender.
• Participate in decisions about whether cases should go before courts and which court should hear them.
• Identify and approve work placements for offenders with community service sentences.
• Develop and prepare packets containing information about social service agencies, assistance organizations, and programs that might be useful for inmates or offenders.
• Supervise other counselors, social service staff, and assistants.
• Plan and conduct programs to prevent substance abuse or improve community health and counseling services.
• Run workshops and courses about mental health issues.
• Address community groups, faculty, and staff members to explain available counseling services.
• Attend staff meetings and serve on committees as required.
• Compile and study occupational, educational, and economic information to assist counselees in determining and carrying out vocational and educational objectives.
• Provide information for teachers and staff members involved in helping students or graduates identify and pursue employment opportunities.
• Review transcripts to ensure that students meet graduation or college entrance requirements and write letters of recommendation.
• Refer students to degree programs based on interests, aptitudes, or educational assessments.
• Provide special services such as alcohol and drug prevention programs and classes that teach students to handle conflicts without resorting to violence.
• Provide disabled students with assistive devices, supportive technology, and assistance accessing facilities such as restrooms.
• Observe children during classroom and play activities to gain additional information about them.
• Interview clients to obtain information about employment history, educational background, and career goals, and to identify barriers to employment.
• Establish and supervise peer counseling and peer tutoring programs.
• Plan and promote career and employment-related programs such as work-experience programs.
• Refer qualified counselees to employers or employment services for job placement.
• Sponsor extracurricular activities such as clubs, student organizations, and academic contests.
• Perform administrative duties such as hall and cafeteria monitoring, and bus loading and unloading.
• Provide information to businesses regarding human resource and employment issues.

Emerging Tasks

• Administer drug and alcohol tests, including random drug screens of offenders to verify compliance with substance abuse treatment programs.
• Supervise people on community-based sentences, including people on electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks and home/work/school visits to verify compliance with court orders.
• Fill out and maintain client-related paperwork, including federal- and state-mandated paperwork (e.g., consent and release forms), client diagnostic records, and progress notes.
• Supervise other counselors, social service staff, assistants, and graduate students.
• Organize workshops and presentations on career planning and other career-related issues.
• Perform clerical tasks, such as filing, writing letters, answering phone calls, copying, and faxing.
• Plan and promote career and employment-related programs and events, such as work-experience programs, job fairs, and career days.
• Plan, direct, and participate in recruitment and enrollment activities.
• Prepare master schedule for curriculum offerings.
• Serve as a liaison between the school and parents, educational institutions, and community service agencies.
• Supervise, train, and direct professional staff and interns.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• advise families with household problems
• communicate details in protective services settings
• communicate technical information
• compile evidence for court actions
• compile information for court cases
• compile information through interviews
• cooperate with court personnel or other law enforcement agencies
• coordinate social service activities with resource providers
• determine social service program status
• empathize with others during counseling or related services
• evaluate client progress against measurable recorded goals
• maintain records, reports, or files
• manage detailed case records in a social work setting
• match clients to community resources
• monitor client progress
• obtain information from clients, customers, or patients
• obtain information from individuals
• organize legal information or records
• plan therapy treatment program
• prepare reports
• record client's personal data
• refer clients to community services or resources
• relate to clients' socioeconomic conditions
• search legal records
• testify in court for accident and criminal cases
• use counseling techniques
• use interviewing procedures
• use knowledge of investigation techniques
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use intervention techniques
• use interviewing procedures
• work with persons with mental disabilities or illnesses
• use interviewing procedures
• use psychological assessment tools
• use scientific research methodology
• work with persons with mental disabilities or illnesses
• use conflict resolution techniques
• use counseling techniques
• use current social research
• use grief counseling techniques
• use interpersonal communication techniques
• use intervention techniques
• use interviewing procedures
• use knowledge of investigation techniques
• use scientific research methodology
• use teaching techniques
• work as a team member

Overall Experience
A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Education
Most of these occupations require a four - year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, human resource managers, computer programmers, teachers, chemists, and police detectives.

• Average hourly wage (2007) -$21.40
• Average annual wage (2007) - $44,510.00

• Projected growth (2006-2016): 10.90%
• Projected need (2006-2016): 10,297
• Employment (2006): 94,445

• Child, Family, and School Social Workers
• Educational, Vocational, and School Counselors
• Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
• Recreational Therapists
• Residential Advisors
• Social and Human Service Assistants
• Sociologists
• Vocational Education Teachers, Postsecondary