About This Career

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

This career is part of the Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security cluster Correction Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Prepares and maintains case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
• Gathers information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
• Interviews probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
• Discusses with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
• Supervises people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provides field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school.
• Investigates alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure.
• Recommends remedial action or initiates court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole.
• Develops liaisons and networks with other parole officers, community agencies, correctional institutions, psychiatric facilities, and aftercare agencies to plan for helping offenders with life adjustments.
• Arranges for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders.
• Administers drug and alcohol tests, including random drug screens of offenders, to verify compliance with substance abuse treatment programs.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel