Probation Officer

Remote

👜 Law

Probation Officers work with individuals with criminal legal system involvement throughout their probation period to ensure they follow the terms and complete the program. They primarily work to detect probation violations and initiate legal action when necessary if violations occur. Various monitoring methods are used to ensure they stick to the program, such as administering drug tests to make sure they stay clean or verifying that they complete the community service or attend the classes required. Probation Officers can also support their probationers as they get back on track after a conviction by finding them the support and resources they need to be successful. They typically work for government organizations.

What does a Probation Officer do?

A Probation Officer, or Community Supervision Officer, works with individuals who’ve been sentenced to probation to ensure they follow the terms of their sentencing. Their duties include checking in regularly with individuals on probation, using various monitoring techniques and serving as intermediaries between offenders and judges.

Responsibilities

A Probation Officer should be able to fulfill various duties and responsibilities. The following are some duties and responsibilities a Probation Officer should be able to execute:

Providing recommendations for each offender based on their situation
Developing treatment and rehabilitation plans
Meeting with the individual on probation regularly to check for progress and ensure they’re following the terms of their probation
Notifying the courts of probation violations
Using various techniques, including drug and alcohol tests, monitoring software and GPS monitoring to track individuals on probation
Documenting all progress and violations

Required Skills

A competitive Probation Officer will have certain skills and qualifications, including:

Ability to juggle multiple cases at one time and keep the details straight
Analytical and decision-making skills
Strong communication skills, including written and verbal communication as well as active listening
Ability to work in fast-paced and potentially dangerous situations
Comfort with using various software programs to track and report information
Interpersonal skills and the ability to work with a variety of people

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