Probation Officer

Probation officer jobs involve providing supervision to persons who have been placed on probation by the courts. Many first time offenders who have been convicted of a crime are placed on probation rather than sentenced to a prison term. The goal of probation officers is to monitor the acidity of offenders so that they do not engage in any further criminal behavior.
Probation officers provide this oversight by meeting regularly with the offender as well as family members. Rather than requiring offenders to come to their offices, probation officers will travel to the home and workplace of those persons on their caseload. Probation officers work in collaboration with many community-based agencies to help offenders with a range of services such as employment, housing, accessing entitlements, or therapeutic treatment. Some offenders are required to wear electronic “bracelets” that monitor their location. This is important as many persons on probation have curfews and must be back in their home by a certain time in the evening.
Probation officers may work with adults while juvenile probation officers work with offenders under the age of 18. Only in small communities will probation officers work with both adults and juveniles.
Probation officers spend much time working with the courts and investigate the family and social background of the adult or juvenile offender, after which they write reports in which they provide recommendations regarding sentencing. Before submitting their recommendations to the court, they review them with the offender and his or her family. Probation officers frequently testify in courts regarding their findings from the background check and sentencing recommendations. They also attend hearings to update the court with respect to the offenders’ efforts at rehabilitation.
Probation Officer Job Requirements
Some of the requirements for how to become a probation officer include passing written, verbal and psychological examinations.