How to become A Parole Officer

Second chances in life can come one’s way by luck or be earned through hard work. When offenders are granted parole having served a prison sentence, the Parole Officer must help them reintegrate into the community successfully while also protecting society from harm. Parole Officers allow parolees access to necessary treatment and services, closely monitoring their progress to ensure that they become productive members of the community and lead fulfilling and crime-free lives.

• Probation & Parole Officer
• Community Supervision Officer
• Probation Officer
• Correctional Treatment Specialist

What do Parole Officers do?

A Parole Officer would typically need to:

• Supervise offenders who are released from prison before sentence completion and remanded to parole on the condition of fulfilling parole protocols and terms of release while demonstrating good behaviour
• Facilitate the re-entry and re-integration of parolees into the community; minimise the potential of recidivism (re-offending), so as not to have them sent back to correctional facilities or harm society in any manner
• Provide courts with pre-sentence reports, complete prehearing investigations and testify in court about the parolee’s background; offer guidance about the best way to deal with the parole
• Evaluate parolees to determine the best form of rehabilitation; develop,  implement or recommend rehabilitation and treatment plans to modify the parolee’s behaviour directly or by liaising with other agencies
• Work with parolees during and after their sentences, informing them of the specific conditional release requirements in their case
• Arrange for post-release resources and services, such as job/vocational training, housing assistance, substance abuse/anger management and other programs to allow parolees to become productive members of society
• Interact regularly with parolees and their families, employers, and the team of psychologists, social workers, court-ordered drug treatment providers and other specialists 
• Keep constant tabs on the parolee’s progress and provide support all through the parole period for them to comply with court orders; initiate court or remedial action for any identified violations
• Ensure compliance with court-ordered treatment plans; monitor community-based sentences, such as unpaid community service
• Verify the parolee’s compliance with substance abuse treatment programs by scheduling, supervising or administering regular drug and alcohol tests; arrange and oversee home monitoring
• Write progress reports and maintain case files and detailed records; attend parole hearings and provide feedback to the parole board on each parolee’s progress 
• Work with victims of crime
• Keep up to date with recent legislation in criminal justice and related fields

Parole Officers typically work in offices, prisons, courts, or a community setting. However, they must also often travel locally during the day to visit and interview offenders at their homes.

Officers work full-time Monday to Friday, putting in at least 40 hours a week, but working longer hours is expected due to the demanding nature of the job. As a result, you may work late evenings and on weekends. Many agencies rotate on-call officers, which means you must remain available to respond to legal or offender-related emergencies 24 hours a day. Furthermore, you must carry out home and work visits to assess and record the progress of parolees in terms of their adjustment to parole conditions and schedules.

Remember that you are likely to be working on several cases at a time, some of which may need more time and attention than the others.

Finding a new job might seem challenging. Parole Officers can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, and inquiring at staffing agencies.

Parole Officers are generally employed by:

• Government Facilities
• Local Facilities
• Correctional Facilities
• Prisons
• Social Assistance Facilities

Professional associations and organisations are crucial for Parole Officers  interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.

• Personal safety concerns due to working in high-crime areas or institutions and dealing with potentially violent offenders or those convicted of serious crimes
• The need to carry firearms or pepper spray to protect themselves and those nearby from potential physical harm
• Stress due to dealing with parolees who violate the terms of their release
• Long working hours if the officer is on call; dealing with extensive travel and paperwork
• Emotional stress due to interacting with upset and difficult parolees or their friends or families
• The need to go through an extensive training period before being allowed to handle cases independently

Any academic program that a potential Parole Officer takes up typically requires a period of supervised experience, such as an internship. While specific requirements vary, Parole Officers must typically have work experience in social service, correctional roles, case management, law enforcement or probation.

Furthermore, any experience in which you have worked with people who exhibit challenging behaviour is helpful will be of great help in your career path, as is familiarity with formal behaviour assessment techniques and the use of interventions to support behaviour change. Aspiring Parole Officers may find such experience through paid or voluntary work in prison visiting services, victim support services, youth offending teams, community payback teams, or outside the community justice system.

Internships in courthouses or shadowing the work of Parole Officers and probationers in the criminal justice field will equip you with the soft skills needed to succeed in the field. You may get to hear countless stories from more experienced professionals and obtain valuable hands-on experience when they manage to turn seemingly routine incidents into unique learning moments.

The minimum requirement for aspiring Parole Officers is a bachelor’s degree in the justice or security and protective service field. You may be qualified for this position if you hold a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, criminology, psychology, behavioural science, social science, sociology, social work, corrections, public administration or a related field. 

Employers may sometimes require applicants to have a master’s degree in criminal justice or a related field. A master’s degree is often necessary for jobs with the central government and is helpful for career advancement. 

Students who want to pursue a career as a Parole Officer will benefit from taking English, maths, accounting, government, social studies, and civics courses in high school.

Certification is generally not required for a job as a Parole Officer. However, getting certified in first aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) may be helpful and sometimes mandatory. Applicants must also often undergo rigorous competency examinations, drug testing, and background checks. An employment background check can include but is not limited to a person’s work history, education, credit history, motor vehicle reports (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, use of social media, and drug screening. You would also need to fulfil the minimum age requirements in your location.

Where you are required and permitted to carry a firearm, you must acquire a firearm licence. In addition, employers often require a valid driver's licence. Typically, licensure requires an application, processing fees, an examination, and relevant education and experience. Confirm specific licensure requirements with local or national correctional facilities. Check also with local authorities to find out if you must register with them.

Performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional qualifications drive career progression. Employees with consistently high levels of performance may be eligible for promotion every two to three years. 

For Parole Officers, advancement and promotion usually involve moving on to management positions and overseeing risk management for the public rather than continuing to work directly with offenders. An example of a role at the management level is Parole Area Manager, responsible for a designated area and a team of Senior Parole Officers. A master’s degree in criminal justice, social work or psychology may be necessary for advancement.

Some Parole Officers choose to remain at the hands-on level. With extensive experience, you can apply for the role of Senior Parole Officer, where you will manage a team of other officers and become responsible for their performance. A Senior Parole Officer is also involved in risk management, meeting targets and working with other agencies, for example, the police. 

You may also diversify into related work, such as managing approved premises, prison work, working in approved program units, and being part of specialist case management teams. You could also specialise as a program facilitator, tutor, assessor, or trainee supervisor.

Candidates with a master’s degree in relevant subjects and the necessary skills and experience have the best job prospects.

Continuing professional development (CPD) will help an active Parole Officer build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, 

formal education, or self-directed learning. It allows you to upskill continually, regardless of your age, job, or level of knowledge.

Upon being hired, new Parole Officers must go through on-the-job or government-sponsored training and sometimes a certification test. The training period often involves being paired with a senior Parole Officer or supervisor for several weeks before taking on independent work in permanent positions. While working with more experienced officers, new Parole Officers learn how to interact with offenders, monitor their progress and maintain records that the court may need later. You will also learn about arrest procedures and the use of lethal weapons, both crucial aspects as Parole Officers must sometimes arrest parolees and return them to custody.

After completing rigorous training, a Parole Officer is often paired with a more experienced officer for up to a year or more before being allowed to work on cases independently. This is to ensure that new Parole Officers thoroughly understand protocols,  as they need to keep themselves, other officers, and the parolees safe from harm. 

Parole Officers who wish to specialise with offenders who have committed a specific type of crime, such as sex offence, juvenile crime, substance abuse, or violence, must often go through additional training sessions, including sensitivity training, child & family psychology, and sex offender treatment training. The training ensures that Parole Officers are ready to help the specific population of offenders with whom they have chosen to work. 

Working at courts, in youth offending teams or secondment roles also helps you develop the necessary skills and experience in your chosen field and become a Manager.

Probation and Parole - What is the Difference? 

Although sometimes confused as being the same, parole and probation are different. The main distinction between the two is that parole is for people who have already served a portion of their prison sentence for a crime, while probation does not require a person to spend time in jail but is a community supervision alternative. In other words, for a person to receive parole, they must have been released from prison. On the other hand, probation is an alternative to serving time in jail, allowing offenders to remain in society under an officer’s supervision and adherence to rules.  

However, those on parole or probation must follow similar rules regarding behaviour, compliance to court-ordered meetings and treatments, and work alongside the assigned officer to ensure rehabilitation. Violations of either parole or probation protocols can lead to further legal consequences. 

Types of Parole Officers 

Probation Officers, also called Community Supervision Officers in some locations, supervise those on probation. They ensure that these individuals are rehabilitated into the community and do not threaten it. They document each case, reporting treatment plans and progress. They typically specialise in working with either adults or juveniles, and only in small or rural jurisdictions do they work with both.

Pretrial Services Officers are responsible for inquiring into an offender’s background to ensure their safe re-entry into the community before their trial date. Their risk evaluation and recommendations help judges decide the sentencing or bond amount. They also keep the offenders permitted back into the community under their supervision and ensure they follow the terms of release and show up at their trial. 

Parole Officers monitor and work with post-release offenders who have been permitted to re-enter society after serving a sentence in jail. They equip parolees with resources, such as appropriate counselling, treatment or job training to facilitate their rehabilitation into everyday life. Their twin goals are to positively modify the offender’s behaviour and lessen the risk of their committing another crime and returning to jail.

Correctional Treatment Specialists, also called Case Managers or Correctional Counsellors, extend their work to counsel offenders who have completed their prison term and parole. These professionals assess inmates through psychological tests and questionnaires to develop rehabilitation plans that offenders can follow upon release. They also collaborate with other agencies and professionals to create and implement education and training programs that help foster job skills.

In the United States, 80% of inmates are released from jail on the condition of agreeing to abide by parole protocols.

Parole Officers help those who earn their parole to come out of jail to reintegrate into the community so that they bring no harm to themselves or their community. Your job is challenging but rewarding, particularly when you see parolees who are set free from correctional facilities thrive in their return to normal life, thanks to your guidance as their Parole Officer. 

Being able to handle stressful situations, deal with difficult people and make well-informed decisions are the three critical qualities Parole Officers must have to motivate their parolees to stay on the right track. While taking care of more significant legal issues, you must also be perceptive on a psychological and emotional level to understand the meaning behind probationers’ moods and predict potential reactions.