Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

Want help with your hiring? It's easy. Enter your information below, and we'll quickly reach out to discuss your hiring needs.

Recruiter.com helps professionals in probation officer or correctional treatment specialist careers find better opportunities across all specialties and locations. Sign up in our career community today!

Also known as:
Correctional Treatment Specialist, Juvenile Probation Officer, Parole Agent, Parole Officer, Probation Officer

See all Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security Careers.

SNAPSHOT

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.

Leadership	HIGH
Critical decision making	HIGH
Level of responsibilities	HIGH
Job challenge and pressure to meet deadlines	HIGH
Dealing and handling conflict	HIGH

Competition for this position	LOW
Communication with others	HIGH
Work closely with team members, clients etc.	HIGH
Comfort of the work setting	HIGH
Exposure to extreme environmental conditions	LOW
Exposure to job hazards	LOW
Physical demands	LOW

Daily tasks

Develop and prepare packets containing information about social service agencies, assistance organizations, and programs that might be useful for inmates or offenders.

Conduct prehearing and presentencing investigations and testify in court regarding offenders' backgrounds and recommended sentences and sentencing conditions.

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.

Write reports describing offenders' progress.

Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school.

Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.

Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.

Inform offenders or inmates of requirements of conditional release, such as office visits, restitution payments, or educational and employment stipulations.

Participate in decisions about whether cases should go before courts and which court should hear them.

Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole.

MAIN ACTIVITIES

Getting Information	Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Documenting/Recording Information	Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

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.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems	Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Interacting With Computers	Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE

Law and Government	Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Public Safety and Security	Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
English Language	Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Psychology	Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Therapy and Counseling	Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Sociology and Anthropology	Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

Clerical	Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Customer and Personal Service	Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

TOP SKILLS

Active Listening	Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Perceptiveness	Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking	Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking	Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension	Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Writing	Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Complex Problem Solving	Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Monitoring	Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.