CAREER

Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

Overview

Salary Median (2020)

$60,250

Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)

+0.1% (little or no change)

Career

What Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Do

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.

Other Job Titles Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists May Have

Correctional Counselor, Juvenile Probation Officer, Parole Officer (PO), Probation Officer

How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work

Chief Juvenile Probation Officer ,

Bowie County, Texas

As Chief, I am responsible for setting policy and procedures for the department. I review case files prior to submitting them to the prosecutor's office. I make court appearances for detention, adjudication and disposition hearings. I am the primary contact person for schools, other agencies and the community in general. I routinely meet with judges, lawyers and parents of juveniles. Along with staff, we engage in strategic planning for the department.

Juvenile Probation Officer ,

Titus County Juvenile Probation Department

My typical work day includes putting together programs that will help youth set goals, make better choices, build self esteem, etc... I supervise youth to assist them in making positive changes in their lives. It may involve me doing home-visits, school visits or the child visiting the office in order to discuss their progress or to help them rise above their failures.


Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

  • Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
  • Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
  • Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
  • Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
  • 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.

This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.