Becoming A Probation Officer

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When the juvenile court judge hands down the disposition usually probation, sometimes confinement to an institution, and occasionally dismissal the case moves from the hands of the court to the domain of the probation and corrections staff. The career of a probational officer is a very rewarding and exciting job, as they help criminals and give them a second chance to do better for themselves. Responsibility and preciseness is required to become a successful Probation Officer. The impact this career has on society is very beneficial. Probation Officers help the community by terminating the negative actions of of past offenders. Probation Officers have an extreme impact in their society by removing offenders and giving them restrictions and …show more content…
Probation Officers also test offenders for drug use and offer substance-abuse counseling. They also have the right to arrest offenders who have broken the conditions of their probation. Also making sure assigned offenders follow through with Substance Abuse treatment.
A few specific duties of a Probation Officer includes providing offenders with resources such as job training, They also write reports on the progress of their offenders they are entitled to. P.O.’s work to ensure that the offender is not a danger to the community in which they live in. Probation Officers also schedule office visits, and contact with offenders, check on offenders at their homes or places of work.
Many probation officers work full time jobs. A great majority of agencies are on-call, meaning they are entitled to respond to any issues regarding law enforcement or offenders 24 hours a day. The Probation Officer career field is predominantly a male based career, but there are still females who choose to become Probation
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The Federal employment requires for applicants to be no older than 37. Federal agencies require P.O.’s to have at least two years of work experience, which they typically obtain at state and local agencies. This career field requires you to be very knowledgeable . Probation officers must have strong communication skills, critical-thinking skills, decision making skills, and organizational skills. You must be able to work independently.
Younger applicants just entering this field may gain relevant experience through volunteer work with at-risk youth or a summer job as a camp counselor. Previous work in probation, pretrial services, corrections, criminal investigations, parole, social work, or counseling may be helpful. I have always had a strong passion for the criminal justice field. Newly hired probation officers must undergo a supervised training and probationary period for up to a year before they are hired full-time. Working with offenders in need of additional support has been something I have always looked