Probation Officer
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The probation officer functions as an agent of the courts. He or she serves under the court system as the enforcing arm of the court sentence of someone who has been placed on supervised probation.
In the United States, there may be a probation officer at the City, County, State, or Federal level. In fact, wherever there is a court of competent jurisdiction, at least one probation officer can be found. Depending upon the jurisdiction, the probation officer may or may not also be a parole officer. Most all jurisdictions require officers to have a four year college degree and prefer a Graduate level degree for full consideration for probation officer positions at the Federal level.
So, what exactly does a probation officer do? A probation officer investigates and supervises defendants who have not yet been sentenced to jail (incarcerated). Typically, they do not wear a uniform, but simply dress in casual or business attire. They are typically issued a badge/credentials and, in many cases, may carry concealed weapons and pepper spray for self-protection or serving arrest warrants. Technically, a probation officer is classified as a peace officer and must attend a police academy as part of his or her certification and training process.
A probation officer can perform any function assigned by the court. However, the usual responsibility of the probation officer is to supervise offenders that are placed on supervision and to investigate the personal and criminal history of the offender for the court prior to sentencing.
A probation officer is required to possess excellent oral and written communication skills, as well as a vast knowledge of the criminal justice system. In addition, it is important and crucial for a probation officer to be aware of the roles, relationships, and responsibilities distributed among the courts, the Parole Authority, the Bureau of Prisons, or Department of Corrections, and/or local jails, police, substance abuse counseling and social services agencies, applicable case law, sentencing guidelines, and the prosecutor.
Due to the many different cultures they may deal with, the probation officer must also have the ability to work with an extremely diverse population and a wide variety of governmental agencies and community organizations, and be willing to accept the hazards of working closely with a criminal population.
