Parole Officers

Parole officers are trained to supervise offenders who are on conditional release from prison before they have completed their sentences. They are an important part of the criminal justice system and work to protect individuals and the community from future harm. In facilitating the transition from prison to community, parole officers help parolees become productive citizens and reduce the harm they might cause by returning to crime, substance abuse, and other problematic behaviors. More than 5 million adults, or about 1 in 45 adults, were under community supervision in 2008.

Parolees have obeyed prison rules, performed prison jobs, utilized therapeutic and rehabilitation programs, and committed themselves to living a life free of crime after their release. The parole period provides them the opportunity to prove that they can do so successfully while under the watchful eye of parole officers, who visit their clients regularly to evaluate their progress. If parolees violate the conditions set for parole—for example, by breaking the law or associating with bad company—officers can recommend to parole boards that parole be revoked and the offender be sent back to prison.

Parole officers work for state parole departments, counties, or the U.S. Board of Parole. Some may work as administrators, department heads, and directors of special projects or units. Parole officers earn around $30,000 to $75,000 per year, depending on their position and qualifications. Positions in urban areas and in administration pay more. Most parole officers focus on adult offenders, but some officers work in the area of juvenile parole. Many work inside correctional institutions and assess prisoners' lives before and during incarceration. They help develop a release plan that will be submitted to the parole board for consideration. Included may be how prisoners' families will affect their rehabilitation, strengths and risk factors, community needs, and employment possibilities. Field officers work with parolees once they have returned to their communities to help parolees find jobs, schools, or therapy programs. By staying in touch with parolees and their families, parole officers keep tabs on offenders during their parole. Drug therapists, psychiatrists, and social workers often provide feedback to the parole officer.

Parole officers must travel and conduct field-work, sometimes in dangerous areas while interacting with criminal offenders. Most have to collect urine samples from their clients for drug testing. The caseloads for parole officers are often heavy; officers may handle between 20 and 100 cases at any given time. Officers spend time conducting investigations and writing reports about and recommendations on offenders for the courts, and they must meet frequent court deadlines. Prior to filing sentencing recommendations, officers review their decisions with the offenders and their families. Officers may be asked to provide testimony in court with regard to their reports and recommendations. Officers also bring the court up to date on the offender's obedience to the stipulations of their parole or probation and their progress with rehabilitation.

A set of qualifications and training standards is available for those who wish to become parole officers. States typically require parole officers to have a college degree. Officers may have an associate's or bachelor's degree depending on the position; a graduate degree is required for federal positions. Commonly held degrees are in criminal justice, social work, sociology, political science, education, or specially designed programs that meet state specifications for parole officers. All prospective parole officers must undergo background checks, which will reveal records for misdemeanor or felony charges, convictions, driving violations, gang affiliations, and credit standing, as well as personal and professional references. After qualifying for the job, candidates must pass an examination to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in the criminal justice and court system. Examinations can be administered by cities, counties, states, or the federal government, and they cover general parole and institution-specific topics. Most exams are a combination of multiple-choice questions and essay questions. Competition for parole officer positions is such that publishers such as Peterson have created study guides and study packages to enhance a student's likelihood of success. Peterson's program to increase scores on the Parole Officer Examination covers everything from reading and writing to parole supervision, narcotics law, self-defense, and interpersonal skills.

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