| Duties of Probation and Parole Officers |
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| The duties of a Probation and Parole Officer include but are not limited to: |
| Interviewing offenders on a monthly basis in the office, reviewing any activities, changes or problems occuring during the previous month. Contacting offenders and their families at home, employment and elsewhere on a regular basis to ensure compliance and determine any needs or problems. Intervening in minor problems before they become major ones with referrals to appropriate Treatment programs. Conduct Pre-Sentence and Delayed Sentencing Investigations for the District Court to help determine the Background, criminal history, family history, education, criminal associates, attitudes, risk/need for re-offense to determine the proper sentence for each offender. Conduct drug testing, Level of Service Inventory exams, Adult Substance Abuse Surveys, Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventories and other risk assessments to help determine an offender's needs and risk level. Make referrals to treatment, educational programs and employment and to monitor the Offenders compliance in attendance and progress. Conduct searches, make arrests, enforce state law and rules and conditions of probation as well as assisting other law enforcement agencies as needed. Submit reports to the Court on violations and progress behavior of Offender's and testify in hearings and provide needed information to the District Court. Monitor any monetary obligations the offender has as well as verify completion of special conditions such as Community Service; In-patient Treatment; GED completion; Vo-tech ; College; Drug Court; Sex Offender Counseling: Anger management; Domestic Violence; Life skills; Parenting classes; etc...etc.... Take a pro-active approach to supervision, by knowing the offender well enough to identify problems and intervene before another crime is commited. Most importantly, assisting those offenders who are willing to change their behavior while identifying those who continue to pose a threat to society, removing them from the community. "It has been said that the Public" believes that Probation Officers "don't do anything" and don't "Protect" them..Be assured that "WE DO". Our role is subtle..We wear civilian clothes, drive vehicles that are unmarked which seems to make us "unseen" in the Community".. Consistently, we make over 150 home visits a month, take 150-200 Urinalysis tests per month, verify employment, treatment, and payment of Restitution to Victims....These are only a few of the many duties we perform. We write many reports for the Court/ Parole Board, Investigate pre release and Interstate persons, arrest non-compliant Offenders, testify in Court, and spend numerous hours in Assessing Offenders needs/Risk to the Public. |
| Overall, the Mission of Probation and Parole has remained the same over the years...that is, to do all we can with the little we have to reduce the number of Offenders who commit new crimes . Our goal is to restore , in some way, the victims of Crime; to exact punishment of those who commit crimes; and to assist Offender's who desire to change, the opportunity to do so...This is an overwhelming task given the changing social, political , and Departmental philosophy. Offender's have changed over the years! they are younger, more violent with little regard for themselves or other's. This makes our jobs more difficult Increasing demands to demonstrate that what we are doing is effective in Protecting the Public and at the same time assisting offenders to change is an enormous task...The Public and the Legislature who provides us with funds to carry out the Mission, ask us "Is It working"..I would submit that "Yes" what we do does make a difference...My Teams' success rate is well above the National average ( by 30%). We have only 2.3%-4% of offenders commit new crimes. This is significant... |
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