| Who are on Probation? |
| There are many misconceptions about "who" Probation and Parole Officers supervise. Many people think we supervise juveniles or only first time offenders. Nothing could be further from the truth. In order to be under the supervision of the Department of Corrections, the offender must be an adult (18 or older) and/or charged with a felony crime (crime with punishment of no less than 1 year in prison). Offenders on probation range from first time shoplifters to persons convicted of multiple offenses. Any felony sentence, even a life sentence, may be suspended, if the Judge so rules. While offenders typically are from lower socio-economic backgrounds than the average citizen, there are others who are wealthy, so-called "high class" members of society. I have had offenders who lived in homes valued at over $100,000 and drove new vehicles, all legitimate purchases that had nothing to do with criminal activity. For example, a successful doctor who received multiple D.U.I. arrests may find himself on probation. In other words, we deal with a large variety of people, not just the lower-class normally associated with crime. It is more than obvious to many officers that the typical caseload is becoming more violent each year. Officers who have been around for 15 or 20 years often discuss how different their job have become, due to the increasing dangers of dealing with offenders. In the past few years, there have been several incidents in which Probation and Parole Officers have used deadly force, an event practically unheard of not too many years ago. The increase in the percentage of violent offenders can be statistically proven by a four year comparison study conducted by Shawn Westbrooks. See Caseload Trends page. As a result of the increase in violent and dangerous offenders being sentenced to probation, it is vital that the department increase firearms and self-defense training and develop a better understanding of the law enforcement duties Probation and Parole Officers must face on a daily basis, like it or not. |
| CASE TYPES IN PROBATION AND PAROLE |
| Oklahoma Probation and Parole Officer's are State Officer's. Supervision of Offender's in a wide varitey of situations is done on a daily basis..... PROBATION CASES: FROM COURT PAROLE CASE DEFERRED SENTENCES CONDITIONAL RELEASES SUSPENDED SENTENCES INTERSTATE (IN) PAROLE CASES SPLIT SENTENCES PAROLE &SUSPENDED(MULTIPLE) DEFERRED PROSECUTION CASES INTERSTATE (IN) PROBATION CASES DELAYED SENTENCE / COMMUNITY DEFERRED&SUSPENDED(MULTIPLE) ALL THESE CASE TYPES, EXCEPT PAROLE CASES, CAN BE "SUPERVISED" OR "UNSUPERVISED". JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE IS ON PROBATION DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE BEING MONITORED BY AN OFFICER.THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN THE CASE OF "COMMUNITY SENTENCED" OFFENDERS. |