Role of Probation and Parole

Role of Probation and Parole Officers:

Probation and parole officers are a significant part of the criminal justice system because of the vital roles they play in this field. Their critical role in the criminal justice system emanates from their mandate to work with criminals upon their release from prison or jail. However, each officer is responsible for slightly different duties though they generally supervise and work with convicted criminals. The probation officer mainly works with an individual who has been given probation as part of serving their jail term. On the other hand, the parole officer works with criminals who have already been released from prison and are serving parole outside the prison facility. Regardless of these slight differences, probation and parole officers carry out similar roles and duties in many criminal justice systems.

Three Major Roles of Probation and Parole Officers:

Some of the major roles assumed by probation and parole officers that are critical to their job functions and make them important part of the criminal justice system include:

Supervision:

The basic role of probation and parole officers is to supervise the convicted criminals who are serving their jail terms to ensure that these individuals comply with the terms of probation. These individuals may be required to attend counseling, rehabilitative sessions, pay for their restitution, present themselves to drug testing, and even get a job (Wallace, n.d.). In some cases, the released criminals are usually required to report to their probation agents on a regular basis for assessment of their progress.

Generally, probation and parole officers supervise and examine the conduct of the convicted offenders to help them stay out of trouble and avoid relapse to criminal activities. The supervision role may include providing skills that help the offenders to handle life in the society.

Counseling and Rehabilitation:

The second major role of probation and parole officers is to provide counseling and rehabilitation services to convicted offenders. Probation and parole officers are sometimes mandated with the task of advising and helping the released criminals as they re-integrate into the society. In most cases, these officers usually find that advising and counseling the criminals increases the likelihood of these people to successfully re-integrate into the society. The rehabilitation services provided by these officers may include helping criminals to find a home or job or information on how to handle various social situations (Echie, 2007).

Reporting to Court:

Probation and parole officers get into contact with the judicial court system periodically on behalf of the offender to provide report of his/her compliance to probation or parole release terms. Actually, these officers supervise and observe the former inmates in order to report to the court about the progress and success of the criminal's release. These officers are responsible to contact the court at any time that the offender violates the probation terms and provide recommendations to judges about the criminal's sentence and extension of probation.

The Most Critical Role of Probation and Parole Officers: