Chapter 5
Probation Officer Issues
Introduction
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The tasks most prescribed to probation
officers in all 50 states are:
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Supervision 46
Investigate cases 32
Keep records 27
Surveillance 26
Develop/discuss probation conditions -24
Arrest 24
Organization of Probation Services
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State versus Local Administration
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The most common structure for adult and juvenile
probation agencies is a state agency
administered by the executive branch
Good arguments exist for the administration of
probation departments at various levels of
government
Organization of Probation
Services, cont.

Arguments for state-level/executive branch
administration:
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Program budgeting is better coordinated
Uniform policies and procedures
More funding for training and services
More efficient and coordinated continuum of
services
Administrators are better trained than judges
If officers perceive their bosses as local judges,
the needs of the caseload or community may
suffer
Organization of Probation
Services, cont.

Arguments favoring local level or judicial
branch administration:
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More familiarity with local community values and
resources
The judicial branch is more attuned to human
services than the executive branch
The judicial branch and/or local levels have a
less rigid chain of command
Judicial branch control provides more autonomy
for probation
Organization of Probation
Services, cont.

Community Corrections Acts

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Statewide laws that provide grants to local
government to develop and deliver community
corrections programs
Primary purpose is to provide alternatives to
incarceration
Local governments benefit from state funding
A Typology of Probation Officer
Work Styles
Klockars (1972) defined four basic work
styles:
1. The Law Enforcer stresses legal authority
2. Time Servers have little aspiration to
improve
3. Therapeutic Agents administer treatment
4. Synthetic officers balance treatment and
law enforcement
Selection and Appointment of
Probation Officers

Appointment System


A judge or selection committee appoints chief
probation officer, who in turn selects assistants
Merit System


Applicants who meet minimum requirements are
required to pass a competitive exam
Those who score above a specified minimum are
placed on a ranked list and candidates are
selected according to their rank
Selection and Appointment of
Probation Officers, cont.

Combined System
-Applicants are screened through a merit exam
and candidates are selected similar to the
appointment system
Officer Qualifications, Training
and Salary

Officers should:
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Possess good oral and written skills
Know how to treat people fairly, consistently,
firmly and with respect
Be knowledgeable about different cultures
Be good time managers
These skills are gained by education,
experience and training.
Officer Qualifications, Training
and Salary, cont.

Education and Experience
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Most adult probation and parole officers must
have a minimum baccalaureate degree
At least 86% of juvenile probation offices require
a degree
Preferences are for degrees in criminal justice,
criminology and sociology
Some jurisdictions require psychological
screening, physical fitness tests and drug
screening
Officer Qualifications, Training
and Salary, cont.

Adult Preservice Training

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Combined probation and parole offices require
an average of 208 hours of preservice training
Separate offices require less hours of training
Training topics include interviewing skills and
HIV/AIDS education
Those states where officers carry firearms
require completion of Peace Officer State
Training (POST)
Officer Qualifications, Training
and Salary, cont.

Juvenile Preservice and Orientation
Training

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The American Correctional Association
recommends 40 hours of preservice training
The American Bar Association recommends 80
hours, with an additional 48 hours during the first
six months
The 20 states that certify juvenile officers
average just over 100 hours of preservice
training
Officer Qualifications, Training
and Salary, cont.

In-Service Training

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All states and the federal system require a certain
number of hours to keep current, with 40 hours
the most common requirement
Officer Salary


The median salary in May 2004 was $39,600,
ranging from $26, 310 to $66,600
The average salary for parole administrators was
$161,435 and for probation administrators
$101,109
Firearms Policies

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In April 2006, 35 adult probation
jurisdictions and 40 adult parole
jurisdictions carried firearms (APPA)
In the juvenile system, 3 states mandate
firearms for officers, 2 give the option and 7
narrow firearms to only certain counties
In the federal system, 85 of 94 judicial
districts allow officers to carry weapons
Probation Officer Job Stress
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Sources of stress:
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Excessive paperwork
Lack of time to accomplish the job
Role ambiguity
Role conflict
Lack of participation in decision-making
Court leniency
Failure to recognize accomplishments
Probation Officer Job Stress

Decreasing stress: Types of Immunity
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Negligence is the failure to do that which a
reasonably prudent person would have done in a
similar circumstance
Probation and parole officers are government
employees and have different types of protection
depending on the function they perform
Probation Officer Job Stress, cont.


Absolute Immunity protects government officials
from any legal action unless they engage in
discretion that is intentionally and maliciously
wrong
Qualified Immunity is limited to those in the
executive branch or when workers perform
administrative functions
Private Probation


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At least 18 states use private agencies for
some form of supervision
Critics say that providing effective
correctional services is at odds with making
a profit
Georgia, Utah, Colorado and Tennessee
provide good examples of standardized
requirements for supervision by private
agencies