Probation Officer or Correctional Treatment Specialist

Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists assist in rehabilitating law offenders in custody or on probation or parole.

Duties

Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists typically do the following:

  • Interview probationers and parolees, their friends, and their relatives in an office or at a residence to assess progress
  • Evaluate probationers and parolees to determine the best course of rehabilitation
  • Connect probationers and parolees with resources, such as job training
  • Test clients for drugs and, if necessary, offer substance abuse counseling
  • Complete prehearing investigations and testify in court or before parole boards regarding clients’ backgrounds and progress
  • Write reports and maintain case files on clients

Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists supervise and counsel probationers or parolees, overseeing their clients’ actions in a variety of ways. For example, they may use electronic monitoring to track a client’s movement in the community.

The number of cases a probation officer or correctional treatment specialist handles at one time depends on each individual’s needs and associated risks. Higher risk clients usually command more of an officer’s time and resources. Caseload also varies by agency.

The following are examples of types of probation officers and correctional treatment specialists:

Probation officers supervise people who have been placed on probation instead of sent to prison. These workers ensure that probationers are not a danger to the community and help in their rehabilitation by visiting frequently. Probation officers write reports that detail each probationer’s treatment plan and progress since being put on probation. Most work exclusively with either adults or juveniles.

Parole officers work with people who have been released from prison and are serving parole, helping them re-enter society. Parole officers monitor postrelease parolees and provide them with information on various resources, such as substance abuse counseling or job training, to aid in their rehabilitation. By doing so, the officers try to change the parolee’s behavior and thus reduce the risk of that person committing another crime and having to return to prison.

Both probation and parole officers supervise probationers and parolees through personal contact with them and their families (also known as community supervision). These officers require parolees and probationers to keep in contact regularly by scheduling either telephone calls or office visits. They also check on them at their homes or places of work, taking into account the safety of the neighborhood. Probation and parole officers note mental health considerations and oversee drug testing and electronic monitoring of those under supervision. In some states, workers perform the duties of both probation and parole officers.

Pretrial services officers investigate a defendant’s background to determine whether they can be safely allowed back into the community before their trial date. Officers must assess the risk and make a recommendation to a judge, who decides on the appropriate sentencing (in settled cases with no trial) or bond amount. When pretrial defendants are allowed back into the community, pretrial officers supervise them to make sure that they stay within the terms of their release and appear at their trials.

Correctional treatment specialists, also known as case managers or correctional counselors, advise probationers and parolees and develop rehabilitation plans for them to follow. They may evaluate inmates using questionnaires and psychological tests. They also work with inmates, parole officers, and staff of other agencies to develop parole and release plans. For example, they may plan education and training programs to improve probationers’ job skills.

Correctional treatment specialists write case reports that cover the inmate’s history and the likelihood that he or she will commit another crime. When inmates are eligible for release, the case reports are given to the appropriate parole board. The specialist may help set up counseling for the parolees and their families, find substance abuse or mental health treatment options, aid in job placement, and find housing. Correctional treatment specialists also explain the terms and conditions of the inmate’s release and keep detailed written accounts of each parolee’s progress.

Work Environment

Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists held about 94,500 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of probation officers and correctional treatment specialists were as follows:

State government, excluding education and hospitals 52%
Local government, excluding education and hospitals                  45
Social assistance 1

Most probation officers and correctional treatment specialists work full time. Their jobs may involve frequent travel, either to perform home and employment checks or property searches or to attend court hearings.

Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists may have court-imposed deadlines, adding pressure to complete time-sensitive tasks. Dealing with probationers and parolees who violate the terms of their supervision can be frustrating. Working in high-crime areas or in institutions may be stressful. Because of the hostile environments they may encounter, some officers and specialists carry a firearm or pepper spray for protection.

Despite the job’s challenges, however, the work also may be rewarding. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists may receive personal satisfaction from counseling members of their community and helping them become productive citizens.

Work Schedules

Most probation officers and correctional treatment specialists work full time. Some workers may be on call and must respond to any issues with probationers, parolees, or law enforcement 24 hours a day.

Meeting with clients often requires travel and working during nonstandard hours.

Education and Training

Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree. In addition, candidates may be required to pass competency exams, drug testing, and a criminal background check.

A valid driver’s license may be required, and some agencies require applicants to be at least 21 years old.

Education

Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists typically need a bachelor's degree. Common fields of degree include criminal justice or a related security and protective service field, social science, or psychology. Requirements vary by jurisdiction.

Training

Most probation officers and correctional treatment specialists must complete a training program sponsored by their state or local government or the federal government, after which they may have to pass a certification test. In addition, they may be required to work as trainees for up to 1 year before being offered a permanent position.

Some probation officers and correctional treatment specialists focus on a certain type of casework. For example, an officer may deal only with domestic violence probationers or with substance abuse cases; others work only on cases involving juvenile offenders. Officers and specialists receive training to prepare them to work with the type of client their casework involves.

Other Experience

Although job requirements vary, volunteer or paid work experience in the criminal justice field may be helpful for some positions.

Advancement

Advancement to supervisory positions is based primarily on experience and performance. A master’s degree in criminal justice, social work, or psychology may be helpful for advancing.

Personality and Interests

Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists typically have an interest in the Helping, Persuading and Organizing interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Helping interest area indicates a focus on assisting, serving, counseling, or teaching other people. The Persuading interest area indicates a focus on influencing, motivating, and selling to other people. The Organizing interest area indicates a focus on working with information and processes to keep things arranged in orderly systems.

If you are not sure whether you have a Helping or Persuading or Organizing interest which might fit with a career as a probation officer and correctional treatment specialist, you can take a career test to measure your interests.

Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists should also possess the following specific qualities:

Communication skills. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists must be able to effectively interact with many different people.

Critical-thinking skills. Workers must be able to assess the needs of individual offenders before determining the best resources for helping them.

Decision-making skills. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists must consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions and be able to choose appropriately.

Emotional stability. Workers must cope with hostile individuals or otherwise upsetting circumstances on the job.

Organizational skills. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists must be able to manage multiple cases at the same time.

Pay

The median annual wage for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists was $60,250 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $37,380, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $99,090.

In May 2021, the median annual wages for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Local government, excluding education and hospitals             $61,780
State government, excluding education and hospitals 53,330
Social assistance 37,060

Most probation officers and correctional treatment specialists work full time. Some workers may be on call and must respond to any issues with probationers or law enforcement 24 hours a day.

Job Outlook

Employment of probation officers and correctional treatment specialists is projected to show little or no change from 2021 to 2031.

Despite limited employment growth, about 8,000 openings for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. 

Employment

Employment growth depends primarily on the amount of state and local government funding for corrections, especially the amount allocated to probation and parole systems.

Demand for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists should be strong as governments continue to recognize the advantages of community corrections over incarceration in certain situations. Parole officers will continue to be needed to supervise individuals who will be released from prison in the future.

For More Information

For more information about probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, visit

American Probation and Parole Association

For more information about criminal justice job opportunities in your area, contact the departments of corrections, criminal justice, or probation for individual state or local government.

FAQ

Where does this information come from?

The career information above is taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. This excellent resource for occupational data is published by the U.S. Department of Labor every two years. Truity periodically updates our site with information from the BLS database.

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This information is taken directly from the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Truity does not editorialize the information, including changing information that our readers believe is inaccurate, because we consider the BLS to be the authority on occupational information. However, if you would like to correct a typo or other technical error, you can reach us at help@truity.com.

I am not sure if this career is right for me. How can I decide?

There are many excellent tools available that will allow you to measure your interests, profile your personality, and match these traits with appropriate careers. On this site, you can take the Career Personality Profiler assessment, the Holland Code assessment, or the Photo Career Quiz.

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