Keʻalohi Wang is a freelance writer from Kailua Kona, Hawaiʻi. She has a background in content creating, social media management, and marketing for small businesses. An English Major from University of Hilo, she is passionate about poetry, Hawaiian c.
Keʻalohi Wang ContributorKeʻalohi Wang is a freelance writer from Kailua Kona, Hawaiʻi. She has a background in content creating, social media management, and marketing for small businesses. An English Major from University of Hilo, she is passionate about poetry, Hawaiian c.
Written By Keʻalohi Wang ContributorKeʻalohi Wang is a freelance writer from Kailua Kona, Hawaiʻi. She has a background in content creating, social media management, and marketing for small businesses. An English Major from University of Hilo, she is passionate about poetry, Hawaiian c.
Keʻalohi Wang ContributorKeʻalohi Wang is a freelance writer from Kailua Kona, Hawaiʻi. She has a background in content creating, social media management, and marketing for small businesses. An English Major from University of Hilo, she is passionate about poetry, Hawaiian c.
Contributor Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Updated: Jan 5, 2024, 2:13am
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Probation officers play an essential role in our society. They oversee and support law offenders as they reenter society. They also protect the safety of their community by ensuring their probationers follow their probation requirements.
If you are wondering how to become a probation officer, it is important to consider the higher education and training requirements that are essential to this criminal justice career path.
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Probation officers, otherwise known as community supervision officers, work with individuals who are assigned probation. These professionals work closely with individuals on probation to support their rehabilitation while ensuring they are not dangerous to their community.
Probation officers are responsible for working with offenders to help them meet their probation requirements. These officers encourage positive behavioral changes and a smooth reintegration into society following a probationer’s sentence.
Probation officers are often responsible for:
Because of the similarities in their job descriptions, probation and parole officers are often lumped together. However, there are differences between these roles.
Parole officers work with individuals after they are released from prison to facilitate their rehabilitation into society. Probation officers work with individuals who are sentenced to probation instead of prison time.
Are you wondering how to become a parole officer? Despite their slight differences, these professions’ requirements, tasks and duties often overlap. Sometimes, individuals perform both roles.
The journey to becoming a probation officer usually begins with earning a relevant bachelor’s degree. Along with education, you might have to meet specific training and certification requirements to become a probation officer. Details of this process vary among states.
More often than not, you need to earn a bachelor’s degree to become a probation officer. Though there is some flexibility in your degree choice, employers often prefer a criminal justice bachelor’s degree or a degree in a similar subject.
A bachelor’s in criminal justice helps you hone the specific skills required to work as a probation officer. To best assist your clients, you must first understand how the criminal justice system works. This degree prepares you to help probationers reengage with society.
Keep in mind that different jurisdictions may set specific requirements for probation officers. Some federal jobs may also ask for a higher level of education than a bachelor’s degree, such as a master’s degree in criminal justice.
In many states, an aspiring probation officer needs to undergo a training program and pass a certification test. The details of officer training are state-specific, so make sure to research the requirements for the state where you intend to work.
The state or federal government typically funds training programs for probation officers.
Once you have finished your pre-employment training and testing, you may also be required to work as a trainee. This stage can take up to a year to complete.
You may also choose to specialize in a specific kind of casework (e.g., juvenile offenders, substance use cases). In this case, you might undergo specific training for these types of cases.
Both soft and hard skills are required for probation officers to perform their job well. Written and verbal communication, critical thinking, decision-making, level-headedness and organizational skills are some of the most important competencies needed for this job.
As a probation officer, you should also understand how to write reports with the correct court and law terminology. These professionals maintain case files on probationers and administer drug tests as well.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) combines probation officers with correctional treatment specialists in its statistics. Because of this, keep in mind that the data below encompasses other professionals in addition to probation officers.
The BLS reported a median annual salary of $59,860 for these workers as of May 2022. The agency also projects that employment will grow by 3% for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists from 2022 to 2032, keeping pace with projections for all occupations in this period.
Before deciding to become a probation officer, make sure you meet the minimum requirements for this profession. In addition to training and testing, you should have a valid driver’s license and be 21 years of age. Clean drug tests and criminal background checks are also required.
This job often requires schedule flexibility. It sometimes contains large caseloads, and probation officers may struggle with a lack of support or resources. In addition, these professionals are often required to be in places with high crime rates and other unsafe conditions.
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ContributorKeʻalohi Wang is a freelance writer from Kailua Kona, Hawaiʻi. She has a background in content creating, social media management, and marketing for small businesses. An English Major from University of Hilo, she is passionate about poetry, Hawaiian culture, and sustainable living.
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