Probation and Parole Officers

Probation and
Parole Officer

WE CHANGE LIVES

Job Description
Probation and Parole officers perform routine professional social service and law enforcement duties while assessing criminogenic needs, transition plan design, treatment referral and ongoing monitoring of offender behavior. Supervision services provide increased public safety through the reduction of future criminal behavior.
Typical Functions
  • Manages adult felons through motivational interview skills to asses criminogenic risk/need and to determine the offender's criminogenic needs; refers offenders to appropriate treatment and/or programs to target the offender's primary criminogenic needs; monitors activities of offenders to ensure adherence to action steps negotiated through transition planning and conditions ordered by releasing authority; assists offenders in obtaining and maintaining employment; engages on-going support for the offender in the community by assisting the offender in identifying a network of family and friends with a pro-social orientation; and identifies pro-social interests and activities that are geared toward improving bonds and ties to pro-social community members.
  • Conducts various investigations including, but not limited to, pre-sentence, interstate, pre-pardon and pre-parole.
  • Prepares reports concerning activities of offenders and provides recommendations for the use of the releasing authority.
  • Maintains documentation, physical and electronic, relating to management of offender caseload.
  • Monitors payment of financial obligations ordered by the releasing authority; collects and documents offender payments. .
  • Assists security operations in the event of a prison riot or disturbance; and arrests and transports offenders when required.
  • Conducts periodic screening for drug and alcohol use by offenders.
Level Descriptors Level I Incumbents perform entry-level duties involved in the supervision of probationers, parolees and inmates in re-entry programs.

Level II Incumbents perform a variety of professional probation and parole duties at the full performance level involving the supervision of probationers, parolees and inmates in pre-entry programs. May also be assigned to provide training and guidance to others in completing various routine assignments.

Level III Incumbents serve as a subject matter expert in a specific area of evidence-based practice such as motivational interviewing; assessing transition planning; providing director cognitive programming to an offender population; and responsible for the supervision of offenders who present complex and difficult behavioral management issues.
Education and Experience Level I Education and experience requirements are a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university including at least twenty-four semester hours in any combination of psychology, sociology, social work, criminology, education, criminal justice administration, penology or police science.

Level II Education and experience requirements are a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university including at least twenty-four semester hours in any combination of psychology, sociology, social work, criminology, education, criminal justice administration, penology or police science plus two years of correctional experience in social casework which involved the classification, assessment or field supervision of probationers and parolees and/or inmates; or substitution of a master’s degree in the fields of study listed for one year only of the required work experience.

Level III Education and experience requirements are a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university including at least twenty-four semester hours in any combination of psychology, sociology, social work, criminology, education, criminal justice administration, penology or police science plus four years of correctional experience in social casework which involved the classification, assessment or field supervision of probationers and parolees and/or inmates; or substitution of a master’s degree in the fields of study listed for one year only of the required work experience.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Competencies Level I Knowledge, skills and abilities include knowledge of laws, rules, regulations, legislation, policies and procedures pertaining to offenders and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections; of evidence-based practices in the supervision of offenders; of community resources; of public and private re-entry and transitional services; of report writing; of basic investigation techniques; of basic law enforcement practices; of counseling techniques and motivational interviewing; and of substance testing and collection methods. Ability is required to establish and maintain effective working relationships with community, families, service agencies, and other support systems; to locate suitable employment for community based offenders; to motivate clients to change antisocial behaviors; to manage substantial caseloads; to give courtroom testimony; to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; to understand and implement evidence-based practices relative to community supervision of offenders; and to use electronic technology in the supervision of offenders and in the management of offender related information.

Level II Knowledge, skills and abilities include knowledge of laws, rules, regulations, legislation, policies and procedures as they pertain to offenders and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections; of evidence-based practices in the supervision of offenders; of community resources; of public and private re-entry and transitional services; of report writing; of basic investigation techniques; of basic law enforcement practices; of counseling techniques and motivational interviewing; and of substance testing and collection methods. Ability is required to establish and maintain effective working relationships with community, families, service agencies, and other support systems; to locate suitable employment for community based offenders; to motivate clients to change antisocial behaviors; to manage substantial caseloads; to give courtroom testimony; to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; to understand and implement evidence-based practices relative to community supervision of offenders; and to use electronic technology in the supervision of offenders and in the management of offender related information.

Level III Knowledge, skills and abilities include knowledge of laws, rules, regulations, legislation, policies and procedures as they pertain to offenders and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections; of evidence-based practices in the supervision of offenders; of community resources; of public and private re-entry and transitional services; of report writing; of basic investigation techniques; of basic law enforcement practices; of counseling techniques and motivational interviewing; of substance testing and collection methods; and of a specific area of evidence-based practice. Ability is required to establish and maintain effective working relationships with community, families, service agencies, and other support systems; to locate suitable employment for community based offenders; to motivate clients to change antisocial behaviors; to manage substantial caseloads; to give courtroom testimony; to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; to understand and implement evidence-based practices relative to community supervision of offenders; to use electronic technology in the supervision of offenders and in the management of offender-related information; and to provide consultation, training, mentoring and oversight for other staff in the application of the area of expertise.
Special Requirement Applicants must perform all job-related travel normally associated with this position and possess a valid driver's license.

Applicants are subject to drug testing.

Probation and Parole officers shall meet all of the training and qualifications for peace officers required by Section 3311 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes (57 O.S. 515) including any psychological or physical testing required by Section 3311 for eligibility to complete a basic police course or be certified as a peace officer.

No person who convicted of a nonviolent felony or crime involving moral turpitude and who has not received a full pardon from the proper authority, or who was convicted of any other felony offense, is eligible for employment in this job classification. (70 O.S. 3311.E and 21 O.S. 1283.B)

No person who received a verdict of guilty or pled guilty or nolo contendere to any offense required to register pursuant to the Sex Offenders Registration Act is eligible for employment in this job classification. (57 O.S. 589.C)

No person convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence, who was not pardoned for, or had the conviction expunged or set aside; or is subject to a court order that restrains the person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or the partner’s child or engaging in other conduct that would place an intimate partner or the partner’s child in reasonable fear of bodily injury and includes a finding that the person is a credible threat; or who has been dishonorably discharged from any branch of the armed services is eligible for employment in this job classification. (18 U.S.C. 922).