Detailed Report: The Role and Responsibilities of a Probation Officer

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the role of a probation officer, encompassing their responsibilities in investigating, supervising, and guiding offenders. It details the core functions, including professional control and counseling, with the aim of facilitating the rehabilitation of cri...Read More

Role of Probation officer

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Information about probation officer job......................................................................................3
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
A probation officer refers to the officer who is appointed to report on, investigate and
supervise the conduct of convicted offenders on probation. The probation officer is majorly
focused on the offender's desire or concern and also tries to solve the problem who aims to make
the offender a productive member of the community(Lovins and et.al., 2018). The present report
will cover discussion about the job probation officer and key areas where probation officer
serves. In addition to this, the report will cover analysis about the challenges for being a
probation officer and about its ethical behaviour as well. Moreover, the report will cover
discussion about in which manner being a probation officer supports in terms of developing at
academic and professional level as well.
MAIN BODY
Information about probation officer job
A probation officer is a court officer who meets people on the regular basis which is
sentenced to the supervised probation probation period. There are majority of the offenders who
are placed on the probation are the first time offenders and these are the people who are
perpetrators and lower level of criminals as well. A probation officer has to meet with their client
on the monthly or weekly basis and they have to investigate the circumstances. On the basis of
assessment of risks or requirements the probation officer have to decide the degree of
supervision which a person requires(Viglione and et.al., 2018). This officer has to supervise
other persons and seeks out the suitable employment wherever necessary. They have to support
and counsel the victims in the payment through the court of penalties or costs. A probation
officer has certain main functions which include investigation, guidance, supervision,
professional control and counselling of criminal probation. The probation officer also facilitates
the rehabilitation of the criminal as a law abiding the member of the society. These are the main
roles and responsibilities which a probation officer has to fulfil.
A probation officer has to fulfil lots of roles and responsibilities where the officer is
responsible for investigation, guidance, supervision, professional control and counselling of
criminal probation.

Probation officer has to evaluate that where additional support is required in order to
succeed the client. A probation officer needs to revise the case plan on the regular basis of a
probationer. There are certain challenges of being a probation officer which includes they have
to handle the high case loads and also receives lower pays as well(Leiber and et.al., 2018). They
have to face problems into context of safety threats and also they have higher level of stress and
burnouts as well. Being a probation officer, they have to face problems into context of schedules
because they are unpredictable and they have to go for work any time. These are the main
challenges a probation officer has to face in their professional working.
It is important for a probation officer to behave into ethical terms so that they can fulfil
their roles and responsibilities into proper manner. A probation officer has to conduct the
individual's personal life with a sense of decorum so as to reflect on the overall profession into
well mannered way. A probation officer has to uphold the dignity of the legal system and they
need to carry out the duties in an objective manner. They have to respect for the rights of all
individuals and they have to properly apply the counselling techniques. They have to build the
strong relationships and this ability needs to be build up with lots of practice and experiences as
well. So its very important for a probation officer to behave into ethical terms and have to work
within the ethical code of conduct.
It has been observed that being a probation officer helps in terms of building at academic
and professional level as well. As the productive members, of the society probation officer
contribute into context of professional and at academic level as well. At academic level, they can
grasp knowledge and degree due to which they can develop themselves into positive context. As
a probation officer , they have proper skills due to which they can perform into well mannered
way due to which they can perform into successful manner(Hoover., 2018). The experience of
being a probation officer also gives opportunity to the individual to apply the concepts and their
experience at the academic level. In the professional life, the knowledge act as base for their
growth and development due to which they can perform into out of box manner. So its very
important for a probation officer to focus on their both lives whether it is about professional or of
academic life. That's why being a probation officer majorly contribute into their professional
and academic development as well. In this manner, they can develop themselves into positive
context at the professional and at academic level as well.

CONCLUSION
The above stated report concludes that probation officer are very important into this
society and provides a significant role for society benefits as well. It has been concluded that the
job of a probation officer is not easy but it is full of lots of problems and challenges as well. It
has been determined that there are certain areas where a probation officer has to provide their
services into positive context. It has been observed that being a probation officer they have to
face lots of challenges and problems as well. A probation officer have to behave into ethical
terms and work into ethical manner as well. Being a probation officer help in terms of their
academic and professional development and growth as well. So the job of probation officer is not
very easy but it also full of risks and challenges as well.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Hoover, L. T., 2018. Effect of contracted treatment referrals on probation officer role. Journal of
Offender Rehabilitation, 57(7), pp.506-524.
Leiber and et.al., 2018. Sentencing recommendations by probation officers and judges: An
examination of adult offenders across gender. Women & Criminal Justice, 28(2),
pp.100-124.
Lovins and et.al., 2018. Probation officer as a coach: Building a new professional identity. Fed.
Probation, 82, p.13.
Viglione and et.al., 2018. Organizational factors and probation officer use of evidence-based
practices: A multilevel examination. International journal of offender therapy and
comparative criminology, 62(6), pp.1648-1667.