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Occupation AtlasProbation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

O*NET · 21-1092.00

Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

Provide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.

Also called Adult Probation and Parole Officer · Adult Probation Officer · Attendance Officer · Community Corrections Specialist · Community Supervision Officer · Correctional Case Manager · Correctional Casework Specialist · Correctional Counselor
52 more

Correctional Officer · Correctional Probation Officer · Correctional Probation Specialist · Correctional Specialist · Correctional Treatment Case Manager · Correctional Treatment Specialist · Correctional Treatment Specialist Case Manager · Corrections Counselor · Corrections Specialist · Court Worker · Crime Prevention Worker · DCC Parole Officer · DCC Parole Officer (Division of Community Corrections Parole Officer) · Deputy Juvenile Officer · Deputy Probation Officer (DPO) · Detention Attendant · Detention Officer · Detention Worker · DPO · Intensive Supervision Officer · Juvenile Correctional Officer · Juvenile Counselor · Juvenile Court Counselor · Juvenile Detention Officer · Juvenile Justice Specialist · Juvenile Officer · Juvenile Probation Officer · Juvenile Probation Parole Officer · Juvenile Probation Parole Specialist · Juvenile Specialist · Juvenile Supervision Officer · OES · Offender Employment Specialist (OES) · Offender Job Retention Specialist · Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS) · OWDS · Parole Agent · Parole Officer (PO) · Parole Specialist · People Officer · PO · Prisoner Classification Interviewer · Probation Agent · Probation and Parole Officer · Probation and Patrol Agent · Probation Case Specialist · Probation Counselor · Probation Officer · Probation Specialist · Probation Worker · Truant Officer · Youth Probation Officer

Job Zone 4 — Considerable Preparation NeededHolland code SCE35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Customs and Border Protection Officers

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 4: Considerable Preparation Needed

Considerable preparation. Usually a bachelor's degree plus several years of work-related experience, knowledge, or training.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

SCESocial · Conventional · Enterprising — the three strongest interests, in order

  • S Social5.56
  • C Conventional4.18
  • E Enterprising3.92
  • I Investigative3.44
  • R Realistic2.35
  • A Artistic2.15

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Post-Secondary Certificate2%
  • Some College Courses2%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree5%
  • Bachelor's Degree88%
  • Master's Degree2%
Related work experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (29%)
On-site or in-plant training
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (27%)
On-the-job training
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (36%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Social Perceptiveness4.04.4Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Active Listeningbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Speakingbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.94.1Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Monitoringbasic3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Writingbasic3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Complex Problem Solving3.83.4Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.63.8Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Time Management3.43.4Level 4 looks like: Allocate the time of subordinates to projects for the coming week
  • Active Learningbasic3.43.3Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Coordination3.13.8Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
Show the other 23
  • Persuasion3.13.8Level 4 looks like: Convince a supervisor to purchase new office equipment
  • Negotiation3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Contract with a wholesaler to sell items at a given cost
  • Service Orientation3.03.5Level 4 looks like: Make flight reservations for customers using an online booking site
  • Instructing3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Systems Analysis2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Systems Evaluation2.83.0Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Learning Strategiesbasic2.32.6Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.32.5Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Operations Monitoring2.31.8Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Operation and Control2.11.4Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Quality Control Analysis2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Mathematicsbasic1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Operations Analysis1.81.6Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Sciencebasic1.80.8
  • Management of Financial Resources1.61.0Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
  • Management of Material Resources1.60.9
  • Programming1.60.8
  • Troubleshooting1.60.6
  • Technology Design1.50.6
  • Equipment Maintenance1.0—
  • Equipment Selection1.0—
  • Installation1.0—
  • Repairing1.0—

Tasks

17 core · 4 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.4.5
  2. Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.4.4
  3. Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.4.4
  4. Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.4.4
  5. Investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure.4.4
  6. Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school.4.4
  7. Inform offenders or inmates of requirements of conditional release, such as office visits, restitution payments, or educational and employment stipulations.4.3
  8. Develop liaisons and networks with other parole officers, community agencies, correctional institutions, psychiatric facilities, and aftercare agencies to plan for helping offenders with life adjustments.4.3
  9. Arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders.4.3
  10. Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole.4.3
  11. Administer drug and alcohol tests, including random drug screens of offenders, to verify compliance with substance abuse treatment programs.4.3
  12. Write reports describing offenders' progress.4.2
Show the other 9
  1. Conduct prehearing and presentencing investigations and testify in court regarding offenders' backgrounds and recommended sentences and sentencing conditions.4.2
  2. Participate in decisions about whether cases should go before courts and which court should hear them.4.2
  3. Arrange for postrelease services, such as employment, housing, counseling, education, and social activities.4.1
  4. Provide offenders or inmates with assistance in matters concerning detainers, sentences in other jurisdictions, writs, and applications for social assistance.3.6
  5. Develop and prepare packets containing information about social service agencies, assistance organizations, and programs that might be useful for inmates or offenders.3.4
  6. Develop rehabilitation programs for assigned offenders or inmates, establishing rules of conduct, goals, and objectives.4.2
  7. Recommend appropriate penitentiary for initial placement of an offender.4.0
  8. Assess the suitability of penitentiary inmates for release under parole and statutory release programs and submit recommendations to parole boards.3.7
  9. Identify and approve work placements for offenders with community service sentences.3.6

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Law and Government4.44.7Level 4 looks like: Prepare documents and title papers for the purchase of a new house
  • Public Safety and Security4.34.8Level 4 looks like: Inspect a building site for safety violations
  • English Language4.14.4Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Psychology4.15.3Level 4 looks like: Understand the impact of alcohol on human responses
  • Therapy and Counseling4.05.0Level 4 looks like: Provide job counseling to the unemployed
  • Sociology and Anthropology3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Write an article about cultural differences
  • Administrative3.43.8Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Customer and Personal Service3.24.0Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
Show all 33
  • Computers and Electronics3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Education and Training3.13.5Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • Administration and Management2.82.9
  • Communications and Media2.42.1Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.21.9Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Philosophy and Theology2.22.6
  • Transportation2.22.1Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Mathematics2.11.8Level 1 looks like: Add two numbers
  • Telecommunications2.01.4Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Geography1.91.7Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Foreign Language1.81.5Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Economics and Accounting1.50.7Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.50.9Level 1 looks like: Use a band-aid
  • Chemistry1.4—
  • History and Archeology1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Production and Processing1.3—
  • Biology1.2—
  • Design1.2—
  • Engineering and Technology1.2—
  • Mechanical1.2—
  • Sales and Marketing1.2—
  • Building and Construction1.1—
  • Fine Arts1.1—
  • Food Production1.1—
  • Physics1.1—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Oral Expression4.14.1Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Deductive Reasoning4.04.0Level 5 looks like: Decide what factors to consider in selecting stocks
  • Problem Sensitivity4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Written Comprehension4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Inductive Reasoning3.93.9Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Oral Comprehension3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Speech Clarity3.83.5Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Speech Recognition3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
Show all 52
  • Written Expression3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Near Vision3.33.6
  • Category Flexibility3.03.0Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Information Ordering3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Selective Attention3.02.9Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Flexibility of Closure2.92.3Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Fluency of Ideas2.93.1Level 4 looks like: Think of as many ideas as possible for the name of a new company
  • Originality2.83.1Level 4 looks like: Redesign job tasks to be interesting for employees
  • Time Sharing2.62.3Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Far Vision2.52.4Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Speed of Closure2.32.1Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Trunk Strength2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Auditory Attention2.12.3Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Depth Perception2.11.6Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Explosive Strength2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Hit a nail with a hammer
  • Gross Body Coordination2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.11.4Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Memorization2.12.0Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Multilimb Coordination2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Perceptual Speed2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Reaction Time2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Response Orientation2.12.1Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Static Strength2.12.1Level 1 looks like: Push an empty shopping cart
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness2.01.6Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Control Precision2.01.6Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Finger Dexterity2.01.6Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Gross Body Equilibrium2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Manual Dexterity2.01.4Level 1 looks like: Screw a light bulb into a light socket
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.01.5Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Number Facility2.01.4Level 1 looks like: Add 2 and 7
  • Speed of Limb Movement2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Saw through a thin piece of wood
  • Stamina2.01.9Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Visualization2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Glare Sensitivity1.60.8
  • Rate Control1.60.6Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Visual Color Discrimination1.60.9Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Extent Flexibility1.50.6
  • Night Vision1.50.6
  • Peripheral Vision1.50.6
  • Sound Localization1.50.5
  • Spatial Orientation1.50.6
  • Dynamic Strength1.40.6
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.40.5
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Getting Information4.84.8Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Documenting/Recording Information4.55.1Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.45.4Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.45.1Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.34.9Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.35.1Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.35.5Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Working with Computers4.24.2Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
Show all 41
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.15.3Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.05.0Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.94.5Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.94.6Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.94.8Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.84.6Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Processing Information3.84.5Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others3.85.0Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Assisting and Caring for Others3.74.3Level 4 looks like: Help a medical patient find in-home assistance or healthcare
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public3.64.3Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.53.8Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.54.1Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.43.7Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Performing Administrative Activities3.43.8Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others3.44.0Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Thinking Creatively3.33.7Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Training and Teaching Others3.33.7Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.23.8Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Developing and Building Teams3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.12.9
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.93.0Level 4 looks like: Make a sales pitch to convince others to buy a product
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment2.82.8
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.72.7
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information2.62.8
  • Performing General Physical Activities2.63.1Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Staffing Organizational Units2.52.6
  • Handling and Moving Objects2.01.9Level 1 looks like: Change settings on copy machines
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment2.01.2Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture
  • Controlling Machines and Processes1.91.5Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.71.2Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.70.9Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Contact With Others5.0
  • E-Mail4.8
  • Telephone Conversations4.8
  • Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.7
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7
  • Conflict Situations4.5
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.4
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.4
  • Time Pressure4.4
  • Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People4.3

Technology

17 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

In demand (1)

  • Microsoft Office softwarehot

Hot (6; 1 more marked hot above)

  • Facebook
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
Other tools (10)
  • Appointment scheduling software
  • Case management software
  • Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
  • Court records databases
  • Electronic tracking device software
  • Email software
  • LinkedIn
  • Speech recognition software
  • Tyler Technologies Odyssey Case Manager
  • Web browser software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Correctional Officers and Jailers
  2. Child, Family, and School Social Workers
  3. First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers
  4. Rehabilitation Counselors
  5. Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
  6. Social and Human Service Assistants
  7. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
  8. Healthcare Social Workers
  9. Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
  10. Mental Health Counselors

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.