ABSTRACT
The role of the probation and parole officer is clear—to provide supervision services to offenders under their control. With that, probation and parole officers come in all shapes and forms. There are some general requirements of officers that are described in the first section of this chapter. From there, the chapter describes how probation and parole officers’ behavior is shaped by the larger system including courts, politics, legislation, agency, and even public opinion. The chapter then focuses on the types of officers, describing the history of typologies and ending in the most recent discussions challenging the field to look at officers more as coaches than referees. Once the roles are discussed, the chapter then presents the core skills an officer would have to be effective in reducing recidivism.
