Living the Dream of a Juvenile Probation Officer Essay

I have always wanted to make an impact on a youth that completely changed them forever; to help change if not a family’s life, but a youth’s life for the better. A juvenile probation officer helps to steer youths in the right direction and keep them out of trouble. The job of a Juvenile Probation Officer contains many types of jobs and responsibilities that are necessary in the role of deterring many youths from a life of crime. The job requires patience and understanding, while providing supervision and counseling to the youths and their families to create a rehabilitation plan to get back on track. Juvenile probation officers play an important role in our communities since they are the last line of defense and intervention before a youth is placed into a correctional facility. Becoming a juvenile probation officer begins with enjoying to work with youth and find the work rewarding. It is a good idea to first do some volunteer work with organizations such as Big Brothe rs, Big Sisters or Boys and Girls Club to determine if counseling and rehabilitation of young adults is something effective and enjoyable. In order to meet basic qualifications for most juvenile probation officer jobs it is needed to complete a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, corrections, social work, psychology, or related. Together with a strong educational background and some work experience, the necessary skills will be provided to begin applying for positions. Most probation jobs will require a background check, drug testing, and psychological examination. Juvenile probation officers monitor offenders’ behavior through personal contact, not just with the offender but the offender’s family and school as well. Many probation officers also have to work in the courts. The number of cases a probation officer is responsible for depends on the counseling needs and the threat the offenders pose to the society. Being a probation officer can be very stressful, dealing with clients their families and friends who may be angry, upset and uncooperative. Stress does makes this job and any job more diff icult, but at the end of the day it is very rewarding to know someone made a better life decision. Many probation officers build a bond with their clients and families; it becomes more personal getting to know the clients, while the whole goal is helping the client become a productive citizen. Ever since I can remember my goal has been to get my Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. I have enjoyed working with the youth and young  adults; a troubled teen deserves a second chance to turn their lives around. Becoming a juvenile probation officer will allow me to work with troubled youth, helping them get back on the right track and becoming more focused on getting an education and becoming extremely successful later on in life; making sure they can stay out of trouble long enough to accomplish these goals . The job growth is also expected to occur in other areas of the criminal justice field, including police work and the private detective field. Many of these job openings will be in government agencies, to provide good benefits and job stability. When choosing a career in criminal justice, it’s opening the door to many other career possibilities down the road. Once you gain experience working in corrections or law enforcement, if wanting to change careers, it’s likely to find that opportunity for a person with experience. Prisons and other correctional facilities won’t be going away anytime soon. As of 2011, the (Bureau of Labor Statistics) â€Å"reported that job growth for prison employees and probation officers will be higher than average until at least 2018.† Overcrowding in prisons has forced judges and prosecutors to search for alternatives punishment, such as electronic monitoring, and day reporting centers. Not only is probation avoiding housing clients in overcrowded prisons, probation is far less expensive, saving tax payers’ dollars. (Bureau of Labor Statistics,) Probation officers must be in respectable physical condition and emotionally stable. Most places require being at least 21 years of age and not over 37; also must not have any previous or pending felony charges. Another skill required is having strong writing skills, because of the large number of reports to write on a daily basis to be familiar with computers is often required. To be eligible for a job as probation officer also have be knowledgeable about the laws and regulations pertaining to corrections in your state. Education and training vary from state to state. A bachelor’s degree in social work and or criminal justice is usually required. Some states require having one year of work experience or one year graduate study in criminal justice, social work, or psychology. Most probation officers must go through some type of training program and work as a trainee for about six months. Candidates who successfully meet these requirements and complete the training period obtain a permanent position. Some but not all states require you to take a certification test during or after training. Also applicants  are usually made to pass a number of tests from oral, written, psychological and physical. Probation officers are very dedicated to what they do. The job is very demanding, not only do they have their normal everyday appointments, but to receive several phone calls an hour, clients that stop in the office needing to speak immediately. Probation officers are strong willed, dedicated, they know their own strengths and weaknesses those qualities makes them able to help others in need. A career as a Juvenile Probation officer can be extremely rewarding, and challenging. Although the position requires a vast variety of skills, the satisfaction of helping a troubled teen makes the challenge worth it. Annotated Bibliography Alpert D. Andrew Internet http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2001/fall/art05.pdf Probation officers who, in some states may be referred to as community supervision officers. Monitor offender’s behavior through personal contact with the offenders and their families. Officers also may arrange for offenders to get substance abuse rehabilitation or job training. Correctional treatment specialist, also known as case managers or drug treatment specialists, assess inmate’s rehabilitative development. They work with inmates, probation officers, and agencies to develop plans for parole and release providing case reports. They also write treatment plans and summarizes for each client. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists work similar ways with people convicted of crimes. In addition, they arrange for offenders attendance at education and job training programs and counsel offenders. The different ways of counsel are either individually or in groups, regarding issues such as coping skills, anger management and drug and sexual abuse. Probati on officers in some states may be referred to as community supervision officers, minor offender’s behavior through personal contact with families. Bryant Linda These are some of the steps she gave me to pursue being a juvenile probation officer. Have at least a 4-year college degree at an accredited university,  pass a background check that is free of any felony convictions, must pass a drug screen test, You must pass the polygraph test; also I would need to go through an Oral Board Interview. Officers are involved in community, such as religious institutions and neighborhood groups. Probation officers usually work a standard of forty hour weeks but they may be required to work longer or be on call hours a day to supervise and assist offenders. Probation officers may find the job stressful for a variety of reasons. They work with convicted criminals, some that can be very dangerous. Supervising offenders and officers usually interact with many other individuals, including family members and friends of their clients who may be angry or upset. Fieldwork assignments in high crime areas may require that probation officers carry a firearm or o ther weapon for protection. The job outlook for these occupations depends on the amount of government funding that is given to the corrections. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/probation-officers-and-correctional-treatment-specialists.htm (visited April 30, 2013) Many people who are convicted of crimes are placed on probation, instead of being sent to prison. People who have served time in prison are often released on parole. During probation and parole while they are in prison, offenders must stay out of trouble and meet other requirements. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialist’s work with and monitor offenders to prevent them from committing new crimes. They work with criminal offenders, some of whom may be dangerous. Probation officers, who are called community supervision officers in some states, supervise people who have been placed on probation. They work to ensure that the offender is not a danger to the community and to help in their rehabilitation. Probation officers write reports that detail each offender’s treatment plans and their progress since they were put on probation. Most probation officers work with either adults or juveniles. Only in small, mostly rural, jurisdictions do probation officers counsel both adults and juveniles. Pretrial services  officers investigate an offender’s background to determine if that offender can be safely allowed back into the community before his or her trial date. They must assess the risk and make a recommendation to a judge who decides on the appropriate sentencing or bond amount. When offenders are allowed back into the community, pretrial officers supervise them to make sure that they stay with the terms of their release and appear at their trials. 1999 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates 21-1092 Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists http://www.bls.gov/oes/1999/oes211092.htm 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. As guidelines are reduced or repealed, judges have more flexibility in sentencing offenders for each case. For offenders who are deemed to be a lower risk, this may result in less prison time, more community-based corrections, or some combination of the two. Employment growth depends primarily on the amount of government funding for corrections, especially how much there is for probation and parole systems. Although community supervision is far less expensive than keeping offenders in prison, a change in political and social trends toward more imprisonment and away from community supervision could result in reduced employment opportunities. In addition to openings resulting from growth, many openings will be created by the need to replace large numbers of these workers expected to retire in the coming years. This occupation is not attractive to some potential entrants because of relatively low earnings, heavy workloads, and high stress. For these reasons, job opportunities should be excellent for those who qualify.