{"id":2608,"date":"2016-02-22T11:11:23","date_gmt":"2016-02-22T16:11:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodwin.edu\/enews\/?p=2608"},"modified":"2024-12-16T16:43:10","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T21:43:10","slug":"patrol-parole-probation-officers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodwin.edu\/enews\/patrol-parole-probation-officers\/","title":{"rendered":"Patrol, Parole, and Probation Officers: Which is Which?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are naturally a people person, a helping hand, a protector of those around you, then you may be considering a career in criminal justice. Criminal justice is a field filled with boundless opportunities to help those in need, but within the criminal justice system, there are many different paths that you can take. From patrol to parole to probation, many of the titles you can assume after criminal justice school<\/a> are of an \u201cofficer\u201d position. But what, exactly, differentiates one from the next? How will you know which will be the most fitting career for you?<\/p>\n

The following careers are the three popular P\u2019<\/em>s within the criminal justice system: Patrol, Parole, and Probation. While these positions often get confused, they do have some similarities. All three careers are designed to prevent crime, to keep people on track, and to keep the community safe. All three are rewarding, meaningful jobs that can be obtained with a criminal justice degree<\/a>. Let\u2019s take a deeper look:<\/p>\n

Probation Officers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

To understand the job duties of a probation officer, it\u2019s important first to understand what probation means. Probation is generally the sentence a judge will offer to offenders who have committed non-violent crimes. In this circumstance, the court allows the offender to enter back into the community, go to school and to work, but requires that the offender have consistent supervision during his or her sentence. In most instances of probation, the offenders are required to pay court fees, participate in support groups or community service, and comply with the given rules of conduct in the community.<\/p>\n

While probation is typically issued in place of jail time, those on probation will be incarcerated if their set regulations are broken. This is where the need for a probation officer comes into play. Probation officers supervise non-violent criminals that are fulfilling a sentence outside of prison. These officers ensure that each criminal is not a danger to the community, and that he or she is consistently working towards rehabilitation per the judge\u2019s orders. As a probation officer, you can expect to:<\/p>\n