Probation Officer

When they’re young, everyone needs a Babysitter to supervise, entertain, and care for them while their parents are away. Eventually, however, all children grow up, and when they do, they no longer need Babysitters. That is, unless they’re convicted criminals, in which case the justice system often insists they have someone to watch over them.

As a Probation Officer, you’re that someone, paid to “babysit” criminal offenders who have been sentenced to probation, either instead of prison or in combination with it as part of a reduced sentence. Unlike Parole Officers, who supervise offenders who’ve been released from prison early for good behavior, Probation Officers part of the punishment, not the reward.

For that reason, your job is enforcing rules. If offenders violate the terms of their probation — for instance, courts often require them to refrain from using drugs and respect a strict curfew — they’re sent to prison. It’s up to the Probation Officer to make sure that doesn’t happen by supervising offenders who have been assigned to you. To that end, the duties of a Probation Officer typically include: meeting with offenders, as well as their families and employers, in order to monitor their activities and evaluate their progress; performing random visits and drug tests to make sure offenders are complying with the terms of their probation; arranging drug or alcohol rehabilitation, job training, and housing for offenders; and reporting to the courts in order to recommend further sentencing, release, etc.

In a way, you’re a professional guardian angel — the kind that gives tough love to those who truly need it!