If parolees who have been released early from prison or probationers sentenced to specific terms and restrictions choose to violate their parole or probation agreements then it is the probation and parole officer’s duty to report such violations and make arrests as needed. In the year 2012 there were 2,199 probations revoked across the State of Alabama.
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Nationwide the probation and parole field is projected to grow 18 percent in the decade leading up to 2020, and probation and parole officers in The Azalea City can expect the same as felony probationers make up 61 percent of the total offender population across the state.
Education for a Probation and Parole Career in Mobile
Candidates wanting to work as probation and parole officers in Mobile will need to have at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. This degree can be in social work, psychology, criminal justice, or any other field that qualifies as a bachelor of arts or sciences.
Application Process
Jobs as probation and parole officers in Mobile begin with a four-page state application to take a multiple choice civil service examination that covers knowledge of basic subjects. Candidates must then complete a physical agility test that involves a 1.5-mile run, push-ups, sit-ups, and a timed obstacle course. If a candidate passes these events competitively, he or she may be invited for an official interview, to be followed up by a background check and drug test. Applications are accepted year-round for probation and parole officer jobs. Candidates should take care to fill these out completely and legibly, returning them to the Alabama State Personnel Office located in Montgomery.
Other Requirements
Candidates for probation and parole officer careers must also meet the following requirements:
- Possess a valid driver’s license
- Be able to legally work in the U.S.
- Have no felony convictions or any misdemeanor convictions involving crimes of moral turpitude
Training
Once hired, Mobile probation and parole officers complete an extensive 12-week training academy where they will learn the essentials of their new career. Topics covered in the classroom and field training include:
- Alabama State Codes
- Criminal justice and probation and parole systems and philosophy
- Offender evaluation and psychological assessment
- Firearms and use of deadly force training
- Community resources for rehabilitation and offender referral
After graduating from the training academy, officers will complete two-weeks of a supervised in-service training program, and after the first year of employment must complete an annual 12 hours of training each year.