Requirements to Become...
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What are the Requirements to Become a Probation Officer?

As a probation officer, you are responsible for supervising and monitoring those who have been placed under close surveillance by the criminal justice system. Your goal is to ensure that these individuals stay out of trouble, stick with their current school or work, and regularly report in throughout the duration of their probation. Quite often, the people you help to supervise are either minor offenders that the courts believe require closer monitoring, or they are recently rehabilitated convicts who need additional guidance as they try to ease back into mainstream society.

What Are the Requirements to Become a Probation Officer?

Although there is no universally accepted standard that applies to all states and jurisdictions, a bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, criminal justice or related field is the gold standard. Some employers actually require a master's degree.

Once accepted, you may be required to complete training with a state or federal probation program in which you explore various disciplines like:
  • Pretrial services
  • Parole
  • Probation
  • Counseling
  • Substance abuse
  • Social work
  • Criminal investigations
Thereafter, you can expect to take a series of oral, psychological, written, and physical exams to determine your mental aptitude, overall fitness, and emotional condition. Many applicants also undergo criminal background screening as well. If you have any unpaid parking tickets, now is a good time to address them and clean up your record. Ex-felons are typically barred from this type of work.

Additional Requirements for Probation Officers

For most job opportunities, you must be at least twenty-one years old, and for some federal positions, you may not be over thirty-seven. Increasingly employers seem to favor those with training in computers and information technology. As court systems around the country continue to go paperless, you can expect IT skills to become even more important in the future.

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