A juvenile probation officer is in charge of many aspects of a young person’s life after they have been convicted of a crime. When a young person is placed on probation in the United States, he is usually assigned to a probation officer who creates a plan to assist the youth in becoming a contributing member of society. The probation department handles education, medical concerns, and court mandates, as well as family issues. Home visits by a probation officer and office visits to the probation department may be part of the juvenile’s probation. These are used to keep track of the offender’s compliance with the probation plan.
When a juvenile probationer commits an act of violence, fails to show up for school, or otherwise violates a probation condition, his probation officer will contact the young person to discuss the violation. The officer may reprimand the youth or detain him and bring him before a judge to discuss the infraction. In the majority of cases, the officer will attempt to work with the juvenile to reschedule the plan.
A juvenile probation officer may need qualities like kindness, fairness, and compassion to do their job well. The officer should be able to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, as well as solve basic problems. One of the primary responsibilities of the job is to work with the community to assist young offenders in reintegrating into society in a productive manner. This may entail the young person seeking employment or counseling, as well as substance abuse treatment or education. In some metropolitan areas, the probation officer may even assist with gang disbandment.
A college diploma and some job-specific training are required in most cases for a juvenile probation officer. He or she is hired through the court system in the majority of cases, with some areas requiring approval from a judge before even applying for the position. While some parole officers are armed, the vast majority are not. In most cases, a juvenile worker has the authority to detain a client and transport him to jail or a juvenile offender program.
Most probation officers work long hours and have a large caseload. Many of their clients have positive outcomes; however, the recidivism rate for young offenders is extremely high. Working with the youth’s family is a difficult task at best, and it can also be dangerous. Home visits and family counseling necessitate the officer entering the family’s home, as this often provides the best insight into their clients’ behavior patterns.