Probation and Parole Officer, Level III (I40C)

Full-time, regular position with the Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole Region II.

Basic Purpose

Positions in this job family are responsible for performing routine professional social service and law enforcement duties in the areas of assessment of criminogenic need, transition plan design, treatment referral, and ongoing monitoring of offender behavior. Supervision services are provided in the community for probationers, parolees, and inmates in re-entry programs to increase public safety through the reduction of future criminal behavior.

Responsibilities

• Manages a caseload of adult felons by employing motivational interviewing skills to complete a scientific assessment of criminogenic risk/need and determine the offender’s stage of change for each identified need area.
• Refers offenders to appropriate treatment and/or programs targeting primary criminogenic needs.
• Monitors activities of offenders to ensure adherence to action steps negotiated through transition planning and to conditions ordered by the releasing authority.
• Assists offenders in obtaining and maintaining employment.
• Engages ongoing support for the offender in the community by helping identify a network of family and friends with a pro-social orientation.
• Identifies pro-social interests and activities geared toward improving bonds and ties to pro-social community members.
• Conducts investigations including pre-sentence, interstate, pre-pardon, and pre-parole.
• Prepares reports concerning activities of offenders and provides recommendations for use by the releasing authority.
• Maintains documentation, both physical and electronic, relating to the management of offender caseload.
• Monitors payment of financial obligations ordered by the releasing authority; collects and documents offender payments.
• Assists in security operations in the event of a prison riot or disturbance; arrests and transports offenders when required.
• Conducts periodic screening for drug and alcohol use by offenders.

Level Descriptor

Level III: This is the specialist level where incumbents serve as subject matter experts in a specific area of evidence-based practice such as motivational interviewing, assessment, or transition planning. They provide direct cognitive programming to an offender population and supervise offenders who present complex and difficult behavioral management issues.

Requirements

• Knowledge of laws, rules, regulations, legislation, policies, and procedures pertaining to offenders and the Department of Corrections.
• Knowledge of evidence-based practices in the supervision of offenders, community resources, public and private re-entry and transitional services, report writing, basic investigation techniques, law enforcement practices, counseling techniques, motivational interviewing, and substance testing and collection methods.
• Knowledge of a specific area of evidence-based practice (Level III only).
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with community, families, service agencies, and other support systems.
• Ability to locate suitable employment for community-based offenders and motivate clients to change antisocial behaviors.
• Ability to manage substantial caseloads, give courtroom testimony, and communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to understand and implement evidence-based practices relative to community supervision of offenders.
• Ability to use electronic technology in the supervision of offenders and in the management of offender-related information.
• Ability to provide consultation, training, mentoring, and oversight for other staff in the application of the area of expertise (Level III only).

Qualifications

Level III: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university including at least twenty-four semester hours in any combination of psychology, sociology, social work, criminology, education, criminal justice administration, penology, or police science, plus four years of correctional experience in social casework involving the classification, assessment, or field supervision of probationers, parolees, and/or inmates. A master’s degree in the listed fields may substitute for one year of the required work experience.

Special Requirements

• Must be willing and able to perform all job-related travel and possess a valid driver’s license.
• Must meet all training and qualifications for peace officers as required by Oklahoma Statutes, including psychological and physical testing.
• No person convicted of a nonviolent felony or crime involving moral turpitude (without a full pardon), any other felony offense, or required to register under the Sex Offenders Registration Act is eligible for employment.
• No person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, subject to a restraining order involving harassment or threats, or dishonorably discharged from the armed services is eligible for employment.
• Applicants will be subject to drug testing.

Pay

• Level I: $48,044.52
• Level II: $50,834.80
• Level III: $54,700.80