Probation/Parole Officers

[CPO_Robbn]

Hi

I'm a new P&P. I am starting the academy which is 16+ weeks long. I work for the Florida DOC. Just wanted to get a more broad understanding of the day to day affairs of a P&P.

[ChevySSP]

My step dad is a Federal Probation Officer.


Be ready to be told your wrong everyday, accept responsibility for the stupidity of your probationees and have a good car that will run in excess of 200k+ miles.

Any other questions jus LMK.

[Switchback]

My step dad is a Federal Probation Officer.


Be ready to be told your wrong everyday, accept responsibility for the stupidity of your probationees and have a good car that will run in excess of 200k+ miles.

Any other questions jus LMK.

From someone who has worked a lot with federal probation, I would have to disagree. While they have their share of issues, they are well respected by the judicial family (to include the judges). I can't speak well of the state-side guys, but the feds tend to be an overqualified, top-notch group. Their biggest problem is the disparity in the way offices are run from district to district, as the Chief PO calls a lot of the shots (vs. instilling national policies).

[retdetsgt]

Looking from the outside, the biggest sin I've seen committed by P.O.'s is when they are new to get sucked into the BS handed them by their clients. I hate to sound sexist, but it's usually women who get taken in my smooth talking males. Perhaps women clients do that to young males too, I dunno I've never seen that, but I have seen more than a couple female P.O.'s lose their jobs (and one her life) to a slick client.

Several friends of mine went to work as P.O.'s after retirement and they told me some great stories that their clients tried to feed them. These were old guys who'd been around the block, but I could see someone new who thought they were really doing some good buying into their ****. A lot of your clients will have had lots of experience with the system and know how to work it. If a story sounds too good, run it by your supervisor or a more experienced P.O.