Probation and Parole Officer

Probation and Parole Officers work with offenders who are supervised in the community as well as with offenders who are serving a custodial sentence.

Their work is important to achieve reduced re-offending by working with offenders in a manner which encourages self responsibility and law-abiding community living.

Probation and Parole Officers provide assistance and referral services to offenders. They give verbal and written advice about offenders to courts and the NSW State Parole Authority.

As part of their work, Probation and Parole Officers visit offenders at their home and work with their families and communities, often during times of transition from community to custody or from custody to the community.

Probation and Parole Officers work in the Community Offender Services (COS) division of Corrective Services.

When Probation and Parole Officers are employed in the Parole Units of correctional centres, they are an integral part of preparing offenders for release from custody, which includes liaising with other government and non-government agencies around issues such as suitable housing and rehabilitation services.

The majority of Probation and Parole Officers supervise, monitor, manage and provide assistance to offenders who are on conditional liberty and are to complete a legal order in the community. These officers work in COS District Offices across the State, in metropolitan and regional areas of NSW.

All applicants for positions of Probation and Parole Officer must have demonstrated skills and experience in professional disciplines such as social work, psychology, mental health and/or other relevant human services. Skills in group program facilitation are beneficial as well.

All Probation and Parole Officers are required to attain the Certificate IV in Correctional Practice. This qualification is achieved by successful completion of a training program comprising an eight-week training course at the Brush Farm Corrective Services Academy at Eastwood complemented by 44 weeks of workplace training. During this time, the new officers are assessed twice by independent accredited assessors. An offer of permanent employment is only made if the training and the assessments have been completed successfully.

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