How to Become a Parole Officer
Here you'll find the qualifications and requirements, job description, salary information, education and training programs, and some advice that will help you on your way to becoming a parole officer.
Parole Officer Qualifications and Requirements
1) Earn a bachelor degree. A minimum qualification for most state and federal parole jobs is a bachelor degree. Commonly held degrees for parole officers include criminal justice, corrections, social work, psychology, counseling, sociology, business administration and related degrees. Federal parole officers are often required to have at least one year of graduate work in counseling, psychology, social work or related fields.
Ashford University offers bachelor's degrees in both psychology and sociology and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, as required by most parole officer jobs. Click here to request free information from their programs.
2) Minimum Requirements: Most state and county parole jobs will require you to be at least 20years old, must hold a bachelor degree, federal jobs require at least a year of graduate degree work, must have a valid state driver's license, must complete required training and certifications as required by state, county and federal regulations, must possess the required licenses for carrying a firearm in your state, pass a background investigation an drug screening, pass a psychological exam. Some states will require at least two years of work experience in a corrections setting or a counseling setting where the applicant would have had experience counseling and providing solutions to educational, occupational, personal or social problems.
3) Once you have met the minimum requirements, contact the department or agency you are interested in becoming a parole officer with to request application material and exam material.
Parole Officer Job Description
Parole Officers and Probation Officers are often talked about as one in the same with regards to education, training and job description, but this is not the case. Parole officers work with individuals who have been released from state or federal prison prior to their actual sentence release date. This release is conditional and can be revoked in any number of ways. A parole officer helps parolees adjust back into society as well as avert any actions that would jeopardize their parole status. Parole officers accomplish this by developing a plan for the parolee before he or she is released from prison. These plans consist of employment, housing, health care, education, drug screening and other activities that help the parolee's rehabilitation and function in a community environment. Parole officers attend parole hearings and make recommendations based on their interviews and surveillance of parolees. The work load is heavy and on average a parole office will have 70 to 130 active cases. This line of work can be very dangerous, as parole officers work with paroled convicts, their friends and family. Due to the high risk associated with this career, parole officers are required to carry a firearm for protection. A parole officer is most often employed by the state department of corrections, state criminal justice department, a youth authority/juvenile corrections, county or a federal justice department.
Parole Officer Salary and Job Outlook
Parole officer salaries will vary depending on experience and education. Indeed.com reports a range of annual salaries for all of their parole officer related job postings stretching from $20,000 and $93,000. Our own research found that annual salaries ranged from around $34,000 to $63,000 for adult and juvenile parole officers. Federal Parole Officers can be promoted up to the GS-13 pay grade, which ranges from $65832 to $85578. Promotions to this level can take some time and the best thing to do is excel in your position and continue your education.
Based on the increasing population and the growth of crime that coincides with an increasing population, the job outlook for parole officers looks solid. The Bureau of Labor Statistics backs this up, stating that the job growth in this field will increase with the average through 2014.

Online Parole Officer Career Related Bachelor Degree Programs
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In a Hurry? Click Here to request information from the Nation's top online Criminal Justice Programs OR Click Here to request information from the featured online Psychology programs.

Liberty University Online: Liberty University is regionally accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The Online Education Database has ranked Liberty University among the top 10 online colleges in the nation for two years in a row.
Associate's in Criminal Justice
Bachelor's in Criminal Justice

University of Phoenix Online: University of Phoenix will prepare you for careers in the field of criminal justice wherever you reside. University of Phoenix is the largest private university in the country and is dedicated to their students.
Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice
BS in Criminal Justice
MS in Administration of Justice and Security
Information Systems Security Certificate

Walden University Online: Regionally accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, which is one of six accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
B.S. in CJ - Homeland Security
B.S. in CJ - Management & Administration
B.S. in CJ - Crime and Criminals
B.S. in CJ - Information Systems Security
Ph.D. in Human Services - CJ
Ph.D. in Public Policy & Admin - CJ, Homeland Security Policy, or Public Safety Mgmt
Request free information from Walden University to learn more about their programs

American InterContinental University:
Associates in Criminal Justice Administration
BSCJ - Law Enforcement
BSCJ - Forensic Science
BSCJ - Special Populations
Request free information
from AIU to learn more about these programs.

Ashford University: Ashford University will provide you with the education you need to become a Parole Officer. Start your future in parole today by requesting free information.
BA Sociology
BA Psychology
BA in Social Science - Criminal Justice
BA in Organizational Management - Criminal Justice

Bryant & Stratton College : Bryant & Stratton College Online is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, one of the six regional accreditation agencies recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation.
Associate's in Criminal Justice
Bachelor's in Criminal Justice

Capella University:
BS in Public Safety - CJ
BS in Public Safety - Emergency Management
BS in Public Safety - Homeland Security
MS in Public Safety - CJ, Emergency Management, or Leadership
PhD Programs - CJ, Emergency Management, and Public Safety Leadership
Request free information from Capella University to learn more.

Colorado Technical University Online:
AS in CJ - Stonecliffe College Online
AS in Paralegal Studies
BS in CJ
MS in Management - Criminal Justice
Request free information from CTU Online to learn more about their programs.

Kaplan University: (Undergraduate)
AASCJ - Criminal Justice, Fire Science
BSCJ - Corrections, Law Enforcement, Computer Crime, Homeland Security, Crime Scene Investigator, Forensic Psychology, Juvenice Justice, Fire Science and more...

Kaplan University: (Graduate Programs)
MSCJ - Policing
MSCJ - Corrections
MSCJ - Global Issues in Criminal Justice
MSCJ - Law
MSCJ - Leadership and Executive Management

Eastern Kentucky University Online:
Bachelor's in Corrections and Juvenile Justice Studies
Master's in Corrections and Juvenile Justice Studies

Rasmussen College Online:
Associate's in Criminal Justice - Homeland Security
Associate's in Criminal Justice
AACJ - Corrections
AACJ - Crime Scene Evidence
AACJ - Law Enforcement
Bachelor's in Criminal Justice

South University: Online
Bachelor's in Criminal Justice
Bacheor's in Criminal Justice - Crime Scene Investigation
Bachelor's in Criminal Justice - Cyber Crime
Bachelor's in Criminal Justice - Homeland Security
Bachelor's in Criminal Justice - Juvenile Justice
Bachelor's in Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement

University of the Rockies:
Master of Arts in Psychology - Criminology and Justice Studies
Doctor of Psychology - Criminology and Justice Studies

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