The Independent Parole Board-Probation or Parole Officer’s Job
by The Independent Parole Board model is less likely to be corrupted by the corrections culture because it is not under the jurisdiction of any state agency. To me, the most difficult aspect is the aspect of risk associated with overseeing people on parole or probation.
In your opinion, which parole board model is better equipped to render the fairest, most equitable parole decisions? The Independent Parole Board model is less likely to be corrupted by the corrections culture because it is not under the jurisdiction of any state agency. By being independent of state agencies, this type parole board can make judgments based on the potential parolee’s life before the crime, the circumstances of the crime, his/her time in prison and whether there were problems there and other factors. Despite the fact that less than half the states use this form of parole board, the states that do are quite telling. New York, for example, has a high crime rate, yet officials have chosen to allow the parole board the independence to create parolees. The members of this board are not subject to the internal politics of the corrections department and can make their own decisions without fear of reprisals from that department.
What do you believe is the most difficult aspect of a Probation or Parole Officer’s job? To me, the most difficult aspect is the aspect of risk associated with overseeing people on parole or probation. The officer must make judgments frequently about how well the person is doing in society without being able to watch the person 24 hours a day. He/she must understand the person and his/her motivations with limited contact. Every time an officer allows the person to walk back out the door, he/she takes the risk that the parolee or person on probation is not going to violate the terms and commit crimes. After a person is placed on probation or given parole, it is the sole judgment of the officer whether the person is a risk to society. Making these judgments is a risk for the officer every time because he/she has to make the call for the person’s safety, society’s safety and his/her own career and reputation. This, to me, would make it very difficult to make such judgments and could explain some of the jaded cynicism some officers develop.
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