How to hire probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
$31.86U.S. median hourly pay
$54,250–$84,780Middle half, yearly
89,390People in this job in the U.S.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders. • Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior. • Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information. • Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans. • Investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure. • Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender. • Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole. • Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong active listening, speaking, critical thinking, reading comprehension, monitoring and writing skills • Working knowledge of law and government, public safety and security, English Language and psychology • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $31.86 an hour ($66,270 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What probation officers and correctional treatment specialists do
- Arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders.
- Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
- Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
- Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
- Investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure.
- Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
- Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole.
- Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +3% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 7,900 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| California | $103,640 |
| Connecticut | $97,350 |
| Massachusetts | $94,590 |
| Oregon | $84,920 |
| Washington | $82,750 |
| Florida | $50,960 |
| Oklahoma | $50,380 |
| Missouri | $46,840 |
See probation officers and correctional treatment specialists pay in every state
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.