It goes without saying that a crime may be regarded as an illegal and immoral act that negatively impacts personal and social well-being. At the same time, regardless of the reason for an offense a considerable number of people who commit it realize the non-acceptance of their actions and repent. From a personal perspective, these individuals should be given the right to correct their mistakes, reconsider their behavior, socialize, and start a new life. At the same time, it will be almost impossible without the guidance of particular specialists. Thus, today I am here in order to present these professionals and help you get acquainted with job opportunities and functions in the system of community corrections. Probably, you will be inspired by this opportunity to serve society and choose one of these occupations in the future.
First of all, it is necessary to admit that community corrections have several forms that determine the functions of specialists occupied with them. In general, the programs of community corrections, including diversion, probation, parole, study and work release, halfway houses, and furloughs, “oversee persons convicted of a crime outside of jail or prison, and are administered by agencies or courts with the legal authority to enforce sanctions” (National Institute of Justice par. 1). At the same time, all forms have peculiar features that make them different. Thus, diversion refers to intervention approaches that aim to redirect first-time offenders who commit non-violent crimes from formal processing in the justice system “while still holding them accountable for their actions” (Office of Justice Programs para. 1). Organized before conviction, diversion helps keep it off an individual’s record to avoid negative experience of the justice process, stigmatization, recidivism, and increased criminal justice costs (Office of Justice Programs para. 1). In turn, probation is a sentence’s part that follows after conviction – in other words, the court should initially find a person guilty to sentence him to probation.
Ordered by the justice system, probation is a specific sanction that allows an offender to stay in his community. However, he is supervised by an officer to demonstrate the absence of recidivism and following court orders. The difference between probation and parole is in serving jail time. In other words, while probation is regarded as an alternative to imprisonment, parole is a prisoner’s privilege to be released after spending time incarcerated. By parole, an individual’s time in jail is partially replaced by release until his sentence’s end. At the same time, similar to probation, parole implies supervision and the inclusion of programs for socialization. In turn, work release and study release programs focus on prisoners’ socialization even more, providing an opportunity to work or study while serving jail time. Although they are allowed to spend time outside facilities and return back at night, people may obtain new knowledge and skills essential for successful functioning after release.
Talking about halfway houses, it is essential to define their targeted population in order to understand their purpose. Thus, halfway houses accommodate former prisoners, people with mental health disorders, and individuals with substance abuse or drug addiction. Serving as midpoints between incarceration or rehabilitation and independent living, halfway houses help them return to society. Finally, furloughs presuppose prisoners’ temporary release for spending time outside jail in order to readjust to life there gradually.
In general, working in the system of community corrections implies occupations both within and outside correction facilities. They include the careers of a correctional officer, pretrial services officer, bailiff, warden, group counselor, substance abuse counselor, case manager, corrections nurse, and probation officer. These professionals are responsible for the provision of order within correction facilities, such as prisons and courtrooms, and the emotional and physical well-being of prisoners and released individuals. However, if we are talking today about the forms of community correction related to the socialization of people who commit crimes but receive an opportunity to avoid incarceration or be released before the end of their sentence, we will focus on the career of a probation officer and juvenile probation officer, crisis clinician in the mobile diversion team, criminal justice specialist, mental health specialist, case manager, and counselors.
When we mention community corrections, the probation officer is probably the first occupation that comes to our minds. This professional is responsible for the monitoring of probationers and the evaluation of their progress. Thus, the functions of the probation officer and the juvenile probation officer that works with youths and adolescents are the following:
- They meet with probationers and their family members for interviewing, assessing their risks, and ensuring their compliance with court orders.
- They evaluate probationers’ progress and check probationers’ involvement in prescribed programs.
- They support probationers, create treatment plans, and recommend additional specialists and services if necessary.
- They coordinate post-release services for probationers’ integration into society.
- They record offenders’ progress and prepare documents related to it.
At the same time, there are multiple specialists who help coordinate the rehabilitation and socialization of former prisoners and probationers. They include case managers, counselors, and even chaplains who help these people improve their emotional well-being, overcome addictions, and connect with social services that facilitate education, qualification, and employment. In addition, there are case managers and crisis clinicians, and criminal justice specialists who work with diversioners – they provide education and emotional support and connect people with social service organizations, psychologists, and mental health specialists. All in all, these specialists are responsible for preparing probationers, diversioners, and former offenders for life in society. Due to them, these people should have improved emotional well-being, stable mental health, and appropriate knowledge and skills for employment and successful socialization.
At the same time, there are multiple requirements for becoming a specialist in the sphere of community corrections. Thus, you need a bachelor’s or master’s degree in criminal justice, behavioral science, social work, or other fields related to social or criminal justice. In addition, any occupation in the correction field requires program or subspecialty certifications and training to have official permission to work in particular areas. In addition, the job of correction specialists is associated with professional and personal skills, such as critical thinking, time-sensitive decision-making, excellent communication skills, emotional intelligence, and cultural competence. Finally, a professional in this sphere should simply have compassion and understanding in order to support people and realize that they also have a chance to be accepted by society and the right to a new life regardless of their illegal activities. All in all, I hope that you learned something new today about job opportunities in community correction and this information was interesting for you. Thank you for your attention, and I will be glad if you consider choosing this career path in the future.
Works Cited
National Institute of Justice. “Community Corrections.” National Institute of Justice, Web.
Office of Justice Programs. “Diversion Programs.” Office of Justice Programs, Web.