Corrections Community

Are there any Missouri DOC Probation & Parole Officers present in the forum?

Yes, I've been with MO P&P 14 years.

How would you describe the turnover rate for officers? Why do they leave?

Turnover is much higher in the big cities (Kansas City and St. Louis) then it is statewide. Overall I think the state lists P&P turnover at 6-8% annually. However, having worked in St. Louis my whole career I would say our turnover is closer to 20% annually. Primarily due to other job opportunities in the cities. Most leave for better paying jobs with social service organizations, Federal probation or with juvenile probation. We also have a fair number of female employees who get married and stay home with the kids.

Does the agency give good support to officers? Do you have all of the tools and authority necessary to do the job well? How large is the typical case load? How is morale? I can retire from the Federal Bureau of Prisons in four years. I'm examining my options. I have a BA degree. Will I be competetive for openings in the Kansas City area with only a BA degree, and 23 years experience working in prisons?

I think so. I may be somewhat biased. I was President of the Missouri Probation and Parole Officers Association for 3 years and still work on their annual conference. The agency has its problems, but all do. It has been going through alot of changes over the past 2 years as a number of new initiatives have been implemented with a real focus on evidence based practices. The newer officers tend to like it where as the older officers tend to like the old ways and resist change. Moral is better in some areas then others. Partly due to the turnover and pay issues. (PO's in Missouri arent getting rich) Over the next 2 months all officers are getting Notebook computers to get them more mobil so they can do more work away from their desks. You would definitly be competitive in KC with a BA and 23 years working in an institution.

The new focus on evidence-based practices tells me that there is real leadership somewhere within the agency, and a true sense of mission whether one agrees with it or not. It sounds refreshing to me, as I've been floundering in a leaderless bureaucracy for sixteen long years. Here's a site you may be interested in. Maybe if he gets enough hits he'll keep it up... http://www.geocities.com/doc5hamilton/index.html

What is the dress code like?

Greetings, I have an interview on Wednesday and just found this form. I am wondering if anyone can tell me what I should expect during the interview? Approximatly how many people are typically interviewed for a given position. I got an overall score of 82, how does that compare to other people interviewed? This hopefully will be my first real job so I am very excited I got an interview. Any help on the questions above would be much appreciated. Quintin,

Dress code varies slightly from one region to the next. In my region blue jeans are allowed as long as it is not a day you are seeing clients. No sweatshirts or t shirts. It is pretty relaxed. Coat and tie for days you have to go to court. Other days it is pretty much just nice pants and a collared shirt.

Excuse my ignorance. What would you be doing if you aren't seeing clients or in court? Do you enjoy the job?

PAPERWORK! The bane of every PO but a necessary part of the job. Preparing reports for the Court and Parole board as well as updating offender information in the various computer systems. That is probably 50% of the job. Officers also do homevisits, employment checks and follow up calls to treatment or other community resources. I do like the job. The variety is appealing and keeps it from getting stale.

How large is your case load? Are they probationers, parolees, or both? Do you do presentence investigations, or is that left to a special unit? I assume in the urban areas there will be more specialized supervision, while in more rural areas there will be more general case loads. Is that true? What is the function of a Probation & Parole Assistant? How good is the training? Thanks!!

All of that depends on where you work. As you mentioned the urban areas have more specialized programs and officers. The rural areas tend to to it all themselves. Caseloads average about 80 for regular supervision and 35 for specialized caseloads. We mix the probationers and parolees together although there are some special programs that only take one or the other. The PPA duties vary by region. It is a catchall job title. In the Community Supervision Centers (State run halfway houses) they act as the Corrections officers and work rotating shift to ensure the security of the facility. The only PPA we have in my region assists officers with getting police reports and other minor duties.

What about pre-sentence reports? How much work goes into them? Does the depth & content vary greatly between judges?

They are a standardized report in Missouri. They changed a couple years ago to be as objective as possible. The urban areas have special officers that write those reports. The more rural the area the more everyone does a little of everything. In the urban areas officers do about 3 - 5 a week.

I would be interested in seeing your standardized form. Would you be able email me one at goodmandj@butlercountyohio.org?

1.) I am a COI, and I am looking to get in to P&P. What are the Job duty's of a PPA? 2.) I don't have any collage, but I was told that you can become a P&P 1 if you have two or more years as a correction officer, is this true? Thanks!

Do you foresee an unmanagable increase in the size of caseloads due to state budget shortfalls? For those wanting to learn about probation & parole, this is the book to start with. http://books.google.com/books?id=mK7WLgAACAAJ&dq=abadinsky&lr=&ei=vRd-Sez-DY_EM7e2hPgN

No, We have been short staffed for a number of years. The Department has spent the last 6 months looking for ways to streamline supervision and make it more evidence based. Hopefully this will move more low risk offenders to lower levels of supervision giving the officers more time to concentrate on high risk offenders.