Parole Officer Careers

Georgia’s parole officers hold four-year college degrees, undergo extensive testing for employment, and receive intensive training for their wide spectrum of responsibilities. They are certified state peace officers with authority to carry firearms and arrest parolees. Parole officers are law-enforcement professionals who place community safety as their primary mission.

Training

Parole officers are classified as Georgia Peace Officers and must successfully complete an eight-week Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) basic law enforcement course held at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center located in Forsyth, Georgia.

Topics covered during training include:

• supervision techniques
• investigation procedures
• computer interaction
• counseling
• legal and ethical responsibility
• constitutional authority
• physical fitness
• arrest procedures
• defensive tactics
• handgun qualification*

*Parole officers requalify twice annually with a Glock semi-automatic pistol.

Safety

The safety record of the Parole Board is impeccable. A parole officer has never been seriously injured in the line of duty. However, anyone accepting the position of parole officer should understand the potential danger inherent in the work.