The Arizona Department of Corrections oversees the 16 parole offices found across the state. In Phoenix, parole officer jobs may be found in the offices for three of the regional parole districts in Arizona:
- Western Regional Parole Office, Phoenix
- Central Regional Parole Office, Phoenix
- Northeastern Maricopa Parole Office, Phoenix
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Under Arizona law, once an inmate has completed half or two-thirds of his or her sentence, or another sentence mandated by a statute, that inmate might be eligible for parole. The Board of Executive Clemency will grant a paroled inmate a supervised release, which is where Phoenix parole officer jobs come into play.
The City of Phoenix notes that, when making sentencing decisions for convicted criminals, judges will use aggravating factors, prosecutor’s recommendations, defense attorneys’ recommendations, victims’ statements, and statements made by the defendant. Depending on the sentence, a convicted criminal may be eligible for parole after serving a certain number of years of that sentence. Parole officer jobs in Phoenix are responsible for making sure that criminals on parole meet all conditions of their parole. If they do not meet prescribed conditions and mandates, criminals on parole in Phoenix face being returned to jail to serve out the rest of their sentence.
Requirements for Parole Officer Jobs in Phoenix
Education – Before applying to become a parole officer in Phoenix, applicants must have at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college. This bachelor’s degree must be in criminal justice, psychology, sociology, public administration or business. A master’s degree is preferred, however.
Applicants must also have a valid driver’s license and pass drug tests and background checks. No previous work experience is necessary in order to become a parole officer in Phoenix.
Hiring Process – Available parole officer jobs in Phoenix can be viewed through azstatejobs.gov. Links to apply online will also be provided at this website. Qualified persons may be contacted by the Arizona Department of Human Resources to proceed with interviews, background checks, drug tests and the rest of the hiring process before beginning a parole officer career in Phoenix.
Training – The final step in becoming a Phoenix parole officer is formal training, as experience in the field is not required. The Correctional Officer Training Academy in Tucson provides training for all new parole officers. During their first year of employment, parole officers will log 64 hours of training.
Phoenix parole officers must log 48 hours of continuing education training each year in order to keep their jobs.