Georgia has one of the largest parole populations among all the states in the country. Richmond County saw around 2,000 violent crimes committed in 2011, and nearly 19,000 cases of theft. Past offenders sentenced to prison time are granted parole on a regular basis, with Richmond County representing a district within the larger State Parole Board’s Northeast Area.
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This board employs around 300 officers with an average caseload of 84 parolees each. In the Augusta-Richmond metropolitan area there are approximately 160 officers working in the parole field earning an average annual salary of $35,900.
Education and Other Requirements for Richmond County Parole Officer Careers
Candidates will receive a preferential status if they have any of the following education or abilities:
- Master’s or undergraduate degree in criminal justice
- Fluent speaker of Spanish or Asian dialects including
- Chinese, Mandarin, Cantonese, or other
- Vietnamese, Khmer, Thai, Tagalog
- Korean
- Law enforcement experience totaling one year or more
The minimum requirements for parole officer jobs in Richmond County are:
- A bachelor’s degree in any subject area, including psychology, sociology, and social work
- U.S. citizenship, with males aged 21-25 being registered with the Selective Service
- Valid Georgia driver’s license
Unless candidates have already passed the Criminal Justice Test as part of prior law enforcement certification, they must present official and certified test scores from any one of the following:
- CPE
- ACT
- COMPASS
- SAT
- ASSET
Application Process and Post-Hire Training
Candidates wishing to apply for parole jobs can monitor the State’s employment website and local listings in the city of Augusta. The job announcement will specify how to submit a state application, either by email, mail, or through an online process. Becoming a parole officer begins with the application, and it is therefore essential to complete this accurately, legibly, and in full- including all requested attachments and documents.
New recruits will complete the eight-week Basic Probation/Parole Officer Training Course in Forsyth, an academy-style program that instructs new officers in all the skills they will need in the first days of their new careers. These include:
- Georgia Code, policy and criminal law
- Firearms training and qualification, which must be renewed every six months
- Arrest procedures and defensive tactics
- Assessment and intervention strategies and skills
- Lifetime physical fitness
After their first year of employment officers will need to maintain an annual 20 hours of refresher training courses.
Daily Work
Parole officers in Richmond County work on a daily basis to monitor and supervise their assigned parolees. Typical duties include:
- Preparing inmate background investigations with information gained from interviews with:
- Friends
- Family members
- Former employers
- Other acquaintances or community resources
- Building a system of support from community resources, state agencies, and family members to facilitate the successful parole of offenders
- Supervision of compliance to the terms of parole