New Mexico has joint probation/parole officers whose careers involve a dual-function role working with both probationers and parolees. The Probation and Parole Division in New Mexico is broken up into five regions. One of the eight district offices in Region IV is located in Roswell. The 51 employees of this region provide services to people on probation and parole in most of southeastern and eastern New Mexico. Additional cities that are located in this region and served by the area’s probation/parole officers include:
- Artesia
- Carlsbad
- Clovis
- Hobbs
- Portales
- Tucumcari
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Minimum Requirements and Training to Become a Probation/Parole Officer
in Roswell
Applicants for positions as probation/parole officers in New Mexico are required to have at least a bachelor’s degree. Fifteen credit hours is required in the behavioral or criminal science field, either as part of a major or taken as supplemental courses.
The Department of Corrections has additional requirements for employment that include being a citizen of the U.S. and having a phone at home. Potential officers must pass a physical test before they are hired and can expect to be tested for drugs and have a background check performed on them.
New corrections employees train at the department’s Training Academy. There they learn how to become probation/parole officers in Roswell. This training includes courses in defensive tactics and first aid/CPR. Probation/parole officers that track down fugitives receive additional training in liability and using firearms.
A Career as a Probation and Parole Officer in Roswell
Probation/parole officers in Roswell work out case plans for the offenders in their care. This can involve connecting the individuals with social service programs such as counseling for mental health or domestic violence. Frequently probation/parole officers arrange for the probationers or parolees to receive treatment for a substance abuse problem. They monitor the progress of the offenders to make sure that they are attending their treatment programs and/or going to their jobs.
The Roswell Probation and Parole district office has a designated officer whose sole mission is track down fugitives who have abandoned their probation or parole. In January 2013, more than 1,500 people in New Mexico had absconded from these programs.