Parole officers in Arlington are employees of the Parole Division within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Parole officers enter the TDCJ with a salary of $34,572, which is raised to 34,776 after 12 months. After two years of service, parole officers are promoted to the status of Parole Officer II, which has an initial salary of $36,636.
The number of professionals in parole services in Arlington is expected to increase dramatically between 2010 and 2020. The Texas Workforce Commission predicts a 30.4 percent increase in the number of parole officers.
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District Vs Institutional Parole Officers
Two distinct types of parole officers perform parole services in Arlington:
District parole officers monitor and supervise parolees in the community using a variety of techniques like electronic tracking devices, random home visits and polygraph examinations.
District parole officers in the Arlington region are responsible for parolees in Tarrant County. In 2011, 5,494 Tarrant County residents were released from state prisons. The number of parolees totaled 2,819, while 245 were required to remain under Community Supervision. The remaining 2,430 were not under supervision due to completion of their sentences. A total of 390 of these offenders were re-incarcerated for new offenses or technical violations.
Institutional parole officers, on the other hand, work within correctional facilities and are responsible for interviewing prisoners eligible for parole, conducting investigations about offenders, writing recommendations for the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles.
In Arlington, institutional parole officers work at the following facilities:
- Cole State Jail
- Dawson State Jail
- Choice Moore Transfer Facility
- Estes Unit
- Hutchins State Jail
Qualifications Necessary to Become a Parole Officer in Arlington
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice requires that candidates for parole officer jobs in Arlington meet the following qualifications:
- 18 years of age or older
- U.S. citizenship or alien with work permit
- Possession of a valid Texas driver’s license
- Ability to pass a drug test
- Bachelor’s degree, preferably with significant coursework in
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Counseling
- Criminal justice
Training for Parole Officers in Arlington, Texas
All parole officers in Arlington begin their careers by attending a six training program at the Parole Officer Training Academy in Beeville. This program is primarily focused on the principles of parole supervision.
Although parole officers are not commissioned peace officers, many parole officers request formal training with firearms in anticipation of entering high risk areas within their jurisdiction. In order to obtain voluntary training and the right to carry firearms, officers must present a request to the Parole Division headquarters and pass a psychological evaluation. Periodic re-qualification in firearms use is required to retain this privilege.
Within six months of hiring, officers must become certified in the use of the Texas Law Enforcement Telecommunications System. This training is obtained from the Texas Department of Public Safety. In subsequent years, officers must take at least 20 hours of training courses. These courses must have been approved by the Parole Division.