Special Needs populations and their impacts on Parole and Probation Essay

Special Needs populations and their impacts on Parole and Probation Officers - Essay Example Studies show mixed results about the effectiveness of these programs; however, no one can deny the importance of these programs in the judicial system when the criminal activities have reached new levels. Juvenile rehabilitation programs are of major importance in special needs populations apart from other programs. The ever growing special needs population and the nature of their needs have affected the role of Parole and Probation officers. A shifting focus to the needs of special needs populations is not unique to Parole and Probation officers; special needs populations by their very nature have unique needs, and many government institutions are attempting to shift to cater to these needs more appropriately. The primary role of a Parole and Probation officer is obviously to monitor the rehabilitation of criminal offenders outside of a prison environment with an eye towards re-integration and reducing rates of repeat offenders. The increased complexity of the nature of crimes has caused the judicial system to initiate a diverse number of offender programs to address them. It has also extended the scope of the role and duties of parole and probation officers who are being assigned in charge to supervise the programs. To understand the ways special needs populations have changed the roles of Pa role and Probation officers, one must first understand key differences between those two roles. Probation officers are in place to supervise rehabilitation without the offender having been in prison at all for a crime – they are assigned probation as a replacement to prison, with the understanding that if they violate the terms of probation they will be sent to prison. Parole officers, on the other hand, deal with people who have been released from prison on parole after completing part of their sentence – the fact that they have been in prison makes addressing special needs populations, who often have a harder time dealing with correctional institutions,