41311 Probation and parole officers

What this occupation covers

Probation officers monitor the conduct and behaviour of criminal offenders serving probation terms and serving sentences of two years less a day. They are employed by provincial governments. Parole officers monitor the reintegration of criminal offenders serving the remainder of sentences on conditional release and individuals that are subject to a long-term supervision order. They also assess inmates and develop rehabilitation programs for criminal offenders who are incarcerated in correctional facilities. They are employed by federal and provincial governments. Both probation and parole officers work in the community and in correctional facilities including young offender's correctional facilities.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 11 main duties for this code.

• Interview inmates to assess adjustment problems and develop suitable rehabilitation programs
• Prepare reports for the recommendation of security level, penitentiary placement, type of incarceration and types of interventions considered most beneficial for the rehabilitation of the inmates
• Interview offenders, police, family, friends, school authorities and employers to prepare pre-sentence reports and assess offenders' prospects for successful reintegration into the community
• Plan rehabilitation programs with inmates, establishing rules of conduct, goals and objectives
• Refer inmates and offenders to community and social service programs, as required
• Supervise the terms of a probation order and attend court
• Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans
• Recommend remedial action or initiate court action when terms of probation or parole are violated
• Attend court proceedings to provide expert testimony on an inmate's case as well as detention and dangerous offenders status court rulings
• May perform administrative duties and supervise support staff
• May participate in policy development.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 11 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 43201 Correctional service officers
• 40030 Managers in social, community and correctional services
• 42201 Social and community service workers
• 41300 Social workers

Excluded from this code

• Correctional service officers (See 43201 Correctional service officers)
• Managers in social, community and correctional services (See 40030 Managers in social, community and correctional services)
• Social and community service workers (See 42201 Social and community service workers)
• Social workers (See 41300 Social workers)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

classification counsellor - corrections · clemency officer - corrections · parole officer · parole supervisor · probation and parole officer · probation officer

Employment requirements

• A bachelor's degree in social work, criminology, psychology, sociology or other related social science discipline is required.
• A master's degree in social work, criminology, psychology or other related social science discipline may be required.