Community Supervision Officer, Community Supervision Corrections Department

The Community Supervision Officer plays a pivotal role in the criminal justice system, ensuring compliance with legal conditions of community supervision. Responsibilities include counseling adult offenders, maintaining a comprehensive understanding of court systems, and collaborating with community social service agencies. The role demands effective communication, a keen understanding of legal frameworks, and the ability to work in an environment involving felons and misdemeanants.

• Complete the Texas Risk Assessment System (TRAS) instrument according to standards and supervise the offender in a manner that addresses their criminogenic needs based on the domains identifed by TRAS. Establishing a supervision plan with the probationer; setting clear, realistic, and attainable objectives; and making appropriate referrals and follow-up.
• The supervising officer shall reveiw the TRAS case plan with the offender, and adjust it as necessary provide the probationer with structure, discipline, and direction necessary to help the probationer. Identify, understand, and correct his or her own problems by using appropriate and effective sanctions and incentives, counseling techniques and making full use of the community supervision programs available.
• Supervise probationers according to the orders of the court by maintaining contact through office reporting, home visits, telephone contacts, surveillance, and reassessments.
• Ensure that the probationer undergoes a financial study that will assist him/her in their payment of court assessed fees which include restitution and/or the performance of community services restitution hours.
• Adhere to comply with the Texas State Laws, TDCJ-CJAD Standards, Department policies/procedures and directives, and the Community Supervision Officer’s Code of Ethics by maintaining a high degree of knowledge and understanding of the concepts of probation and by maintaining a high degree of professionalism. 
• Promote a positive image of Community Supervision to the community and maintain a high level of professionalism at all times. 
• Foster productive teamwork and leadership by cooperation activity with associates and colleagues. 
• Identify, focus on, and address the risks and needs which probationers manifest by establishing a supervision plan with the probationer; setting clear, realistic, and attainable objectives; and making appropriate referrals and follow-up.
• Provide the probationer with structure, discipline, and direction necessary to help the 
• probationer identify, understand, and correct his or her own problems by using appropriate and effective counseling techniques and making full use of the community supervision programs available.
• Ensure that probationers pay their victims and all other Court ordered payments, perform Community Service Restitution hours ordered by the court, and generally become better citizens by maintaining steady employment and accepting their responsibilities.
• Initiate the revocation process in cases where probationers demonstrate an unwillingness or inability to cease being a threat to the community by filing the proper documents with the District Attorney's Office in a timely manner, providing follow-up and testimony when required.
• Record all official proceedings, synopsis of conferences, and summaries of action taken in clear, concise, and accurate manner by using the appropriate forms.
• Perform any and all duties as instructed by the immediate Supervisor and/or CSCD Management.

To be eligible for employment as a community supervision officer who supervises offenders, a person:

1. Must have acquired a bachelor's degree by an institution of higher education accredited by an accrediting organization recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; and
2. Cannot be employed as a peace officer; and  
3. Cannot be currently on community supervision or parole or serving a sentence for a criminal offense. 

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals,

professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public. 

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs. 

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.