The Community Supervision branch of the Florida Department of Corrections recently was awarded a $3,448,782 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice that will be used to reduce caseloads in six circuits by hiring 30 new correctional probation officers. The Competitive Byrne Grant funding will provide the Department of Corrections with funding over the next two years to train and hire 30 new probation officers in Alachua, Bay, Lee, Lake, Polk and Pinellas counties. The positions will be advertised beginning this week with a tentative Academy start date in mid-November.
Florida currently has approximately 2,100 correctional probation officers supervising about 118,000 offenders in Florida communities.
The lower caseload sizes will allow officers to increase their coordination with local law enforcement, spend additional time on direct supervision of offenders in the community and assist them toward improved offender outcomes by linking them to substance abuse and recovery support resources.
Probation officers in Florida play a key public safety role by supervising offenders in the community and ensuring they are complying with the conditions of supervision, which often includes participating in drug counseling, public service hours and curfews. Probation officers are also a vital link in the Department’s efforts to ensure public safety through the smooth re-entry of offenders into society. Probation officers help find housing, jobs, counseling and other assistance, as needed. They also conduct unannounced visits to their homes, check the computers of offenders who are prohibited from viewing pornography as part of the terms of their supervision, and collect victim’s restitution, which totaled $32 million last year.
If you are interested in becoming a Florida correctional probation officer, go to
www.fldocjobs.com/paths/cpo/index.html for more information.

Source: Florida Department of Corrections