The Role of Probation Officers
The
Senior Probation Officer (SPACO) under the directorship of the Regional Director
assigns duties to the Probation After-care Officers and monitors all tasks and
responsibilities of the probation office.
Probation
Aftercare officers (PACO) form a professional group of social workers who are
officers of the Court and conduct court duties in accordance with the
Judges'/Magistrates’ orders. They
service family courts, juvenile, circuit, court of appeal, resident magistrates
and traffic courts (upon request) by conducting investigations to reveal the
psycho-social and personal history of those brought before the courts.
They produce social enquiry reports, means inquiry, maintenance reports
and many others. These duties are mandated under the Probation of Offenders Act,
the Criminal Reform Act, the Parole Act, the Family Court Adjudicator Act, the
Gun Court Act, the Poor Prisoner Defense Act and others.
Officers
supervise offenders who are given community-based sentences including Probation
Orders, Community Service Orders, Suspended Sentences with Supervision and
Voluntary Supervision. They
supervise Parolees and those released from the institutions.
They
are also assigned to institutions to engage in counselling and facilitate the
re-entry of wards and inmates through enhanced community and family support.
On
initiating supervision, the probation officer conducts a Risk/Need Analysis for
each offender in order to determine the factors contributing to the offender's
offence. This helps to determine
the various methods of intervention that must be administered during case
management. Offender and the
Officer work together on set treatment goals to reduce the impact of
criminogenic factors and prevent relapse to criminal behaviour.
Probation After-care officers engage in prevention programmes within the communities. Institutions targeted include Citizens Associations, youth clubs, schools and family planning clinics. They work closely with Non-Governmental Organizations such as Substance Abuse Treatment Centres, Conflict Resolution Agencies and Family Therapy groups.