My desired career is juvenile probation officer (JPO). This job involves supervising young people who have been convicted or accused of a crime and are consequently placed under protective supervision or placed on probation. A juvenile probation officer works closely with the school, law enforcement officers, parents, and social services to help youths stay out of jail. JPOs who have an advanced education like a master's degree or have accrued experience may be promoted to higher positions such as administrative and juvenile probation supervisors.
I chose this career as I am passionate about helping young people stay away from crimes. Therefore, taking a career as a Juvenile Probation Officer, I will be able to work as an intermediary between a juvenile who has been convicted or accused and the justice system. The main duty of JPO is supervising juveniles, which helps in couching them through the rehabilitation process, offering counseling and behavioral monitoring ( Schwartz et al., 2017) . Moreover, these professionals help young people find better life options rather than being involved in criminal activities. Other careers related to JPO include corrections officer, probation officer, or police officer. Some essential qualities of a JPO are communication skills, interpersonal skills, and counseling techniques. Communication skills are applied when communicating with juveniles. Proper communication skills ensure that they understand what is required of them. Interpersonal skills help the officer to interact with the juvenile, while counseling skills are essential in coaching the juveniles and helping them reform.
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JPOs are mainly responsible for supervising juveniles on their caseloads and ensuring that they adhere to the court's directives. Therefore, JPO visits the juvenile's school, home, and workplace regularly to ensure that youths complying with court orders. Depending on the level of the court's supervision, JPO visits may be monthly or weekly ( Schwartz et al., 2017) . The officers may also make referrals to the community for youth interventions. To comply with the court's order, a JPO may carry out an unannounced visit to see if the juvenile is complying with a curfew, monitor juvenile whereabout, and conduct a drug test. Moreover, if the youth is monitored electronically, a monitor may be attached to determine their whereabouts.
Normally, JPOs work for the states, and they are required to have a minimum degree in bachelor of criminal justice, education, psychology, or social work. However, other states may require an individual to have an advanced degree or several years’ experience. Depending on the state, a minimum of 19 years or 21 years is required ( Gayman et al., 2017) . JPOs’ training depends mostly on the organization or the agency that one is working for. For instance, in Texas, officers must take 40- hours basic training course through Texas's correction management institute. Training incorporates topics such as mental health problems affecting youths and the responsibility of a probation officer.
To qualify to be a JOP, one must have strong communication skills, interact with young people, and be ready to work with both adult and juveniles such as teachers, parents, and other people with who juvenile constantly interact ( Hsieh et al., 2016) . People who have experience working with teens or in positions assessing youth have an advantage when it comes to hiring. JPOs must have skills necessary to work with teens, such as understanding community resources, having mental stability and physical fitness, being versatile, and possess an understanding of juvenile codes and criminal laws.
According to the BLS, the medium pay for a JPO is $53 020 annually. However, a person's salary is dependent on the location of the position, education level, experience, and the type of cases monitored. BLS expects the individual salary for all JPOs to increase by six percent from 2016 to 2026 ( Hsieh et al., 2016) . A juvenile probation officer enjoys paid vacation, sick leaves, holidays, tuition-free college courses, and comprehensive health insurance and life insurance.
As a JPO, I will focus on ensuring that juveniles will never return to the juvenile system and choose a better life away from crime as my short-term goals. In the long-term, I will ensure that the entire community is involved in helping juvenile behavior change and at least 80% of accused or convicted juveniles successfully undergo rehabilitation. Involving the community and counseling process will be my main basis in ensuring that I attain my short-term and long-term goals.
References
Gayman, M., Powell, N., & Bradley, M. (2017). Probation/Parole Officer Psychological Well-Being: the Impact of Supervising Persons with Mental Health Needs . American Journal of Criminal Justice, 43 (3), 509-529 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-017-9422-6
Hsieh, M. L., Woo, Y., Hafoka, M., van Wormer, J., Stohr, M. K., & Hemmens, C. (2016). Assessing the current state of juvenile probation practice: A statutory analysis. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation , 55 (5), 329-354.
Schwartz, K., Alexander, A. O., Lau, K. S., Holloway, E. D., & Aalsma, M. C. (2017). Motivating compliance: Juvenile probation officer strategies and skills. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation , 56 (1), 20-37.
