By Rob Stallworth
Being a probation and/or parole officer doesn’t carry the same glitz and glamour as other public safety or law enforcement professionals. Police officers have their own shows like Rookie Blue or Blue Bloods where the excitement and drama plays out on screen with a cast of characters that can be edgy, witty, and sometimes even funny with their portrayals of life as a cop on the street. Heck, even correctional officers have their own dig on reality TV with shows like Lockup and Beyond Scared Straight that would probably sway me in a different direction if I were a person in limbo of leading a life of crime.
Probation officers don’t have those kind of dramatic shows. Sometimes, in my opinion, when you do see an occasional PO in film or TV, they are usually portrayed as either hard-nosed, goofy, or aloof as to where their “clients” are when being sought after by detectives for a murder that was just committed. That, in itself, is a joke…because if we don’t know where they are or can’t share any intelligence on where they could be…“don’t let the door knob hit you where the good Lord split you.” In other words, for those who don’t understand that term, your career could be over.
I am often times asked why I chose to become a probation officer. Whenever I lecture to criminal justice students, I usually give some kind of answer that sounds like “no day is ever the same” or “I enjoy working with difficult people.” Those answers generally don’t result in a whole lot of fanfare, thought, or “yes, I want to be like that guy when I finish school!” Although it’s true, my answer as to “why” is more personal.
I was raised in a working class neighborhood in Philadelphia, the “City of Brotherly Love,” home to the Eagles, Sixers, Phillies, and Flyers. Sports teams with memorable histories of greatness and a city where violence loomed right around the corner back in the 80s, when I grew up. In recent years, the city’s nickname has changed to “Killadelphia” because of the soaring murder rates. In 2012 alone, 329 people were murdered in Philly, which included a grocery store worker, a veteran police officer, and countless others.
I was raised by my mother who, as a single parent with three children, worked seven days a week in order to provide for us. We had neighbors who knew one another and cared for the well-being of all the children on their block; I did not receive a new iPhone, computer, or Xbox at Christmas which means I didn’t grow up privileged or spoiled. I had some classmates who came from the same neighborhood, who sold drugs, not because they had to, but because they wanted to get fast money.
Philadelphia back then was a lifestyle of living fast and if you didn’t live it, some would say you were not living. Eventually, a number of people I knew were caught in that lifestyle, arrested, went to detention, jail, or were killed. The lucky ones were charged and convicted, placed on probation or received parole after serving time at Graterford Prison, since it was right outside the city. However, when some of them came home, the cycle started all over again and the spiral became out of control. I refused to be “caught up” in the system, embarrass my mother, or put my life in jeopardy, but also knew I could be one step away from making the wrong decision. So the simple answer is, as a probation officer I look at people and know that if I had not made the right choices, I could easily be on the other side of that desk. That’s just one reason why I became a PO.
Probation officers are, for lack of a better term, like chameleons. Each must have the ability to work with a diverse population, as well as government agencies and community organizations. They must possess excellent written and oral communications skills, have a broad knowledge of the criminal justice system, embrace motivational interviewing skills, and accept the hazards of working with various offenders who have the potential for violent criminal behavior. Some POs carry concealed weapons and others do not. It’s a preference not to carry a concealed weapon as a PO in Virginia; my preference leans towards going home at the end of my day.
I’ve had veteran detectives, even special agents tell me: “I don’t envy your job because you get too close” to the offenders you supervise. I say to that everyone plays a role within the criminal justice system and law enforcement community. Our role is to build a relationship with an offender and hopefully encourage change in them so they can break the cycle of criminal thinking. Don’t worry, I’m not a rookie officer who thinks everyone can be saved, but I do believe people can change and it’s up to the individual offender to make that choice. My objective is to maintain public safety as I have been sworn, by a judge, to “uphold the Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
So, as we celebrate national Pre-Trial, Probation and Parole Supervision Officers Week from July 21 through July 27, think about a probation and parole officer you have worked with in the community and just say “thanks” for the sometimes thankless job they do. They may tell you it is an honor for them to lend a hand to public safety.
About the Author
Rob Stallworth is a Deputy Chief Probation and Parole Officer for the Virginia Department of Corrections in the Manassas, Virginia Field Office. His career spans more than 15 years with the department where he has served in various positions such as Gang Specialist and Academy Adjunct Instructor. Rob holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, and a Master of Arts in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University in Washington, D. C. He is also a member of American Military University’s Public Safety Outreach Team.