PROBATION/PAROLE OFFICER 1* - 10062026-81636

State of Tennessee; Cookeville (TN); On-site; USD 49,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Tennessee is seeking an entry-level Probation and Parole Trainee in Cookeville, TN. Under general supervision you will perform trainee duties, learn to plan and implement services for offenders, and work toward reclassification after a one-year training period.

You will handle offender records, monitor compliance, conduct interviews, and assist courts with reports. A Bachelor's degree is required, with substitution allowed for related experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; substitution allowed with equivalent professional experience on a year-for-year basis.
• Be willing to and able to qualify with, carry, and use assigned weapons.
• Be at least eighteen (18) years of age of date of application; US citizen; pass background checks.
• Submit to pre-employment drug screening and fingerprint-based background check.
• Upon appointment, complete Tennessee Correction Academy training and online courses.

Responsibilities

• Prepares and maintains offenders' records and reports; identifies criminal activities and background information in reports.
• Monitors offenders to ensure compliance with release requirements; conducts interviews.
• Conducts pre-hearing and pre-release investigations and testifies in court and parole hearings.
• Acts as liaison with judges, law enforcement and other agencies involved with probation/parole.
• Supervises probationers on community-based sentences and administers drug tests.

Skills

Complex Problem Solving

Active Learning and Listening

Instructing

Critical Thinking

Monitoring

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Personal Computer

Telephone

Fax Machine

Printer

Motor Vehicles

Job description

State of Tennessee Job Information

Opening Date/Time 10/06/2026 12:00AM Central Time

Job Information

Opening Date/Time 10/06/2026 12:00AM Central Time

Closing Date/Time 10/19/2026 11:59PM Central Time

Salary (Monthly) $4,098.00 - $5,129.00

Salary (Annually) $49,176.00 - $61,548.00

Job Type Full-Time

City, State Location Cookeville, TN

Department Correction

LOCATION OF (3) POSITION(S) TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION, PUTNAM COUNTY

A Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) screening will be conducted prior to employment.

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Qualifications

Education:

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree.

Substitution of Experience for Education:

Full-time relevant professional experience, to include law enforcement experience, may be substituted for the bachelor's degree requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Necessary Special Qualifications:

• Be willing to and able to qualify with, carry, and use assigned weapons;
• Be at least eighteen (18) years of age on the date of application;
• Be a citizen of the United States;
• Have a good moral character, as determined by investigation;
• Complete a criminal history disclosure form in a manner approved by the appointing authority;
• Agree to release all records involving their criminal history to the appointing authority;
• Supply a fingerprint sample in a manner prescribed by the TBI for a fingerprint based criminal history records check;
• Have no conviction for a felony or any domestic assault convictions or have been discharged under any other than honorable conditions from any branch of the United States armed forces;
• Pass a physical examination administered by a licensed physician that is consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act and that relates to the essential functions of the position;
• Pass a psychological evaluation administered by a licensed mental health professional that is consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act and that relates to the essential functions of the position;
• Submit to and pass a pre-employment screening test for use of illegal drugs;
• Possess a valid motor vehicle operator's license at the time of appointment;
• Upon appointment, successfully complete all additional prescribed course of instruction at the Tennessee Correction Academy and any and all on-line training.

Overview

Under general supervision is responsible for entry-level probation and parole work of average difficulty and performs related work as required. An employee in this class performs on a full-time basis a set of trainee duties in the field of Probation and Parole, learning to plan and/or implement services for in Probation and Parole for the State of Tennessee. Supervision is initially close, but as an incumbent learns procedures and practices, supervision becomes more general.

• An applicant appointed to this flexibly staffed class will be reclassified to the next higher class in the series after successful completion of a mandatory one-year training period.

Responsibilities

• Prepares and maintains offenders' records and reports; identifies criminal activities and background information in reports or standard forms which answer special requests by the parole board; prepares narrative reports of the investigation process; total caseload activities when preparing monthly reports.
• Monitors the offenders under their supervision to ensure compliance with release requirements set for the offenders by policy and procedures.
• Interviews probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans and searches on state, local, and federal databases for incidents and additional information related to their offenders.
• Conducts pre-hearing and pre-release investigations and testifies in court and/or parole hearings regarding the offenders' backgrounds and recommended sentences and sentencing conditions as required by policy and conducts searches of offender residences, vehicles and person as required by policy.
• Acts as liaison with judges, court personnel, law enforcement and other agencies concerned with the probation/parole program and who may have an effect upon the success of agency goals.
• Interacts in a positive manner with fellow employees and offenders to foster and maintain a respectful and harmonious working environment.
• Addresses non-compliance by offenders with appropriate Graduated Sanctions, including writing warrants and reports to the Courts, and or Board if appropriate.
• Supervises probationers on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school and administer drug and alcohol tests, including random drug screens of offenders, to verify compliance with substance abuse treatment programs. Receives and responds to correspondence from other states related to offenders' supervision.
• Conducts a validated risk and needs assessments by utilizing motivational and interview techniques by collecting offender-specific information to help determine their level of risk to re-offend and identify their criminogenic risk factors.
• Handles offender complaints and grievances quickly and professionally as required by policy and procedures.

Competencies (KSA's)

Competencies

• Plans and Aligns
• Communicates Effectively
• Resourcefulness
• Demonstrates Self-Awareness
• Collaborates

Knowledges

• Administration and Management
• Clerical
• Customer and Personal Service
• Law and Government
• Public Safety and Security

Skills

• Complex Problem Solving
• Active Learning and Listening
• Instructing
• Critical Thinking
• Monitoring

Abilities

• Deductive Reasoning
• Information Ordering
• Speech Recognition
• Speech Clarity
• Problem Sensitivity

Tools & Equipment

• Personal Computer
• Telephone
• Fax Machine
• Printer
• Motor Vehicles