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Probation Officer

Public Safety & Defence

Provide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.

Public Safety & DefenceLaw

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
  2. 2Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
  3. 3Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
  4. 4Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
  5. 5Supervise people 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.
  6. 6Investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure.
  7. 7Develop liaisons and networks with other parole officers, community agencies, correctional institutions, psychiatric facilities, and aftercare agencies to plan for helping offenders with life adjustments.
  8. 8Arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders.
  9. 9Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole.
  10. 10Administer drug and alcohol tests, including random drug screens of offenders, to verify compliance with substance abuse treatment programs.
  11. 11Inform offenders or inmates of requirements of conditional release, such as office visits, restitution payments, or educational and employment stipulations.
  12. 12Participate in decisions about whether cases should go before courts and which court should hear them.
  13. 13Write reports describing offenders' progress.
  14. 14Develop rehabilitation programs for assigned offenders or inmates, establishing rules of conduct, goals, and objectives.
  15. 15Conduct prehearing and presentencing investigations and testify in court regarding offenders' backgrounds and recommended sentences and sentencing conditions.
  16. 16Arrange for postrelease services, such as employment, housing, counseling, education, and social activities.
  17. 17Recommend appropriate penitentiary for initial placement of an offender.
  18. 18Assess the suitability of penitentiary inmates for release under parole and statutory release programs and submit recommendations to parole boards.
  19. 19Identify and approve work placements for offenders with community service sentences.
  20. 20Provide offenders or inmates with assistance in matters concerning detainers, sentences in other jurisdictions, writs, and applications for social assistance.
  21. 21Develop and prepare packets containing information about social service agencies, assistance organizations, and programs that might be useful for inmates or offenders.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • PO
  • DPO
  • OES
  • OWDS
  • Court Worker
  • Parole Agent
  • People Officer
  • Truant Officer
  • Probation Agent
  • Detention Worker

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. Typical entry

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

History (Sejarah)Draws directly on Law and Government — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BiologyDraws directly on Therapy and Counseling — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Sports ScienceDraws directly on Therapy and Counseling — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Administrative — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Law and Government88%

    History (Sejarah)

  • Public Safety and Security87%
  • English Language82%

    English

  • Psychology82%
  • Therapy and Counseling79%

    BiologySports Science

  • Sociology and Anthropology72%

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Handling conflict situationsEvery day
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherOften
  • Noisy environmentEvery day

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

29%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: School / Career Counsellor

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org