1. The traditional dual roles of parole officers have been described in simple terms as "cop" versus...

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1. The traditional dual roles of parole officers have been described in simple terms as "cop" versus "social worker." Why are these roles actually more complex than this? Is it possible to achieve both of these roles simultaneously? Should parole supervision be oriented toward only one goal or task? Which one? Why or why not?

2. How far should we go in supervising offenders in the community? How can we balance individual rights and the need for public safety? What technological innovations in this area are reasonable, and which are too intrusive? Or is any method that works acceptable as a trade-off for allowing the offender to be supervised in the community?

David · Accepted Answer

1. The traditional dual roles of parole officers have been described in simple terms as "cop" 
versus "social worker." Why are these roles actually more complex than this? Is it possible to 
achieve both of these roles simultaneously? Should parole supervision be oriented toward only 
one goal or task? Which one? Why or why not? 
The traditional dual roles of parole officers have been described in simple terms as “cop” 
versus “social worker.” Quite interestingly the role of a parole officer is more complicated than 
the sum of the aforesaid roles. On one hand the parole officer is an important part of the criminal 
justice system and on the other hand the officer is a part of a broader society which demands 
some specific ethical responsibilities that surpass the role of a cop. If deterrence is among the 
primary objectives of a police officer, then for a parole officer the objectives include more than 
deterrence. In this respect it must be noted that for achieving the role of a cop and a social 
worker, a parole officer has not only to become more vigilant but also more empathetic, having 
immense interpersonal communication skills, conflict resolution skills,

1. The traditional dual roles of parole officers have been described in simple terms as "cop" versus "social worker." Why are these roles actually more complex than this? Is it possible to achieve...

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