There are over 400,000 offenders under adult probation, or “community supervision” as it is referred to in Texas. The lawbreakers that get sentenced to community supervision instead of serving prison terms are handled by community service and correctional departments (CSCDs) that are regulated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Currently, there are 121 of these CSCDs that actively maintain probationary cases across 254 counties in the state. Professionals that hold probation officer jobs in Texas are called “community service officers.”


Job Responsibilities of Texas Probation Officers

 According to the Community Justice Assistance Division, one of the initial responsibilities of a probation officer in Texas is to administer a standard assessment tool for assigned probationers. The results of these assessments help probation officers create individual strategies to effectively approach each case. From there, probation officers use various techniques to ensure successful supervision, including:

• Community service restitution
• Urinalysis testing
• Court residential treatment centers
• Domestic violence programs
• Education programs
• Day reporting centers
• Intensive supervision probation
• Boot camps
• Pretrial services
• Intermediate sanction facilities
• Substance abuse treatment
• Residential services
• Sex offender treatment
• Electronic monitoring
• Restitution centers
• Surveillance supervision
• Victim support services
• Employment programs