Glossary
Probation Officer Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential probation officer terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key probation officer vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in probation officer training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Case plan
- Goals and steps for a client.
- Caseload
- The number of clients supervised.
- Conditions of supervision
- Rules a person must follow.
- Diversion
- Programs that avoid formal prosecution.
- Electronic monitoring
- Tracking with ankle monitors.
- Graduated sanctions
- Increasing responses to violations.
- Motivational interviewing
- A method to encourage change.
- Parole
- Supervised release after prison.
- Presentence investigation (PSI)
- A report to help judges with sentencing.
- Probation
- Community supervision instead of jail.
- Recidivism
- Returning to crime.
- Reentry
- Returning to the community after incarceration.
- Revocation
- Ending probation or parole due to violations.
- Risk assessment
- A tool estimating likelihood of reoffending.
- Violation
- Breaking a condition.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Probation Officer practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Probation Officer training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.