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Parole Officers

Outlook

Slower than average employment growth is expected for parole officers through 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Although the number of prisoners has increased dramatically during the past decade (and many will become eligible for parole), budget cuts in state and local correctional systems will limit job growth in the field. Most new jobs will come as a result of people leaving the field for retirement or other reasons. 

The DOL reports that some demand for parole officers should continue. Overcrowding of prisons across the United States, combined with heightening concerns over the high cost of incarceration, have prompted the early release of many convicts who will require supervision. New programs replacing prison as a method of punishment and rehabilitation are being instituted in many states, and these programs will require additional parole officers.