Download Probation Officer Exam Questions and Answers and more Quizzes Law in PDF only on Docsity!
PROBATION OFFICER EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
100% ACCURATE ANSWERS ALREADY GRADED A+
"Assume that an emotional topic is being discussed with a probation officer during the course of an interview with a defendant, and the defendant stops talking suddenly. a 30 second silence follows. In this
situation, of the following, it is usually MOST important for the probation officer to: - CORRECT
ANSWER=> Try to understand the meaning of the silence and respond accordingly."
"Assume that you are a probation officer interviewing a new probationer who is considerably older than you. Early in the interview, the probationer starts to reminisce about the "good old days." You should
consider the reminiscing on the part of the probationer to be: - CORRECT ANSWER=> "Beneficial"
because it may have the effect of reducing the existing age difference, which could be a barrier to successful interviewing." "As an investigating probation officer, you are interviewing the mother of a juvenile offender in the family's small apartment. The mother is confused and upset as a result of her son's difficulties and she has not been able to answer several essential questions satisfactorily. Your BEST course of action in this
situation is to: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Repeat these questions patiently until the necessary information
is brought to light." "According to accepted practice, probation officer explains the conditi9ons of probation an the functions of the Department of Probation to the adult probationer during the initial interview. Of the following,
the CHIEF advantage for using this approach is that it: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Serves as a convenient
starting point in a new relationship." "Although an investigating probation office may not be able to control the conditions under which he conducts an interview with a defendant or a collateral source of information, it is sometimes possible to select the site of the interview. Assume that a defendant is at liberty and it is necessary to secure
information from him and form members of his family. It would be PREFERRABLE to: - CORRECT
ANSWER=> Set up an appointment for the defendant to see you at your office, scheduling a home visit
later when the defendant is not at home." "Assume that you are supervising an adult probationer convicted of involuntary manslaughter, who is required to secure employment as a condition of probation. The probationer brings you an application given to him by a prospective employer, an asks you how much information he should divulge on the application with regard to his arrest, conviction, and probation. As his supervising probation officer, you
should instruct the probationer to: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Fill out the application honestly and refer to
employer to you if he has any further questions." "Assume that a probation officer is interviewing a client who seems to be unable to hold a job for any length of time and has quit his most recent job after only two weeks. In order to encourage the client to
talk about this situation, of the following, it would be MOST appropriate for the probation officer to say:
- CORRECT ANSWER=> Tell me some of the reasons why you quit that job." "A probation officer is interviewing a young male client who seems to be having difficulty describing how he got into his current life situation. When the probation officer asks him to tell his story the client says." I am not sure if I can explain ho I got into this mess."
Which of the following would be the probation officer's MOST appropriate response?: - CORRECT
ANSWER=> Well, tell it you own way and perhaps I can help you as you go along."
"Assume that you are interviewing a new probationer for the first time. Initally, his answers to your routine questions are purposefully and continuously evasive and hostile. In questioning this probationer further, the MOST appropriate of the following courses of action for you
to take would be to: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Refrain from responding to this provocative or "testing"
behavior." "To what extent should note- taking GENERALLY be used during an initial interview with a new
probationer? - CORRECT ANSWER=> Notes should be taken on routine data only, and the remainder
should be recorded later." “Assume that, as a Probation Officer, you are assigned a pre-sentence investigation. In preparation for
the initial interview with the defendant, you should FIRST: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Collect all available
information about the defendant for the court docket, District Attorney file, police records, and report of offense." "Assume that a new probationer objects to certain rules and regulations concerning his conditions of probation. Of the following, the MOST effective way to handle these objections initially, while
maintaining the probationer's active willing cooperation, is to: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Explore and
evaluate his objections, while explaining the reasons for the rules and regulations." "With regard to the chances of establishing a good relationship in an interview situation between a client
and a probation officer of the same or opposite sex, studies have GENERALLY shown that: - CORRECT
ANSWER=> There may be barriers due to the difference in sex, but they can usually be overcome by a
skillful interviewer." "Assume that you are a probation officer interviewing an adult defendant who is due for sentencing. Since the defendant was unable to post bail, the interview takes place in the defendant's cell, and the surroundings are physically uncomfortable. In order to put the defendant at ease and secure as much information as possible form him, it would be
MOST helpful for you to: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Try to disregard the surroundings and appear relaxed,
while focusing on the interview." "Which one of the following types of questions would generally be considered INEFFECTIVE during an
interview with a defendant? - CORRECT ANSWER=> Questions which require a YES or NO answer."
actions, it would be MOST advisable for the probation officer to: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Try to get the
probationer to discuss his feelings about his companions, his interests, and his recreational activities." "Assume that a probation officer is interviewing a female juvenile offender who is being sent to a residential treatment center by order of the court. During the interview, she tells the probation officer that she will do her best to escape soon after she arrives at the center. The BEST course of action for the
probation officer to take would be to: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Accept the girl's statement as part of her
total behavior, but tell her that you will share this information with the treatment center." "The one of the following which is generally considered to be the MOST important factor in the selection
of probation as an alternative to institutionalization is the offender's: - CORRECT ANSWER=>
Motivation for adjustment" "The suggestions has been made that probation agencies, like many private casework agencies, should adopt the practice of charging a modest fee for probation service. Of the following, the MOST valid
reason why this practice would serve a useful purpose is that: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Payment of a
modest fee would help the probationer maintain his self-respect and do his best to benefit from probation." "Which of the following is the MOST important reason why the rules and regulations applying to
probation facilitate rehabilitation of the probationer - CORRECT ANSWER=> Probationer can derive
emotional security from knowing, I can go so far, but no further." "Experts generally believe that rules and regulations applying to probationers are MOST useful when
they are: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Adapted to the needs of the given individual and to the conditions."
"Assume that during the course of a pre-sentence investigation you receive a telephone call from the brother of a defendant, asking you to visit him at his place of business, a women's coat factory, with regard to his brother's case. During the visit, the defendants brother offers to give you a good price on a new coat for your wife. Of the following responses, it would be MOST appropriate for the probation
officer to: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Refuse, since the brother's offer may be construed as an attempt to
influence the nature of the pre-sentence report." "In the city, probation work is divided into three phases or points in the legal process, which include: -
CORRECT ANSWER=> Intake, investigation, and supervision."
"Of the following, an investigating probation officer assigned to conduct a pre-sentence investigation for
the court is MAINLY responsible for: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Providing the court with an account of the
defendant's participation in the crime, motivation, and previous life style." "Assume that a probation officer has determined that one of this probationers who is not psychotic, requires psychiatric treatment. Of the following, the MOST appropriate action for the probation officer
to take is to: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Interpret to the probationer his need for psychiatric therapy in an
effort to have him take the initiative in entering treatment." "Assume that, during the course of a pre-sentence investigation, you, as a probation officer, make a pre- arranged visit to an offender's residence to obtain a clear picture of the way he lives. In addition to the offender, family members are present. Statements made by family members in response to your
questions should GENERALLY be considered to be LACKING in: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Objectivity"
"Suppose you are interviewing a male defendant for the purpose of preparing a pre-sentence investigation report. Based on what he has told you so far, you believe that his chances for probation are good. A little later in the interview the defendant expresses concern for his wife's ability to support herself and their three children if he is sentenced to a jail term. Of the following, your BEST initial
response to the defendant's concern would be as follows: - CORRECT ANSWER=> You're right. It won't
be easy to manage, but help may be available to her if she is in need." "Authorities in that field of probation generally emphasize the concept that it is essential for the probation officer to have an accepting, non judgmental attitude in order to maintain a positive and helpful relationship with his clients. Of the following, the MOST valid description of this concept is that
the probation officer: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Is concerned with understanding, rather the praising or
blaming the client." "Assume that, during a conference with his supervisor, a newly appointed probation officer expressed concern because he feels antagonistic and anxious in the presence of one of his clients, and these feelings tend to cause problems during the interview. The supervisor suggests that this may be due to the countertransference, a psychological concept which means that negative feelings are activated
because of the probation officer. - CORRECT ANSWER=> Associates the client with some significant
person in his own past." "The interviewing technique called clarification would be PROPERLY used by a probation officer in
counseling a probationer who: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Is confused about the significance of his
thoughts." "According to accepted practice, in preparing a pre-sentence investigation report it is considered advisable for the probation officer to interview the complainant, MAINLY because the complainant is
likely to: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Be the primary source of information about the crime."
"Assume that you have made an appointment for a 3 P< home visit to a female probationer with a young child, but find that you will be delayed about an hour by a backlog of interviews in your office. In this
situation, it would be MOST advisable to: - CORRECT ANSWER=> Telephone the probationer as soon as
you know you will be delayed and tell her that you will be about an hour late." "Assume that a probation officer is aware that a client, who is an alcoholic, has been lying to him about participating in drinking sessions during the previous week. During the interview, it would be ADVISABLE for the probation officer to___________ what the client says, mainly because the ___________. -
