Probation Officer Exam | Questions and answers
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: -
ANSWER Collect all available information about the defendant for the court docket,
District Attorney file, police records, and report of offense.
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: - 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: - 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 conducting an initial interview at a young probationer's home
early in the evening. The mother of your client invites you to stay for dinner. OF the
following, you MOST appropriate response would be to: - ANSWER "Decline" since
acceptance of the invitation might interfere with performance of your professional
role.
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: - 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: - 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?:
- 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: - 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? - ANSWER Notes should be taken on routine data only, and
the remainder should be recorded later.
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: - ANSWER Explore and evaluate his objections, while explaining the reasons for
the rules and regulations.
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: - ANSWER "Beneficial" because it may have the effect
of reducing the existing age difference, which could be a barrier to successful
interviewing.
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: - ANSWER There may be barriers due to the
difference in sex, but they can usually be overcome by a skillful interviewer.
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: - ANSWER
Repeat these questions patiently until the necessary information is brought to light.
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: - 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? - ANSWER Questions which
require a YES or NO answer.
It is generally agreed that, when verifying information given to you by a defendant, it
is best to have the defendant's concurrence before checking with certain sources,
such as a previous employer.
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: -
ANSWER Collect all available information about the defendant for the court docket,
District Attorney file, police records, and report of offense.
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: - 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: - 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 conducting an initial interview at a young probationer's home
early in the evening. The mother of your client invites you to stay for dinner. OF the
following, you MOST appropriate response would be to: - ANSWER "Decline" since
acceptance of the invitation might interfere with performance of your professional
role.
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: - 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: - 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?:
- 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: - 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? - ANSWER Notes should be taken on routine data only, and
the remainder should be recorded later.
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: - ANSWER Explore and evaluate his objections, while explaining the reasons for
the rules and regulations.
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: - ANSWER "Beneficial" because it may have the effect
of reducing the existing age difference, which could be a barrier to successful
interviewing.
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: - ANSWER There may be barriers due to the
difference in sex, but they can usually be overcome by a skillful interviewer.
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: - ANSWER
Repeat these questions patiently until the necessary information is brought to light.
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: - 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? - ANSWER Questions which
require a YES or NO answer.
It is generally agreed that, when verifying information given to you by a defendant, it
is best to have the defendant's concurrence before checking with certain sources,
such as a previous employer.
