The Importance of Taiho-Jutsu for Probation Officers |
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The first thing that stands out in this article is the title itself. Almost always, “probation” and “parole” are seen and used together. In fact, many people do not really know the difference between the two. Yet, there are distinct differences which warrant the separation for this article’s purpose. As a very brief overview, parole officers are those delegated to oversee the early release of prisoners who are in jail/prison. Generally speaking, while exact responsibilities may vary from state to state, parole officers are issued weapons, have arresting powers, and go through police academy training. There is no longer parole in the Federal system. Probation officers have the responsibility of oversight for those convicted but not sentenced to jail/prison. In some states, they are allowed to carry firearms; in other states that they are not. In some states, they are given arresting powers; in other states, they are not. In the great number of states where they do not have arresting powers, they must contact police to make the arrest. Within the Federal probation system, the directive for arrest is given to the Marshal Service. This seems logical given the fact that the majority of probation officers do not carry weapons. While there is no parole in the Federal system, some probation officers have the responsibility to oversee those who were released on parole prior to the ending of parole in 1984, as well as those released on parole from military prisons. |
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Simply because arrests are usually turned over to other branches of law-enforcement is no reason to think that the job is a “cushy” one. It is important to keep in mind that the probation officer is interacting with those who committed a crime. There is no guarantee the individual on probation will not react negatively if something the probation officer says or requires is perceived to be something that is most negative. This is the reasoning behind stating that taiho-jutsu is most important for the probation officer to be trained in. It can be argued that any form of police tactics would be beneficial for the probation officer to learn. While this has some validity, the counter-argument is that if a form of police tactics/arresting techniques is to be learned, it should be one that offers the greatest safety to the officer, gives the officer a variety of responses to choose de- pending on the severity/aggressiveness of the situation, and are easily learned and retained. Taiho-Jutsu fits the bill above all others. This is the justification for the emphasis on the word “importance” in the title of this brief article. |
