Division Overview

The primary mission of the Department of Public Safety Division of Parole and Probation (Division) is to protect the community and to reduce crime. The Division is very unique in that it accomplishes its mission through two distinct strategies: (1) Traditional law enforcement, such as sanctioning offender noncompliance and misconduct, search and surveillance, and arrest; and (2) community correctional services, such as drug testing and counseling, mental health services, employment and educational placement, and encouraging and supporting the offender’s positive efforts to become a productive, law-abiding citizen. The Division is also sensitive to and supportive of victim’s rights.

The Division has ten offices located throughout the state, with its Headquarters, Administration and Specialized Units in Carson City. The Division is divided into two regional areas – the Northern Command and Southern Command. Reno and Las Vegas, account for 80% of the workload. The rural offices, while accounting for only 20% of the workload, are responsible for coverage of 87,699 square miles, or 75% of the state’s geography.

Collection of Restitution and Offender Fees

The Division collects on average more than $2 million in restitution annually from offenders and facilitates the disbursement to the victims of crime. The Division also collects more than $2 million annually in supervision fees from offenders to help defray the costs of supervision, thereby reducing the burden for the citizens of Nevada.

Who Do We Supervise

The Division supervises defendants who have been placed on probation by a District Court for a conviction(s) of a felony or gross misdemeanor. We supervise inmates released from prison on parole by the Parole Board or inmates mandated by statute for released. We supervise inmates approved by the Department of Corrections for transitional community programs. We also supervise offenders transferred to Nevada under the Adult Interstate Compact Agreement.

The Division’s offender population ranges from those who pose little or no risk to the community to those who pose a significant risk to the safety of our community. Our offender population includes individuals convicted of murder, violent offenses, kidnapping, crimes against a child, sex offenses, street gang activities and significant financial offenses. At any given time, the Division supervises approximately 19,000 offenders state-wide.

Who We Are and What We Do

The Division manages a plethora of duties and activities daily, which makes working as a Department of Public Safety Division of Parole and Probation Officer very challenging. Not everyone can work as an officer for our Division because of the mental and emotional demands. For those who choose a career with the Division and have what it takes, playing a role in protecting Nevada and helping to reduce crime is a very rewarding experience. The following bulletins provide an overview of the comprehensive duties of a DPS Parole and Probation Officer.

  • We serve the judiciary through (1) preparing objective and informative pre-sentence investigation reports to assist the courts in fashioning an appropriate and legal sentence for defendants; (2) preparing supervision and violation reports on the conduct of probationers.
  • We serve the Board of Parole Commissioners through preparing supervision and violation reports on the conduct of parolees.
  • We serve the Board of Pardon Commissioners through preparing pardon investigation reports.
  • We serve the Department of Corrections through the establishment of proper community placement and the supervision of inmates released to our care and custody.
  • We protect and service the public through (1) risk management and control of offenders by enforcement of the conditions of their post conviction release; (2) strict monitoring of sex offenders, violent offenders, and high risk offenders; and (3) providing community correctional services for offenders to assist them in their successful reintegration into the community.
  • We protect victims' rights and aid crime victims by paying out collected restitution in a timely fashion.
  • We respond to the needs of the families of offenders during times of adjustment in order to aid them in their supporting role for the offender.
  • We have a partnership with all 50 states, through the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision, in the supervision of offenders who have a legitimate need to relocate and, if needed, the extradition of offenders who have abused the privilege of community supervision.
  • We fully support, and are committed to, the Department of Public Safety, Homeland Security, and all law enforcement agencies in their mission of protecting the citizens of Nevada and as such we are dedicated to the highest standard of training for our employees.