Can I pick my own community service or will my parole officer choose it for me?

Question

Can I pick my own community service or will my parole officer choose it for me?

Answer 1

They usually show you a list to choose from. If you like animals you can see if you can work at the shelter. We have some really nice comm. serv./work release people at the shelter.

Answer 2

Most parole officers are open to offenders picking their own community service, provided its with a nonprofit or government agency and has agreed to sign any necessary paperwork -- something you would need to arrange yourself.

You can look for volunteering opportunities here:

VolunteerMatch, http://www.volunteermatch.org

Idealist, http://www.idealist.org

Change.org, http://www.change.org

CraigsList, http://www.craigslist.com

Network for Good, http://www.networkforgood.org

http://www.1-800-volunteer.org/

ServeNet, http://servenet.org/

If you see an organization that you would like to help, but don't see a volunteering opportunity posted by that organization, it's okay to call them and say you would like to volunteer -- they may have opportunities they haven't posted. Also, many organizations are open to your own suggestions for volunteering activities.

Also, contact your local volunteer center; you can find this via the Points of Light Foundation web site,

http://www.pointsoflight.org/centers/

There's also this government sponsored site, http://volunteer.gov/gov/ which provides volunteer positions through USA federal land agencies like Fish & Wildlife, Forest Service, National Parks, etc.

Remember that finding a volunteering gig can be like finding a job: you may have to interview several times before you are chosen for an assignment.