Upcoming book release!

Internal Affairs.




A word that makes most of us uncomfortable.  It shouldn't.  At least not as much as it likely does.  There are ways to reduce this anxiety and discomfort surrounding the topic.  My upcoming eBook will address the Internal Affairs process and serve as a resource for what your rights are for the state you live in.  Knowing what to expect is a great tool!




P. O. Doe

#probation
#probationuncovered

Twitter - @PODoe2015
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/probationuncovered/
Email - probationuncovered@gmail.com

Interview tips

The Ultimate Interview Guide: 30 Prep Tips for Job Interview Success

By The Daily Muse Editor

Preparing for an interview takes a lot more than Googling a list of common interview questions. You have to make a great first impression appearance-wise (no wrinkly suits here!), have a great knowledge of your target company and its product, and, of course, know exactly how to convey that you're the perfect fit for the job.
So to help you get prepared, we compiled a list of our all-time best pre-interview tips. From strategizing about how to tackle the toughest questions to packing your purse or briefcase, we've got you covered—with 30 ways to make sure you bring your A-game.

Pack (and Dress) Accordingly

1. Plan the perfect outfit. For companies that have a business or business casual dress code, keep your look basic and conservative for the first interview. Not sure what to wear? If you have a contact or friend who works at the company you're interviewing with, see if he or she can give you a heads up as to what people wear. If you don’t have that luxury, hang out at a coffee shop across the street, and try to get a glimpse at what people are wearing. 

2. Make sure you get your suit cleaned, pressed, and tailored (a modern fit is best). People often have their “interviewing outfit” that’s been sitting in their closet for the past couple of years, and they dust it off for the occasion—you don’t want to be that guy or girl.
3. Don't forget about the little things: Shine your shoes, check for loose hems, and make sure your fingernails look manicured. This is the stuff that you don't always think people notice—but they do!
4. Do a little pampering, because looking your best helps you feel your best. If that means you need a facial, haircut, razor shave, or even a new interview outfit, then by all means do it! Feeling good about yourself will boost your confidence—and we probably don’t have to tell you that confidence is key to landing your dream job.
5. Print out five copies of your resume. You never know who you'll be meeting with, and you want to have your resume ready to go in case you're asked for it.
6. Prepare a reference list, whether you think you'll be asked for it or not. For each reference, include a name, title, organization, division or department, telephone number, and email address, as well as a sentence briefly explaining the relationship (e.g., “Carlton was my team leader for two years, during which we collaborated on four major product launches”).
7. Prep a go-to interview kit for your purse or briefcase. It should be large enough to hold your everyday essentials, plus your interview musts, such as extra resumes and a notepad, as well as a special emergency kit stocked with what you might need in an unexpected situation (think: Band-Aids, a stain stick, an umbrella, and breath mints).
8. Clean out your bag! If you have to dig past candy wrappers, phone chargers, and old receipts to get that resume, you’re going to look a little unorganized. Everything you need should be neatly organized and readily accessible. The less you have to rifle through your bag, the better.

Know Your Audience

9. Spend a few hours learning everything you can about the company—from as many sources as you can. Talk to friends and contacts, read current news releases, and, yes, spend some time on Google. Often, candidates just look at the information a company is pushing out via the website and social media, but fail to look more in depth at what others are saying. By doing so, you’ll get the larger picture about the company (along with any negative press).
10. Get a sense of “who” the company is and how to embody a similar personality during your interview. Start by reading the company’s blog and Facebook page—the tone of the company’s content on these sites will speak volumes. Or, try reading individual employees’ blogs to figure out what type of people work (and excel) there. 
11. Twitter can also be an excellent resource because you can see what the company and its employees are talking about. Are they sarcastically bantering with each other? Feel free to throw a few jokes in as you’re meeting with people. Are they tweeting up a storm about an event or product launch? Use it as a conversation starter.
12. No matter what role you’re interviewing for—engineering, sales, marketing—you should always use the product before your first interview (and ideally, a few times). If hired, your goal will be to create value for the people who use that product, and being a user yourself is the first step. 
13. Check out Glassdoor for company reviews from current and previous employees—but take them as a guide, not fact. Reading enough reviews can reveal some common themes, which can help you come up with insightful questions to ask (and get a sense for whether the answers you get are legit).
14. Before your interview, get a list of the people you’re meeting with from the company. Then, make sure you know their background and reputation to the extent possible—including what type of behavior might intrigue them or turn them off. Finally, prep some questions that are specific to each interviewer: Ask for details about her focus at the firm, discuss current events on his specialty, or bring up a common interest you know he or she has outside the office.
15. Different firms use different interview formats, so ask what you'll be faced with. For example, some companies will ask case questions or brain teasers while others will give a standard set of typical interview and leadership questions. Asking the recruiter or HR contact about the interview format ahead of time is totally fair game. And once you know, investing time to become familiar with this style can make a huge difference. 

Anticipate the Questions You'll Be Asked—and How to Answer Them

16. Even if you’re a well-oiled interviewing machine, it’s essential to spend time thinking carefully about what skills, accomplishments, and interview answers will resonate with your interviewers most. Your management abilities? Your creativity? The examples you share will probably be slightly different everywhere you interview.
17. Have an answer to "tell me about yourself!" ready to go. Interviewers always ask it, and you want to be sure to nail this first part of the interview. 
18. Don't be thrown off by the classic, "What's your biggest weakness?" One foolproof method: Think of something that you struggle with but that you’re working to improve. For example, maybe you’ve never been strong at public speaking, but over the past few years, you've taken on leadership roles and volunteered to run meetings to help you be more comfortable when addressing a crowd. 

19. You can easily find lists of common interview questions—but don't prepare by writing out your entire answer; instead, jot down a few notes or bullet points and keep them on hand for the interview itself. You’ll ensure you cover the bases—without reading from a script.
20. Don’t forget about the numbers! Finding some numbers, percentages, increases, or quotas you can use when talking about your responsibilities and accomplishments really sweetens the deal and helps you tell a hiring manager why you’re so awesome.
21. It's likely you'll get asked why you're interested in this particular role and company. (And if you can’t answer this question, you shouldn’t be in the interview!) So to make sure you can, consider why you’re interested in the function and identify a couple of key factors that make it a great fit for you (e.g., “I love customer support because I love the constant human interaction and the satisfaction that comes from helping someone solve a problem"). 
22. Don't just think about how you'll answer certain questions; practice looking in the mirror and answering them out loud. This prep work will help you clarify your thoughts and make you much more comfortable during the interview.
23. Do as many mock interviews as you possibly can with a friend. You’ll be much better at answering, “So, tell me about yourself!” and “What would you bring to the position?” the 100th time you do it than the first, right?
24. When the interview winds down, you'll surely be asked, “So, do you have any questions for me?” So, prepare a few smart questions—thoughtful ones that show you’ve been paying attention and have done your homework when it comes to researching the company and the specific job you’re after.

Get Your Head in the Right Place

25. Spend the most time before the interview not rehearsing questions, but reflecting on your career chronology to date. When you know your story inside and out, it’s much easier to apply examples to just about any interview question.
26. Getting ready for a technical interview? Start preparing as early as possible. Working through a prep book or sample questions will not only give you good practice, but it’ll also put you in the right problem-solving mindset.
27. Come up with a go-to phrase that'll help you avoid dead air if you need time to stall and gather your thoughts. Two strategies that work well are repeating the question thoughtfully before answering or saying (slowly), “Now, that is a great question. I think I would have to say…."
28. Brush up on what certain body language conveys. Be aware of what you’re communicating through your posture and stance—and make sure it’s good. (For example, sitting with your arms and legs crossed sends a message that you are closed-off or feel defensive.) Think your movements through ahead of time so you are not distracted (or distracting) during the interview. 
29. Use our all-in-one interview guide to compile all the details you need to remember, jot down notes about what you want to say and ask, and check off all the essentials you need to bring. Print one out for every interview, read it over the morning of, and you’ll be good to go!
30. Oh, and get some sleep. This sounds like something your mom would tell you, but there are few things that will throw you off your game like sleep deprivation.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Here are some very well thought out interview tips.  It's not just about getting your foot in the door.  It is just as important what you do once you're inside and talking to the people that let the door open.


http://www.knowable.com/a/11-key-dos-and-donts-to-succeed-in-a-job-interview-3-is-crucial?ts_pid=956&utm_content=inf_10_3136_2&tse_id=INF_58e9ffba73b148f4b315640dda28912d

1. I bring a notepad and ask, "Do you mind if I take notes?". I never actually take notes. I just use it as a checklist of my interview questions to cover. Bring lots, in case they answer some of them before its your turn to ask questions. You NEVER want to ask a question that they had already answered during the conversation, so you need spares.

2. Treat every person in the office as though they are the interviewer. Be nice to everyone you see. I DO talk to my secretary, the lady at the front desk, our HR support staff, etc. after the interview to see what they thought of you.

3. For the question "What is your greatest weakness?" say public speaking. Nobody likes to speak in front of a huge group of people, it is common and understandable to not be good at public speaking, giving speeches in front of management or anything of the kind, use this answer, it gets you out of the question AND it is an honest answer. I am the president of my company but I still get nervy before big meetings with my managers CEO CFO or before auditors....

4. DON'T assume that just because the interviewer is being casual with you that you can let your guard down and treat him/her as a buddy. It's his/her job to establish a rapport with you. It is not an excuse to let your guard down.

5. Dress in the best clothes you have that don't seem out of place for the job. If it's an office job then wear a button-down and tie, if it's food industry wear a polo. If you're wearing a polo and it's a casual place then you can wear a pair of nice looking jeans otherwise wear khakis.

6. Don't let the interviewer talk more than you do.

7. Do not interview for something you're not qualified for. It's a waste of everyone's time - companies aren't going to just settle for training you when you don't meet any of their requirements. Especially in the current job market. Bluffing your way through usually doesn't work. I've ended interviews outright when it became obvious the candidate didn't actually know what they claimed to know (unfortunately HR isn't always the best first line of defense)

8. When setting up the interview, always ask if there's anything special you need to know about parking, building security, etc. The last thing you want is to be late to an interview because the building is secured and has a lengthy "check-in" process or that parking is reserved and you leave the interview to find that you've been towed.

9. If you can, request an interview first thing in the morning. You want to get in before the interviewer has had a chance to get bogged down with other tasks or things to think about. Try to stay away from interview times right before or after lunch. You don't want a hungry or sleepy interviewer, unless you're having the interview at lunch.

If you do end up having an interview right before lunch time, ask for a recommendation on where to eat after the interview is over. When you write your "thank you for the interview" email, mention how you really enjoyed the recommended restaurant. It'll humanize you and make the interviewer feel like they've already helped you out. People are more likely to remember that, especially if there are multiple applicants.

10. Ask: "What do your best employees say about working here?" You usually get some really interesting answers. It makes the interviewer have to think and be honest with you about the way things are going on their team. Remember, you're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you.

11. When you use Linkedin the person's account you are using is notified of who viewed their information. If you have common interests great but be aware that they will know you viewed their page so it would probably be best to say "I was looking at your LinkedIn and noticed etc."

P. O. Doe

 #probation
 #probationuncovered

 Twitter - @PODoe2015
 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/probationuncovered/
 Email - probationuncovered@gmail.com

Book Excerpt - The Killing Frenzy: Profiling Mass Murder

Mass murder is a significantly complex phenomenon as to defy a simple definition.  A general definition can be given as the murder of a number of victims at one time and in one place.  The keys of further definition that should be taken into consideration are the number of victims, the location of the murders, the time of the killings, and the distance between murder sites¹⁸.

Authorities argue over the number of victims to the exact minimum number that constitutes mass murder.  Some have stipulated four as the minimum number of victims necessary^9&15, while others set the number at three²⁰.  The other complicating factor with the overall number of victims is when injured victims are factored into the definition.  Is it mass murder when only two persons are killed but 20 are injured and saved by medical personnel? 

Other factors in the general definition are time and location.  Generally accepted is the definition of at one time and in one place.  But, it is too limited in scope not to recognize that incidents may occur at slightly different times and also at different locales and still constitute mass murder. Charles Whitman killed his wife and mother at each of their homes the night before he climbed the University of Texas at Austin’s campus clock tower and began shooting.  He killed 14 and wounded 31 more, and is recognized as one of the United States’ worst mass murders²⁶.  Rarely though does a mass murderer go from one location to another when murdering²⁰.

It may also be that the murderer meets the criteria for fitting into more than one definition of multicide.  Charles Whitman killed more than three people at different locations at different times, which would also define him as a spree killer.  Douglas and Olshaker⁹ define a spree killer as someone who kills a number of victims at different locations over a short period of hours or days.  But Whitman is known as a mass murderer, for that was the most horrendous part of his crimes.  This is the distinction between mass murder and a mass murderer.  Mass murder is the act itself. A mass murderer is the person who commits that act of mass murder.  They may also commit other offenses, but that act of mass murder makes them a mass murderer.

For the purposes of this book, the definition stated as generally accepted by Holmes & Holmes²⁰ will be used.  Mass murder is the killing of a) three or more people, b) at one time, and c) in one place.  



You can find this title at Amazon at http://amzn.com/B0163JZG0U


Thanks!!!
P. O. Doe





#probation
#probationuncovered


Twitter - @PODoe2015
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/probationuncovered/
Email - probationuncovered@gmail.com

Risk assessment standard tests for predicting vilence found ineffective

http://psychcentral.com/news/2015/11/13/standard-tests-for-predicting-violence-found-ineffective/94796.html

How many of your departments use a risk assessment tool?  Even if it is part of the evidence based treatment that is the flavor of the month at the moment, isn't it essentially for predicting violence? 

I've personally experienced using the tool my department uses and found it was not effective in assessing the worst types of offenders - gang members and dope dealers.  Granted, if they've not been very good at what they do and have been caught a lot, there will be risk assessed in the right places.  But what about the new ones to the game, who will more likely use violence to prove their place?  Or the smarter ones who rarely get caught?

This article has some interesting points on what an assessment tool should look like.

P. O. Doe


#probation
#probationuncovered

Twitter - @PODoe2015

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/probationuncovered/

Email - probationuncovered@gmail.com

Gang Conditions: Supervising Gang Members on Probation --- excerpt from the book

Introduction

What do Probation Officers need to know about gangs? The gang problem is an epidemic approaching pandemic proportion. It has spread throughout the nation and is showing no signs of slowing down. Even if you are not actively supervising a gang specific caseload, I guarantee that you have someone on your caseload that has a gang connection. Maybe they’re just a hang-around. Or perhaps their brother, sister, uncle or cousin is an active gang member. This still places them at risk to the gang lifestyle.

Worse of the Worse Supervision

In the world of supervised release, there is a progression of levels of service.  The levels start at banked (not assigned a probation officer), then kiosk reporting, to group level reporting, then individual reporting and then to task force supervision.  The highest level deals with those that are at highest risk to re-offend, whether it is narcotics sales or acts of violence in the community.  In supervising these offenders, you have to hope for the best, but prepare for the worse.  Of course you want them to see the error of their ways and their dangerous lifestyle, but again, gang ties are strong and so is the lure of dope money. 

There has been a long standing debate of the strengths of nature versus nurture.  Is it in the person’s DNA or is it their environment? So what do you do when nature is a little off (or a lot off) and nurture was basically a case of raised by wolves? 

We are dealing with many people who were gestated while their mom smoked crack or shot heroin and have been since the 1980’s.  And now the use of methamphetamines is becoming more widespread, so mothers are smoking that while pregnant.  There is also research out that suggests that what the father is using is also affecting the makeup of the child.  And then add in all of the genetic propensities for mental health issues that a person’s lineage may have.  You can end up with some people that were pretty messed up from birth.  They may have looked normal, but the wiring in their heads just wasn’t up to code.

Taking the other half of the equation into consideration has a myriad of other considerations.  While most families have some degree of dysfunction, some go off the scale.  It’s way worse than dad drinks too much and beats mom (or vice versa).  There are generations of children who are being raised by their grandparents.  Like in a two parent traditional family, the vast majority do turn out good.  But when the grandparents are older and in failing health, no matter what their best is, they can’t keep up with the raising of the child.  The kids that have been introduced into the juvenile justice system end up running the house and not in a good way.  Their own parents or grandparents are afraid of them and won’t act like parents because of that.  And in some extreme cases, the parents are there and maybe even still together, but the father insists that his child be raised being allowed to do whatever that child wants to do.  And in serving as an example, the father supports the family through dealing dope and brings the violence associated with that around the family.  That is what I mean by the phrase raised by wolves.  The kids don’t stand a chance.  And while most of them are boys, there are girls raised that way.  Gender equality in the culture also means that girls have an equal opportunity to be gang bangers and dope dealers.  It also means that they are increasingly being the perpetrator of violence and pulling the trigger. 

P. O. Doe


#probation
#probationuncovered

Twitter - @PODoe2015
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/probationuncovered/
Email - probationuncovered@gmail.com