Community Impact of a Parole Officer

Antonio Gomez, Parole Officer II at the El Paso I District Parole Office, is from El Segundo Barrio, a neighborhood in El Paso often referred to as the Second Ward. A place, he said, that had a reputation for high crime rates.

“I saw the bad side, and I had an interest in making a difference,” Gomez said. “I knew I wanted to be in law enforcement since I was in the fifth grade.”

Now, he has impacted his community for almost 10 years as a parole officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He describes it as a rewarding job and said he enjoys seeing his former clients succeeding in the community.

“They’ve made mistakes, but they’ve changed,” Gomez said. “They’ve grown from those experiences.”

His former clients are overcoming their past experiences and are now building businesses, becoming gainfully employed and reconnecting with their families. He’s been stopped by a former client who shared news that they earned their CDL certification and are about to start working as a truck driver.

“Once they sign that paper that says, ‘Hey, you don’t come here anymore, okay?’ I mean, it’s very rewarding. It shows that I’ve actually made a difference in someone’s life, that they actually got through and discharged.”

According to Gomez, his job is about holding his clients accountable and being consistent. He emphasized that they have to do the work, but he meets them halfway.

“They need to do their part, but respect goes both ways. Maybe they just need someone to listen and give them some advice or guidance. We’re here to build a rapport and help them make the right choices. We’re here to help them out and motivate them to change,” Gomez said.

“It makes me feel good because I can see that they have taken my advice, and I’ve made a difference in their lives. I mean, there is always going to be crime, but we can change the criminal thinking of at least one individual. That makes a big difference. It makes it worth it.”

The goal of the Parole Division is to provide public safety and promote positive change in clients through effective supervision, programs and services.

“By giving parole clients the opportunity to finish their sentences in the community, of course with stipulations, they can be back with their families. They can be productive members of society, find jobs and they have their families who can be good role models to them,” Gomez said. “Give them a little extra push in the right direction.”

Being a parole officer can be challenging and sometimes unpredictable, but that’s what Gomez likes about it.

“I don’t always know what my day is going to look like, and sometimes the day runs past 6 p.m., but I enjoy getting out of the office and doing field work and home visits,” Gomez said.

When asked what advice he’d give a new officer, he said it’s about having consistency and integrity.

“I love my job. It’s very rewarding at the end of the day to know that I’ve made a difference in someone’s life, and I’ve made my community a safer place.”