Jim Brilz

Jim Brilz, Probation and Parole Officer

There’s no such thing as a routine work day for Great Falls probation and parole officer Jim Brilz.

For one thing, his day could easily begin in the middle of the night, if he is called out to search a residence for illegal drugs or deal with a drunk parolee in a fight.

And his day doesn’t end at 5:00. Jim and his fellow officers carry work phones with them at all times.

“You don’t forget about work when you go home,” he says. “You can’t ever let your guard down. You want to keep the community safe, keep your coworkers safe, keep yourself safe. ”

Jim supervises 60-80 offenders at a time, including violent criminals convicted of assault, homicide, and meth trafficking.

Some offenders are on conditioned release. Some are parolees. Some are probationers, usually on a deferred sentence.

The job requires a college degree, a background in law enforcement, good people skills, and strong nerves. A sense of humor doesn’t hurt, either.

According to Jim, the State of Montana has recently put more emphasis on getting offenders into treatment and keeping them out of prison. That means more high-risk offenders for Jim and his fellow officers to supervise. “There are some pretty tough ones out there,” he says.

“But it’s much cheaper to supervise them in the community than to lock them up in prison. I think we’re doing a good job of keeping communities safe and saving taxpayers money.”

Jim and his fellow officers are trained at Montana’s Law Enforcement Academy, receiving 40 additional hours of training every year in everything from CPR to firearms, from making arrests to drug testing.

Drug abuse continues to be one of the top issues facing probation and parole officers around the state. The rising abuse of prescription drugs – opiates such as oxycontin and hydrocodone – has nearly overtaken meth, Jim says. “People will do anything to get it. But most of the violent crimes – rapes, assaults – are due to alcohol.”

The most dangerous offenders he faces are the “absconders,” those who have been on the run from officers. “They’re unpredictable,” Jim says. “When you go into a residence looking for them, they could have weapons. If you’ve got someone with a history of violence, you get assistance.”

Officers take care of each, he says. “We’ve got each others’ backs.”

The most rewarding part of the job for Jim is seeing offenders learn from their mistakes, follow the rules, and become productive citizens. He has had offenders thank him for helping them turn their lives around, getting them into drug treatment, helping them find a job.

Other offenders aren’t so grateful. “Some hold grudges and would harm you or your family,” he says.

Jim has seen caseloads as high as 100 offenders per officer. “It really puts a crunch on us,” he says. “Losing just one officer really makes a difference. When we’re short-staffed, we can’t get out into the community enough, being visible. These guys know we can’t check on them as often as usual.”

Jim has seen a lot of turnover, with officers retiring or moving to other jobs. “This job isn’t for everybody. You’ve got to have kind of a tough skin.”

Jim Brilz and his fellow probation and parole officers statewide are doing work that matters for Montana’s people – keeping communities safe for families and businesses alike.

Keeping Montanans safe runs in Jim’s family. His son, Cole, is a probation & parole officer in Polson.

Thanks to Jim Brilz and his fellow probation and parole officers for doing work that matters for Montana’s people – keeping communities safe for families and businesses alike.