In three studies, the current research began to address the paucity of research in the area of parole officer characteristics, namely attitudes values, and competencies. To this end, the Parole Officer Competency Survey (POCS) was developed. In Study 1, the psychometric properties of the POCS were examined. Studies 2 and 3 assessed POCS and subscale scores in relations to two separate samples, one Canadian (N= 69), and one American (N = 94), with the intent of developing a normative competency profile. While