Probation Officers: Catalyst for Change or Neglectful Babysitters?
When I was placed on probation four years ago the conditions of my probation were:
Be employed, gainfully seeking employment or be registered for school
Notify my probation officer of any changes un employment, phone number or address
Do not receive any new charges
Do not leave the jurisdiction of my probation without first notifying my officer
Make all scheduled appointments or give 24 hours notice if unable to attend
Pay any restitution, court costs, fees or other costs incurred by my judgment
When I was violated in March of 2007, four of these reasons were used as my violation and I also had additional charges, which means I broke 5 of the cardinal rules of my probation. I don't deny that I alone broke these rules but where was the supervision by my officer? When I was violated they used information that was 2 years old. I missed an appointment and left to attend a funeral in another state in 2005. Where was my probation officer in 2005 when I committed these violations?
Probation would give you excuses such as: they have too many probationers, they can't control what people do, and they are simply overworked. I think that it is time that probation officers come down from their pedestals and be held to the same job standards we hold the rest of society to. If a nurse's neglect causes patients to die time and time again, she is let go. If a CEO lets the business fall into the red month after month, the stockholders throw a coup. If a teacher's students continuously fail to meet standards, he is released. Then why is it that probation officers fail to do their job yet continue to maintain this job? Society holds probation officers to a low standard simply because they deal with a part of the public that too few want to deal with.
I, as a probationer, feel that it is time society holds probation officers to a higher standard. Statistics show that 86% of all probationers violate or are otherwise repeat offenders. I feel that this number is too high. When my probation was violated and my sentence activated, my probation officer stood in the hall of the courthouse and did a victory dance. Why is it that a probation officer would rejoice to send their probationer to jail rather than to work harder to see them succeed?
In jail, I surveyed the women I was incarcerated with and 73 out of 76 women were either in jail for a probation violation or had previously been on probation. That means that roughly 95% of the women in that county jail failed while on probation.
Probation officers should be more dutiful in seeing that their probationers succeed at becoming rehabilitated rather than being satisfied with putting them in jail. Probation officers need to step up and become a catalyst for change rather then neglectful babysitters.
Published by Brandee Teer
I am currently working as a Web Develop and pursuing Bachelor's in Web Development. I also operate my own freelance web design business. I am working on fixing my past mistakes and becoming a person my child... View profile
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3 Comments
Post a Commenthearsay because we do not know the direct situations of these other people. How would we know if they went out and committed another crime, how do we know they did not receive several warnings, we do not because we are to read your story and assume their POs are at fault when that is not always the case. Of course you are going to look at it from their point of view but there is not enough information in your story to justify "neglect."
Like I said, maybe you did get a bum deal..Only you know the truth but you are also giving your story from one point of view and one belief. It might sound like I do not believe your story but in fact I know it's a possibility however, I just think this is only one side and even that side (you) have admitted to making several mistakes. I just hope you have moved passed this by now and are not making anymore illegal mistakes.
PS. I was interested in this story because I graduate in October from a Criminal Justice Program and my whole purpose was
violation of your probation. I'm sure in 2005 when your PO did not place you in violation of your probation for going to a funeral (which you could have tried to get permission for in the first place), you were not judging against him/her. I do not know if the appointment was an additional occurrence of these all ran together but you knew this was wrong too and you wait until you are placed on violation of probation to bring it up? Regardless of how "good or bad" your PO was, it is ultimately your responsibility to follow the guidelines; the main job of the PO is to make sure you're getting your life back on track (which maybe he/she believed you were doing and that is why he/she did not place you in violation of probation you in 2005) In fact, in your words, they are not your babysitters; you got yourself into trouble and a PO can help you but in the end it has to ultimately be you who wants it.
Lastly, you mentioned doing a "survey" of other people in prisons; your survey is hear
First, let me say by you using the term "babysitter" I am wondering how old you think you are compared to how old you are. I know there are probably more than a handful of Probation Officers in the system who do not do their job but these are a select few. Then there probably is a few Pos who try their best to do their job but honestly do have too many probationers. Then there are the Probation Officers that DO care, DO want to help their probationers make a change, and DO pay attention to what is going on with their clients. In short, you may have got a bum deal, you may have not - I think you did get a bum deal if this PO was honestly dancing around in the halls when you were placed on violation of probation however, I am not so sure even the worst of POs would do this. Nonetheless, if he or she did do this this dance, sorry to hear that.
However, as I mentioned in the beginning, you are not a baby; you admitted to violating probation years before and again when you placed in v