Parole Officer Misconduct
My question involves criminal law for the state of: TN
My husband is on Parole, he got out last July...his Parole Officer happens to be a Jehovah's Witness and he has been rather pushy about his religious beliefs. In September of last year he invited himself to our home for dinner and brought his whole family, after dinner he proceeded to have an hour long religious discussion with us. Ever since then he has been coming over once a week to have these religious conversion meetings and has been sending other JWs to our home randomly to have the same talks. He has also made it quit clear he wants us to attend his church at least twice a month. We feel obligated to do whatever he asks since he holds my husband's freedom in his hands. He has been very easy on my husband as far as the parole goes until last week when we refused to continue to attend his church and have the weekly conversion meetings. He has since been very distant and has come down very hard on my husband, being very strict and less than friendly. We are afraid, by some of the things he has said, that he is looking now for a reaosn to violate my husband...this doesn't sound like proper behaviour to me and I wondered what we could do about it.
Thanks
Re: Parole Officer Misconduct
You should probably consult with a civil rights lawyer. The ACLU may be able to help; in some areas, the ACLU has local chapters you can also contact.
Whether free, on probation, on parole, or in prison, the government can't force anybody to practice a particular religion or any religion at all, and the government can't punish anyone for failing to practice a particular religion or any religion at all. A parole officer can practice any religion he wants in his private life, but when he is on the job, he is acting as a representative of the government and can't force that religion onto anybody.
While trying to get anything done about religious discrimination may be difficult in Tennessee, it's still the law there as it is in every other state.
Re: Parole Officer Misconduct
If your description of events is correct, this is so wrong, it is unbelievable.
That parole officer needs to be terminated.
Of course your husband is in a delicate position but nobody should have to put up with illegal crap like that.
I suggest contacting the local chapter of the ACLU immediately.
In my previous life in the cold north they showed up at my house a few times and I explained to them how their church was founded by a child molester and adulterer. They put me on the "Don't Call" list pretty quick. Ask them to explain how they abandoned their central tenet that only 144,000 JW's will go to heaven so that they could recruit more suckers. JW's can't get involved in politics or military service. I didn't think they could work for the government either.
If push comes to shove, write a detailed statement, and send it to the head of the state parole office, the head of DOC, send it to the State Attorney General, send it to the governor, and send it to the media. Send it to your state rep and the chairman of the state judiciary committee. Do not send it to the parole officer or his supervisor. Crap gets much heavier and more effective as it rolls down hill.