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  1. #1
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    Apr 2016
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    Default Can Your Probation Officer Require Drug and Alcohol Counseling

    My question involves criminal law for the state of: PA
    I'm on PA state parole. I called my parole officer to inform her I had an alcohol problem and I'm seeking a medical detox because of the controlled substances I'm on for life, which made it difficult to find one. After 2 weeks of relentless phone calls and inquiries, I found the place. I completed the 5 day medical detox and went home. Her instructions were for the facility to inform her of my arrival and successful completion. I went from March 3rd to March 8th. She calls me the other day and says, where are you?. I say home. She says..."Home!". You should have called me when you got out. I informed her I followed her instructions to the letter. She comes to my house, and shows great annoyance I didnt call her. I said they were instructed to call you. She says, Thats not their job, you should have called. I said I had no reason NOT to call. I would have. SO, she says, well you have to go to outpatient counseling. I told her I'm sober now 34 days, I'm going to AA, I have phone numbers, and doing everything right. She says, well, its mandatory. I know of the place she sending me for outpatient and I cannot afford it. I'm on a fixed income, and barely make ends meet now. Can she force me into debt? She wouldl have never known I was drinking if I wasnt honest telling her.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2011
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    Illinois
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    1,376

    Default Re: Drug and Alcohol Counseling

    Once you acknowledge a need for help, to a PO, you're asking for it to be monitored. You reported n issue that the department has requirements for in ordered for it to be accepted. Five days detox is not sufficient for my department's requirements. IOP, OP or inpatient with aftercare would be. Once you asked for the PO's help, you voluntarily asked to be monitored for compliance with an issue that alluded to being to difficult for you to complete without her holding your feet to the fire.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Can Your Probation Officer Require Drug and Alcohol Counseling

    Quote Quoting fp2724
    View Post
    My question involves criminal law for the state of: PA
    I'm on PA state parole. I called my parole officer to inform her I had an alcohol problem and I'm seeking a medical detox because of the controlled substances I'm on for life, which made it difficult to find one. After 2 weeks of relentless phone calls and inquiries, I found the place. I completed the 5 day medical detox and went home. Her instructions were for the facility to inform her of my arrival and successful completion. I went from March 3rd to March 8th. She calls me the other day and says, where are you?. I say home. She says..."Home!". You should have called me when you got out. I informed her I followed her instructions to the letter. She comes to my house, and shows great annoyance I didnt call her. I said they were instructed to call you. She says, Thats not their job, you should have called. I said I had no reason NOT to call. I would have. SO, she says, well you have to go to outpatient counseling. I told her I'm sober now 34 days, I'm going to AA, I have phone numbers, and doing everything right. She says, well, its mandatory. I know of the place she sending me for outpatient and I cannot afford it. I'm on a fixed income, and barely make ends meet now. Can she force me into debt? She wouldl have never known I was drinking if I wasnt honest telling her.
    I tell people all the time your probation officer or probation department(espically felony probation)is NOT their to help you yes your honest about your alcohol problem but you really think a agency part of the criminal justice department is their to help your life?Get real..

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    California
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    Default Re: Can Your Probation Officer Require Drug and Alcohol Counseling

    Quote Quoting someguyfrommars2009
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    I tell people all the time your probation officer or probation department(espically felony probation)is NOT their to help you yes your honest about your alcohol problem but you really think a agency part of the criminal justice department is their to help your life?Get real..
    Clearly you do not understand the purpose of probation, then. You should probably stop telling people such things.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Can Your Probation Officer Require Drug and Alcohol Counseling

    Quote Quoting cdwjava
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    Clearly you do not understand the purpose of probation, then. You should probably stop telling people such things.
    Actually im probation myself the goal of probation is ment to have an offender obey certain rules/restrictions.Its an alternative sentence rather then the offender serve prison time,he or she can serve it on probation as long as they obey the rules.That's what probation its not designed to help you,only people WHO think probation(espically felony probation)is ment to help you are people who NEVER been involved in the criminal justice system.If probation was ment to help you,their alternative would not be jail or prison so cleary its a system to "monitor" "criminals"(who wants to help criminals?).

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    California
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    Default Re: Can Your Probation Officer Require Drug and Alcohol Counseling

    Quote Quoting someguyfrommars2009
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    Actually im probation myself
    Does this mean you are ON probation?? Or, does this mean you work for Probation somewhere? I hope it is the former ...

    the goal of probation is ment to have an offender obey certain rules/restrictions.Its an alternative sentence rather then the offender serve prison time,he or she can serve it on probation as long as they obey the rules.That's what probation its not designed to help you,only people WHO think probation(espically felony probation)is ment to help you are people who NEVER been involved in the criminal justice system.If probation was ment to help you,their alternative would not be jail or prison so cleary its a system to "monitor" "criminals"(who wants to help criminals?).
    If you believe that probation is simply to punish offenders, then you are either working for the wrong probation agency (and please tell us what state and county you are in because that's a place I might want to avoid), or, you have some pretty misdirected leadership if you do work for a Probation agency somewhere. Take a look at your local agency's mission statement and I seriously doubt you will find that it expresses a desire to violate people.

  7. #7
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    Apr 2009
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    Somewhere near Canada
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    Default Re: Can Your Probation Officer Require Drug and Alcohol Counseling

    Quote Quoting cdwjava
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    Does this mean you are ON probation?? Or, does this mean you work for Probation somewhere? I hope it is the former ...


    If you believe that probation is simply to punish offenders, then you are either working for the wrong probation agency (and please tell us what state and county you are in because that's a place I might want to avoid), or, you have some pretty misdirected leadership if you do work for a Probation agency somewhere. Take a look at your local agency's mission statement and I seriously doubt you will find that it expresses a desire to violate people.
    He's on probation ...

    http://www.expertlaw.com/forums/show...ht=#post954039


  8. #8
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    Sep 2005
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    California
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    Default Re: Can Your Probation Officer Require Drug and Alcohol Counseling

    Quote Quoting Dogmatique
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    Ah! I see ...

    The unfortunate consequences of one's criminal behavior. It is unfortunate that his employer let him go when Probation made contact, but, they have to verify these things. The best practice may be to tell a prospective employer up front that you are on probation. Heck, they may have even asked about prior convictions on the application or in the interview, and if he failed to respond that he had been convicted of whatever he was convicted of, they may have let him go for failure to disclose that. Employers don't like surprises.

  9. #9
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    Apr 2009
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    Somewhere near Canada
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    Default Re: Can Your Probation Officer Require Drug and Alcohol Counseling

    Quote Quoting cdwjava
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    Ah! I see ...

    The unfortunate consequences of one's criminal behavior. It is unfortunate that his employer let him go when Probation made contact, but, they have to verify these things. The best practice may be to tell a prospective employer up front that you are on probation. Heck, they may have even asked about prior convictions on the application or in the interview, and if he failed to respond that he had been convicted of whatever he was convicted of, they may have let him go for failure to disclose that. Employers don't like surprises.
    That last part in particular is so very, very true. An employer is far more likely to be forgiving of the truth than of being lied to. Even the relatively bad stuff.

  10. #10

    Default Re: Can Your Probation Officer Require Drug and Alcohol Counseling

    Quote Quoting cdwjava
    View Post
    Does this mean you are ON probation?? Or, does this mean you work for Probation somewhere? I hope it is the former ...
    Unfortunely im ON probation for MY stupid PAST decisions/mistakes that I choices.However I have studied these issues and my uncle is a probation officer(in georgia but another county not were i stay at)so i have some insights of the system.

    Quote Quoting cdwjava
    View Post
    If you believe that probation is simply to punish offenders, then you are either working for the wrong probation agency (and please tell us what state and county you are in because that's a place I might want to avoid), or, you have some pretty misdirected leadership if you do work for a Probation agency somewhere. Take a look at your local agency's mission statement and I seriously doubt you will find that it expresses a desire to violate people.
    The state I am in is Georgia and the county fulton,here is what YOU need to understand ANY agency that is part of the criminal justice system's goal is to punish offenders i mean come on remeber their considered "criminals"and you think society(espically red states like Georgia)want to help those dirty criminals?The probation department has the public fooled thinking they are their to help the offenders.EVERYTHING on probation is forced either the offender complies to what EVER rules the probation department requires or he or she goes to jail(some times prison)so is that help?Being threatned with jail/prison time for simply not obiding by some conditions that may seem too harsh to accomplish?This is why our criminal justice system is so corrupted and overcrowed,the courts have really convinced the public that our criminal justice system is their to help the offender when in reality it makes the offender worse and does not help but instead creates MORE problem.And im willing to debate this subject with ANYONE..

    Quote Quoting cdwjava
    View Post
    Ah! I see ...

    The unfortunate consequences of one's criminal behavior. It is unfortunate that his employer let him go when Probation made contact, but, they have to verify these things. The best practice may be to tell a prospective employer up front that you are on probation. Heck, they may have even asked about prior convictions on the application or in the interview, and if he failed to respond that he had been convicted of whatever he was convicted of, they may have let him go for failure to disclose that. Employers don't like surprises.
    In Georgia Gov.Nathan Deal passed a law were a ex-felon dont have tell/disclose a employee about their criminal past/convictions.And yes this was a consequence of my past criminal behavior how ever if I did NOT have the probation i wouldnt be fired,would I?And i agree probation officers have to verify employment but like I said do YOU really think ANY(well MOST)employees for companies wanna deal with probationers?Now i have to settle for low paying labor jobs were they dont mind if your a felon on probation.How is this helping me now that I lost a good paying job?Wouldnt it be alot easier if the probation officer atleast asked for a pay stub(which i showed but i guess the fact he was so amazed im working at a good company and not some warehouse he wanted to really check).Its a sad case when im trying to just go on with my life and support my family but the probation department see it differently.

    Quote Quoting Dogmatique
    View Post
    That last part in particular is so very, very true. An employer is far more likely to be forgiving of the truth than of being lied to. Even the relatively bad stuff.
    That is true that to always tell the truth,but the truth isnt always beneficial espically when society(states like Georgia)believe that all people with criminal convictions are dirty scums who cant hold a top notch job..



    I'm sorry if I seem to be posting like im angry or rude i am just angry at my situation and i feel hopeless.Its just soo diffucult loosing a good job,and knowing that this whole "supervision""is slowing me down in my career path.

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