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Don’t Break Your Probation Violation

Don't Break Your Probation Violation

When an offender is placed on probation, he/she is required to adhere to the specific conditions associated with his/her probation. The terms will vary from one individual to another, based upon his/her specific case. In most instances, an offender will be required to report to his/her probation officer on a regular basis. This may be every 24 hours or every few days, depending upon the terms specified. If he/she fails to report to his/her probation officer, he/she has take part in probation violation. 
It is likely that an offender will be prohibited from leaving the immediate area without informing his/her probation officer. An individual will also be required to take part in routine drug tests. If a drug test indicates that an individual has been using illegal substances, he/she can receive further punishment for his/her probation violation. Adult offenders may be required to maintain a steady job and diligently attend counseling sessions. Violating any of these conditions can have serious implications for an offender.
If an individual violates the conditions of his/her probation, his/her probation officer is required to report it to the court. A probation officer also has the ability to incarcerate an individual while petition the court regarding the offending violation of probation. If the defendant is not able to prove that he/she is innocent of the accusations, he/she may be subject to additional punishment. 
The probation officer can request that new terms be created for the individual’s probation. The court may decide that imprisonment is necessary, and the offender will be required to complete a prison sentence. It is vital that an individual comply with the conditions of his/her probation, in order to avoid serious repercussions. 

The Role of a Juvenile Probation Officer

The Role of a Juvenile Probation Officer

A juvenile probation officer in an individual who works exclusively with children under the age of 18 and juvenile courts. Individuals who are employed in this field oversee the juvenile probation process and ensure that juveniles do not violate the conditions of their probation. In most instances, a juvenile probation officer will not only be required to supervise an offending juvenile, but he/she will also be required to work closely with the offender’s family. 
An individual who is employed as a juvenile probation officer will maintain up to date case files regarding a charge’s offenses and progress. He/she will report all progress to the court and make any recommendations that may be beneficial to a juvenile. A probation officer should be a role model for his/her charges, encouraging them to avoid criminal behavior and teaching them by example. It is important that juveniles are able to trust their probation officer and confide in him/her.
It addition to forming a strong bond with their juvenile charges and working closely with families, juvenile probation officers must also work with schools, to ensure that an offender is complying with the probation terms in all areas of his/her life. A probation officer must ensure that a juvenile offender effectively completes any obligations or responsibilities that he/she has to the court. 
This may include fines, court appearances, and community service. A probation officer must carefully monitor a juvenile’s activities, behavior, and property. He/she must also perform routine drug tests. Any violation of probation must be reported to the court by a probation officer. 

Difference Between Probation and Parole

Difference Between Probation and Parole

Many people confuse probation and parole, or fail to understand the fundamental difference between these two statuses. When an individual is convicted of a crime, there are a number of possible punishments that he/she may receive. For example, if an individual has committed a relatively minor offense, he/she may be required to pay a fine or take part in community service. If his/her offense was more serious, he/she may be sentences to serve time in prison. However, in some instances, an individual will escape incarceration and be placed on probation. 
This may occur if an individual is under the age of eighteen, if he/she has committed no prior offenses, or if the offense was considered to be minor. If an individual is placed on probation, he/she will be required to adhere to regulations and guidelines outlined by the court. If he/she violate the conditions of his/her probation, or if he/she commits an additional crime while on probation, he/she may receive additional consequences, such as imprisonment.
Probation and parole differ in regard to the period during which an offender is placed under supervision. When an individual is supervised as an alternative to imprisonment it is known as probation, and parole occurs when an individual is released from prison prior to the completion of his/her prison sentence. When an individual is placed on parole, he/she is allowed to leave prison before the intended date, usually due to good behavior. 
He/she will be permitted to carry out the remainder of his/her sentence in society. Both people who are released on probation and parole are required to meet with parole officers regularly, so that they can monitor and observe the offenders’ progress. 

Know the Rules of Probation

Know the Rules of Probation

Probation rules are terms and conditions that are imposed on an individual who is placed on probation. Failure to adhere to the conditions is known as a probation violation, and can cause an individual to acquire more severe punishments. Probation rules vary from one case to another, however, the fundamental regulations remain similar in most cases. 
The most basic of all probation rules is to regularly report to a probation officer. The court will specify how often this must occur, and it may range from every 24 hours, to every few days. An individual who is on parole must immediately notify his/her parole officer if there are any changed to his/her personal information, including his/her telephone number and address. A criminal can not leave his/her jurisdiction without obtaining written permission from his/her parole officer. He/she must also submit to routine drug testing and must inform his/her parole officer if any prescription drugs are being consumed.
In addition to these fundamental conditions, an individual who is on probation is not permitted to purchase or carry any type of weapon or object that may be harmful to other individuals. He/she is not able to possess or use alcohol or drugs. If a criminal was order to pay restitution or any related fees, he/she must ensure that these fees are paid.
He/she will most likely be required to maintain a steady job, though a convicted criminal will not be permitted to work with elderly individuals or children. It is important that an individual fully understand all conditions associated with his/her probation, and strictly adhere to these terms. 

Facts About State and Federal Probation

Facts About State and Federal Probation

In the United States, each state maintains a probation department to supervise criminals who are released on probation. The state probation departments are responsible for supervising the reintegration of criminals who have been tried and convicted in a state court. Within the United States, similar crimes can be tried at a federal or state level. 
This often depends upon the specific conditions of a crime, including who was involved, where it occurred, and the crime itself. Both a state prison and a federal prison can house violent offenders, or individuals responsible for theft, burglary, and other criminal activities. Individuals who are tried in federal courts can receive the same sentences as criminals who are tried in state courts. This includes probation. Therefore, it is necessary to have probation systems that address the supervised release of both state convicted criminals and federally convicted criminals. 
Just as state probation departments are responsible for overseeing the probation state convicted offenders, the federal probation system is responsible for supervising the release of individuals who were tried and convicted in a federal court. Federal probation is very similar to state probation. An criminal who is released on federal probation must comply with the specified probation rules and avoid further criminal behavior.
Individuals who are employed as federal parole officers must monitor the behavior of their charges to ensure that they are not presenting any threat to society.Just as with state probation, violation of federal probation can have serious repercussions for a criminal. 

Rapist in Oklahoma Prison Claims Transgender Protections

 Rapist in Oklahoma Prison Claims Transgender Protections

A rapist who was convicted of abducting and repeatedly sexually assaulting a 13 year old girl in 1997 is insisting that the state of Oklahoma's Department of Corrections pay for some costs relating to gender reassignment.  Phoebe Halliwell, who until recently went by the name of Ronny Edward Darnell, has filed a suit in federal court to have the state pay for laser hair removal treatments as well as homone injections.

According to the federal lawsuit, Darnell became Halliwell after self-diagnosing with Gender Identity Disorder, in which a person's outward physical appearance does not match with the gender they identify as.  While the state of Oklahoma has paid for the continuing hormone treatment or other transgender medical care for people who were already diagnosed with GID and gender transitioning at the time when they were imprisoned, a doctor in the Department of Corrections says that such treatment would not be started by the department.

In 1997, Darnell asked for directions from a 13 year old girl from Newkirk, Oklahoma, and urged her to get into his car.  Once she got into the car, Darnell drove to several rural areas and raped the girl in each of them.  Darnell, who had been a drifter, was sentenced to 50 years in prison for one count of forcible sodomy and two counts of rape after his DNA was found to match DNA gathered in a database in Ohio.

Halliwell, who has no attorney representing her in the lawsuit, claims that being denied hormone treatment has deepened her voice and caused her anxiety and stress.  However, her claim that she “was just born in the wrong body” has attracted skepticism not only from prison officials but also from the general public.

It is unclear what Halliwell's status would be in the Oklahoma prison system if she wins her case.  For example, if Halliwell's name and gender change are approved, some worry that she could be moved into a prison population with women rather than men.

Federal courts have so far been divided about the rights of transgender inmates to receive gender reassignment assistance from the prison system.  An appeals court in Virginia recently ruled that if a prison sentence is very long, denying an inmate with genuine Gender Identity Disorder the ability to make a gender transition could violate protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

Sources: uscourts.gov, advocate.com