Recently, I spoke with an attorney in Boston who said an all too common reason a probationer is not released from probation is because he hasn't paid money owed. This debt may include probation supervision fees, court fees, DNA fees, vicitim restitution, paying for victim counseling, etc... You name it. Whatever probation believe you owe, you owe. Come your release day, if you owe money you won't be set free from probation until it's all paid off. Even if you think you aren't in arrears, ask the probation office to do an audit on your account around 6 months before release to give you time to pay up, perform community service in lieu of cash payments, or dispute charges if need be.
Another suggestion is to scour your probation contract for what conditions you are required to complete or satisfy. Besides paying many fees, you could be required to "complete" sex offender therapy, Alcoholics Anonymous, Anger Management, and other programs. Be sure to know what "completing" means to the probation department. Probation (and the courts) idea of of having completed a program may not be the same as what the particular program considers to be "completed" or "graduated". In fact, these days here in Middlesex County a sex offender on probation who graduated from all phases of treatment cannot simply stop going to treatment. One has to be in "maintenance" treatment while on probation. Furthermore, what maintenance treatment is varies between providers. Unfortunately, not much is standardized in the treatment provider community. It wouldn't hurt to go over your probation contract with your probation officer so you are both on the same page.
And if you think you can and/or should stop attending treatment after you are released from probation, you might want to reconsider. For example, if at any point in the future you plan on appealing your dangerousness level to the Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB), it behooves you to continue maintenance treatment after release from any supervision. Significant gaps of time where your well being and behavior cannot be accounted for could work against you since the SORB has no recent information or testimonials from treatment providers to take into account. At the same time, seeing a therapist several times a year might be good insurance and good for you in the event you encounter problems or if you know you function and live better under a therapists supervision.
And if you think you can and/or should stop attending treatment after you are released from probation, you might want to reconsider. For example, if at any point in the future you plan on appealing your dangerousness level to the Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB), it behooves you to continue maintenance treatment after release from any supervision. Significant gaps of time where your well being and behavior cannot be accounted for could work against you since the SORB has no recent information or testimonials from treatment providers to take into account. At the same time, seeing a therapist several times a year might be good insurance and good for you in the event you encounter problems or if you know you function and live better under a therapists supervision.
if your not able to pay the full amount, they then add time to your probation. Only way out of probation is to pay the full amount? Can you not fight it at all? An offender i know was given a year extra after serving 7 years, and is now threatened with another 2 yrs as he is still not able to pay. I feel helpless to help him out other than give him more money.
ReplyDeleteHi Anon,
ReplyDeleteThere is the option (here in Massachusetts) that if you cannot pay the probation supervisory fees then you will have to go in front of a judge to request to do volunteer work in lieu of paying cash every month. I think it's 8 hours of work to pay the $65 fee. If your friend has restitution to a victim or a court ordered fine or something similar, that may need to be paid in cash and cannot be worked off like a probation fee can be. A public counsel attorney might be able to help clarify his options and if he can do anything to help.
-Richard
I am sex offender and having a hard time landing a job where should I be applying in order to land a job
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