Does probation work ?

I know several people on probation and it does not seem to effect their lives or the way that they live. They actually seem to be getting worse sense they have been on probation. Why is that ?

Wanna know why it's the system to many convicts out and not enough social service probation officers to handle them

Probation can be very helpful if the probationer truly wants to be helped.....u can't help someone that doesn't want to help themselves.

countrybumpkin wrote:

Probation can be very helpful if the probationer truly wants to be helped.....u can't help someone that doesn't want to help themselves.

I agree with you. I also think we need to rely on technology more with electronic monitored home confinement. It is not cheap but it is better than giving them 4 square meals a day, heat and a place to live.

I don't think probation is strict enough with their pro'bs - shold be zero tolerence, nothing more nothing less,

i agree with everyone

countrybumpkin wrote:

Probation can be very helpful if the probationer truly wants to be helped.....u can't help someone that doesn't want to help themselves.

I like you, I think your smart

I agree w/ country too...the same goes for Correctional facilities. Those that want to be rehabilitated and released back into society can, but, with some of their mentalities....errr..

Of course it works but how well is the question. I agree with the countrybumpkin it won't work unless you want it to. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink - no what I mean - of course it works.

But also, there have to be more safeguards to catch those who aren't abiding by the terms set for them. I know at least a handful of people who claimed they went through years of probation smoking dope (or worse) and passed of little kids' urine as their own. Some of them did this while being watched by probation officers while giving their "sample." How do you miss that?

Or the people who are on probation and frequenting bars. The list is never ending.

I think everyone should have a chance to change their lives around and try and improve on their mistakes. Probation is the first step in righting a wrong, everyone deserves the chance.

I give P.O.'s in this county a lot of credit....they supervise anywhere from 90-120 ppl. That's a lot of criminals to be babysitting and chasing around 24/7....in fact it's humanly impossible. Also, they have higher ups that they have to answer to i.e. DA, Judges, Supervisor, Director etc. I think they do their best and regardless should be given praise for putting up with a lot of crap day in and day out.The ones that are out there still acting like scum....they aren't fooling anyone it's only a matter of time that they get caught.

coming from a rather large family I find it interesting in the way that some of you people think. I do believe what most of you have stated but I also believe that the rules of probation are not strict enough and that sometimes the ones on probation are the ones who are actually in control and they know how to manipulate the system and push the right buttons just far enough. My point is that those buttons that are being pushed have to tighten up a bit. I do agree with lil miss in her zero tolerence idea that way those bottons that are being pushed will no longer be tolerated. That may bring more work to the supervising P.O. I know that sometimes I wish I was on probation - there's a couple of cuties that work there.

Oh come on Chipmunk, (love the name by the way), would you seriously commit a crime in hopes that you may be supervised by a cutie someday, because that would be quite irresponsible. Probation officers are there to conduct a job, not for you to stare at and get all excited about. If you think Probation would rather file violations on a whim so that offenders can get a limited jail sentence rather than be supervised for a precise court ordered time period, (lets say 3 to 10 years) you are quite wrong. Sometimes offenders feel jail would be more to their liking (30 days jail time seems better than 2 years Probation supervision) but it never corrects the problem, EVER... They, for most part continue on their previous path of destruction and wind up in prison which is truly not what Probation was intended to be in the first place. I agree with most on this forum, it's their (offenders) first chance to turn things around and maybe their last chance to free themselves from state time. People screw up, absolutely, but when court has their eye on you, you need absolute willpower and mindset to make your future choices and decisions the right ones. People certainly need chances as you refer to, but there is a line. For these people, it's their life we are dealing with, it may also be our own lives (repeat DWI offenders) should they be released without services so i ask that you truly think about your thoughts. Jail is not always the answer, but a last resort should all efforts fail..

sounds like chipmunk has been on probation already. especially if he knows what some of the p.o.'s look like.

yes it helps only if the probation officer keeps after them .
they also have to cooperate.

The Franklin County Probation Department is under staffed and overworked. There are far to many people in this county that need supervision but there isn't nearly enough P.O's to supervise them. The ones that are there do an outstanding job, they are doing the best that they can with what they have to work with. I do not envy their jobs - they must be special people. As a mater a fact I believe that they are also underpaid as well. and no Im not a PO

i don't believe that probation really works. if you want it to work and you really want to straighten ur life up then maybe but most kids don't give a damn so therefore it doesn't work they just rebel even more... at least that's my opinion on that.

Most but not all of the PO's are just as bad if not worse the the people that they look after. So how can that work. It's like the blind leading the blind.

What do you mean by that?