[briggslady]

My friend has no drivers license and is attempting to fulfill his probation requirements by meeting with his Probation Officer every Wednesday morning. This is 22 miles away and I drive him there each week. He received a second violation for Malicious Phone Use when he threatened his ex-girlfriends new boyfriend about putting his hands on his two year old daughter. He was sentenced for that this past Monday and the new Probation Officer for that case is requiring him to meet with her each Thursday morning in addition to submitting breathilizer tests three times a week. Those tests take place 7 miles from his home. Twice a week he is to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings that are 14 miles away because apparently the alcohol card came into play due to them going back to a prior charge from many, many years ago. On top of all of that he is to attend a meeting about Aggressive Behavior that is almost 30 miles away.

He said "There is no way I can get transportation to make half of these appointments." The only thing I could think of for him to do is arrive at the court house Wednesday morning to meet with the one probation officer and literally camp out over night so he can be present for the one the following day. Furthermore while he was serving twenty days as part of his plea in one county he missed a court appointment that was scheduled in another county. When he was released he got arrested for not making the appointment and was given a $2000 bond. How can the court system possibly expect him to be in court while he's incarcerated?

[briggslady]

Oh I forgot the most important part about the Monday sentencing... he now gets to report to the jail each Friday at 8 pm to remain incarcerated over the weekends for the next 15 months. So in addition to the 22 mile drive to the court house on Wednesday and Thursday he will also need to arrange for a ride there on Friday and again on Sunday if he wants a ride home. How is it possibly feasible to think somebody without a license could accomplish this? On top of that of course he is to secure employment... somehow... someway. When would they like him to put in work hours? He has no identification now due to somebody cleaning out his home while he was serving time the first go-round and has nothing but a few articles of clothing while he sleeps in a chair at his mothers house. Michigan winters can be brutal and walking 14 miles 3 times a week to blow, 88 miles 2 times a week to probation and whatever it would take to get to AA and the aggression class Oh My Goodness!

[Biggie]

Maybe don't break the law?

[mountain_man]

My friend has no drivers license and is attempting to fulfill his probation requirements by meeting with his Probation Officer every Wednesday morning. This is 22 miles away and I drive him there each week. He received a second violation for Malicious Phone Use when he threatened his ex-girlfriends new boyfriend about putting his hands on his two year old daughter. He was sentenced for that this past Monday and the new Probation Officer for that case is requiring him to meet with her each Thursday morning in addition to submitting breathilizer tests three times a week. Those tests take place 7 miles from his home. Twice a week he is to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings that are 14 miles away because apparently the alcohol card came into play due to them going back to a prior charge from many, many years ago. On top of all of that he is to attend a meeting about Aggressive Behavior that is almost 30 miles away.

He said "There is no way I can get transportation to make half of these appointments." The only thing I could think of for him to do is arrive at the court house Wednesday morning to meet with the one probation officer and literally camp out over night so he can be present for the one the following day. Furthermore while he was serving twenty days as part of his plea in one county he missed a court appointment that was scheduled in another county. When he was released he got arrested for not making the appointment and was given a $2000 bond. How can the court system possibly expect him to be in court while he's incarcerated?

As a P.O. I can safely say CRIME DOES NOT PAY! Your friend better get his act together or it will only get worse.

Back to the resolution. He should petition to only have one P.O. and look into submitting BA's and attending Alcohol classes at the same location closer to where he lives. Is there no public transportation? He has multiple cases in different jurisdictions! He sounds like a menace and should be inconvienced if he is serious about becoming a productive member of society.

[briggslady]

Sadly yes while riding in a vehicle with somebody in a different county he got arrested for Larceny from a Motor Vehicle. One of those situations where the driver was the guilty one but he was unaware of what had taken place so he had nothing to add when questioned. The current situation regarding the ex's new boyfriend laying a hand on his daughter took place in the city where he resides. Public transportation runs about 8 miles from him. I have lived in this city for 28 years myself and rarely if ever see cabs around here. With no income he cannot afford the fair for that anyway. We stumbled across one another online because we share a acquaintances from the same neighborhood but one day he noted that later in the afternoon he was going to have to turn himself in because he had not been able to get to his PO appointment the week before. Being more or less a complete stranger to him I offered to take time off work to drive him that day. I again drove him the following week where he was indeed arrested for missing the prior appointment he told me about (the one he was turning himself in for.) For three months now I have continued to do this but as I'm watching it unfold it seems no matter how hard he's trying to make amends for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and for having a bitter ex-girlfriend, they're putting up barriers all the way around just keep him behind bars.

[Fr_Chuck]

He can just go to his PO and say, I can't do this, just send me to jail. Since that is basically his choice, he either has to do what his probation requires or he will be violated and sent to jail. Don't mean to sound hard, but he has no choice, he has to do his probation requirements or get violated.

[mountain_man]

Sadly yes while riding in a vehicle with somebody in a different county he got arrested for Larceny from a Motor Vehicle. One of those situations where the driver was the guilty one but he was unaware of what had taken place so he had nothing to add when questioned. The current situation regarding the ex's new boyfriend laying a hand on his daughter took place in the city where he resides. Public transportation runs about 8 miles from him. I have lived in this city for 28 years myself and rarely if ever see cabs around here. With no income he cannot afford the fair for that anyway. We stumbled across one another online because we share a acquaintences from the same neighborhood but one day he noted that later in the afternoon he was going to have to turn himself in because he had not been able to get to his PO appointment the week before. Being more or less a complete stranger to him I offered to take time off work to drive him that day. I again drove him the following week where he was indeed arrested for missing the prior appointment he told me about (the one he was turning himself in for.) For three months now I have continued to do this but as I'm watching it unfold it seems no matter how hard he's trying to make amends for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and for having a bitter ex-girlfriend, they're putting up barriers all the way around just keep him behind bars.

As a stranger to this man I would be very cautious about this man as it seems he hasn't taken accountability for anything he has done and now has gotten you to believe it. Most systems do not force extensive regs on someone unless they have good cause and right now you only have one side of the story. He has to be motivated to meet the requirements and give 100% or he won't be cut any breaks. You have drove him for three months and he is yet to have a job and still is staying with his mom? Is that right?

[briggslady]

Thank you for your concern about my safety. I attempted to explain how I came to be a friend of this man through various other folks and although I didn't know him personally I was familiar with who he was. I concluded that he was a decent individual with a darling daughter, who had gotten into trouble when he was 22 for drinking. He's 28 now and since being released from serving the time for the larceny charge yes he has been unable to secure employment because he simply cannot get anywhere because of the lack of transportation. He resided in a trailer a bit closer to town when we first met but when he was unable to make his payment while serving his time in jail he was forced to move out. With absolutely nothing to his name he returned to his mothers home.

During the weekly PO checks I have actually sat right there while the interview takes place and I've also attended each of the court hearings he's had to appear at and I've had the opportunity to review each document he's been given.

Anybody I know who has been on probation all say "The courts just don't care how you do it - have your friends or family drive you there." For a majority of people who might find themselves in a situation like this, chances are the family support system isn't a strong one to start with and you can only tap into the friend pool for so long. I determined that not everybody should continually be kicked while they were down and I feel by losing his home, his possessions, his Identification, pretty much all contact with his daughter and having to resort to living with his mother while repeatedly being told he's not putting forth effort and is viewed a "menace" is about as down as one can get. All I've been asking is how he's expected to take accountability when he is unable to get there.

[briggslady]

Not to mention that I am fascinated with people and the legal system and spent many hours over these months conversing with him either online or during our travels to and from his appointments. I've drilled every tidbit of information I can from him and then cross referenced each of his answers during shared breakfasts or lunches. I don't view the kindness I've shown as a blind act of foolishness; nor do I feel he has ever taken advantage of that kindness. If anything he hates having to rely on me yet in the same breath says "Oh my goodness thank you so much."

There have been times when I wonder how the probation officer couldn't feel compelled to pat me on the back for my efforts. Sigh.

[Fr_Chuck]

Because the PO does not care, your friend is just another case of one too many cases they already have to deal with, And if he has already violated one provision, he is thought of as one that is only going to cause more problems. The PO is there to cross the "t" and dot the "i" on the paperwork and to send him back to jail if the paperwork is not dotted or crossed.

They hear so many lies, and so many sob stories they don't beleve most and normally don't see it as their problem on the others. If you are going and setting in on meetings, most likely they see you more of a bother than a help