How to Complete Probation ation by Matthew Slack, Esq. www.solerslacklaw.

com

Five Stumbling Blocks to Successfully Completing Your Prob

So you have been sentenced to probation. I know, it seems like the end of the w orld, but I assure you it is not. Whether this is your first time with probatio n or you think you are a pro by now, this guide is intended to warn you of some stumbling blocks or causes of violations of probations. For newcomers to probat ion, keep these in mind and work around them. For the pros, I am sure you will recognize some of these causes to having trouble with probation and there are so me tips here to help you not make the same mistake again. 1. Lack of time By definition and function, probation takes time. Many probationary sentences r equire an immense amount of dedicated time to complete. Activities such as comm unity service work, rehabilitation programs, or classes take hours upon hours to complete. Most people are still trying to hold down jobs, care for families, a nd have some time left for things they need to do. A good way to get around thi s is to create a budget with your time. Yes, this is very similar to budgeting your income. You know what you are going to have to do to successfully to compl ete probation and you know how long you have to do it. Make small goals along t he way to accomplish and turn into your probation officer. Use a calendar to la y out a workable plan to complete these smaller goals. If you are able to meet these smaller goals along the way, you will successfully complete probation and not be in danger of becoming incarcerated. And always remember, you cannot do i t all at once and it is likely even if you do, you will still have to be on prob ation! 2. Lack of money Probation always comes with lots of fees that are not always anticipated. First , there are court costs that will have to be paid. Court costs are levied by th e court in order to keep their lights on and pay their staff. This will be due over the period of probation. Your local probation office will also likely char ge you some kind of monthly fee for their supervision of you. Many probation of fices have a sliding scale for these fees which is based on your income. There are also possible fees for drug testing, alcohol testing, classes, or rehabilita tion services. Many charges, such as DUI or drug trafficking, include a mandato ry fee which must be paid. The best thing to do is discuss in detail with your attorney and/or probation officer all the fees that will be due over the course of probation, and do a budget for them. A probation officer will often work wit h you if you cannot afford something but at least show the effort to try to comp ly with the financial aspect of probation. A judge may also put you on a paymen t plan for some of the fines and fees depending on your jurisdiction. A probati on officer may attempt to violate your probation because of failure to pay, but the State must show that it was not only substantial but also willful in other words , if you simply cannot pay it, the State cannot prove it. 3. Drug addicition First, drug addiction is a very real and very detrimental disease. A drug addic tion can lead to a violation of probation if there is random urinalysis ordered or you are ordered to attend some rehabilitation program. If you continue to in gest illegal narcotics while on probation and you are asked to give a urine samp le, then you are likely in danger of testing positive and this alone can be a vi olation of probation. Many probation offices will forgive the first positive te st if it comes shortly after you put on probation. This is in no way a guarante e they will however. If you are lawfully prescribed any medication, make sure y ou let your probation officer know! Also, the continued use of narcotics may al so get you ejected from a rehabilitation facility you may have been ordered to g o to. If a term of your probation is to successfully complete XYZ rehabilitatio n program, then being ejected from that program may also cause your probation to be violated. The best thing you can do is use this opportunity to get help for

yourself and get over any addiction you may have. Do not look at it as the cou rts and probation ruining your fun; drug testing and rehabilitation programs are part of a sentence for the sole purpose of helping YOU, so take advantage of it ! 4. Instability in life This is an important, but often over looked part of success with probation. Thi s topic covers a lot of aspects. One is a permanent residence. Probation will ask you for your primary residence and may violate you for not remaining at that residence or moving from it without notifying them. However, the most importan t stability that will help you is a support system. This is often times family. A lot of probation failure stems from an instability in family life, whether i t is with children, spouse, or parents. Having a stable family life will foster an atmosphere of success and support. Even if your family life is turbulent, y ou may find support and stability in friends, co-workers, or specific support gr oups. Be careful with friends however, while you may have grown up with these i ndividuals, friends can often be the cause of instability in your life, so evalu ate who are your true friends and want you to succeed and those who do not have your best interests in mind. Whatever your support and stabilizer may be, make sure you find them, because you will feel stronger and more capable than you eve r believe you could be and this will give you the ability to complete anything p robation can throw at you. 5. Lack of dedication While the first four are, for the most part, out of your control, a lack of dedi cation is entirely on you. This is the stumbling block where you and you alone take responsibility. A lack of dedication is simply not caring about your proba tion. You think that going out and drinking or partying with your friends is mo re important than doing your community service or worrying if you are going to t est positive for narcotics at your next random testing. Understandably, the pre ssure can be immense when all your other friends are going out, living their liv es, and doing whatever they want. But always keep this in mind it is always YOUR ch oice on what YOU do and it is YOUR freedom on the line, not your friends. So ma ke sure that you remind yourself of this throughout probation and stay dedicated to successful completion. You must also keep yourself motivated to do what is asked of you. This can be the most difficult. You may think it is too much or you will never be able to complete it. As stated in stumbling block 1, budget y our time, make small, achievable goals along the way, and you will be done befor e you know it. Challenge yourself and try to keep a positive attitude about the situation because this too will pass. At this point in my other guides I would do a summation or a closing thought. F or this one, I have one thing to say you can do anything you put your mind to and go od luck. Matthew Slack is an attorney and co-founder of Soler and Slack, P.A. Soler and Slack, P.A. is a Sarasota, Florida law firm practicing in the areas of criminal defense, family law, and personal injury. For more information or to schedule a consultation, do not hesitate to call (941)444-5128 or e-mail Matt at slack@sol erslacklaw.com. Please visit www.solerslacklaw.com for even more helpful inform ation.