Many people believe that if you are put on probation, your troubles will be behind you. Nothing could be further from the truth. As it is, you are now entirely at the mercy of a probation officer, and you must be extremely careful to establish a positive connection with the one assigned to you. You should do this while also fulfilling all of your probationary requirements.
What to Do on Probation
Apart from the obvious, you should avoid being arrested for a probation violation while on probation. There are numerous traps to avoid if you want to effectively complete your probation. Any sign of non-compliance can prompt your probation officer to withdraw your probationary status. While everyone’s probation conditions are different, you’ll undoubtedly need to make certain lifestyle modifications to prevent breaking your probation and ending up in jail.
Here’s a list of what you can do to avoid violating your probation.
1. Complete the Terms of Your Probation
This means that you should honor what the court ruled and fulfill any and every probation requirement to the letter. If you were ordered to complete a hundred hours of community service, don’t slack and only do ten. Psych yourself up and finish the remaining ninety. It could be the thin line between you and your freedom. And you can’t put a price on that.
2. Change Your Habits
Not every probation violation can be remedied. Because a positive probation urinalysis test cannot turn negative no matter what you do. In such a scenario, the only way to prove to the judge that you’re trying to change your behavior is to get clean.
If you were arrested for drugs, go to therapy and get to two NA meetings each week! Take drug tests voluntarily and ensure the tests come out clean. Do whatever it takes to show the judge that while you messed up, you are striving to improve.
3. Positively Contribute to the Community
The judge’s decision on whether to incarcerate you is the final outcome of any probation violation hearing. The math behind that conclusion is straightforward: Is the community better off with you in prison? Or would it be better if you stayed in the community?
You would be in trouble if your most significant contribution to the community at the time of your probation breach was playing video games while lounging on your mother’s couch. However, if you spend your time working, caring for your children, and contributing to your community, you could have a chance!
4. Don’t Hang Out with Criminals
There’s a saying that goes, “If you’re with the crowd, you’re the crowd.” While your probation violation case is pending, if your name keeps popping up as an acquaintance of other offenders, the prosecution and probation officer will almost certainly lump you in with that gang. This isn’t ideal.
Instead, place yourself in a situation where your lawyer can go to court and demonstrate to the judge, prosecutor, and probation officer that you are not one of those people, and that you’re making an effort. You’re not like the rest of the folks that get brought in with violations. Above everything, you deserve to remain on probation and out of prison.
5. Seek Out Quality Mentors
When an upstanding community member comes into court to vouch for you, your chances of not going to jail drastically improve. A pastor, a sole proprietor, or a non-profit organization’s leader would make your case well. The key is to surround yourself with such quality mentors and impress them by working hard.
Demonstrate to them that you deserve to remain in the community. They will assist you in proving it to the judge by testifying on your behalf in court.
Do Right by Yourself
Those on probation who have had their probation revoked should not be alarmed. You still have an opportunity to improve your situation as long as you are not in custody. Follow the five tips in this article to stay out of prison.
