Superior
Court 4 Probation
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I know the probation rules say I cannot
drink alcohol while on probation, but I
enjoy a beer or glass of wine with dinner.
Is that OK?
A. Once you drink, you make
a lot of assumptions. You think one won't
hurt, no one will know, I am just drinking
at home anyway. Well, the fact is, once
you start to drink, your judgment is affected
and anything you do after drinking will
be held against you. A probation officer,
a police officer, court staff, etc. might
see you at dinner with an alcoholic beverage
and you will be reported. Also, if you think
you will be staying in for the night, what
happens if someone in your family is facing
an emergency and you "have to"
leave and take care of it?
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Q. I have been smoking weed since I was
eleven and haven't had any problems; besides,
there are ways to beat those tests.
A. True, there are ways to
beat some tests, but the probation departments
in LaPorte County use urinalysis (observed),
oral fluid tests (no proven method to beat
this test) and hair analysis (another test
that cannot be beaten).
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Q. My sister had back problems and was given
a prescription for pain medication. I hurt
my knee playing basketball; can I just take
one of her pills?
A. If you take a drug test
and the results indicate you used a prescription
medication, you must show proof that you
have received that prescription. Using other
people's prescription would be construed
a violation of your probation.
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Q. My uncle in Wisconsin called me and said
he can get me in a job with great benefits
if I come up right away. It is Friday evening;
can I just go and call my PO on Monday?
A. No. The new rules for interstate
compact will not allow you to leave. You
have to apply for transfer before you leave
the State of Indiana .
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Q. I have been offered a job in Michigan
. I had to turn them down because the rules
say I can't leave Indiana without permission
of the court. Did I do the right thing?
A. No, the rules say you cannot
leave the state of Indiana , except for
work related travel. Going to another state
for part or all of your work is acceptable
under the rules. You must, however, let
your probation officer know that you are
working out of state.
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Q. I found out I can get tickets for a game
in Chicago in a month. Can I go?
A. Other than work-related
travel, you can only leave the state of
Indiana if you receive permission from the
Judge. To do this, you must contact an attorney
who will file the proper paperwork with
the court.
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Q. I am going to move to another apartment
tomorrow and I will be seeing my probation
officer in two weeks. Can I wait until my
appointment to give him/her my new address?
A. No. The rules tell you
that you have to tell your probation officer
your new address within one working day.
If you don't tell us you move, we send a
letter to your old address and it comes
back, we may file a revocation with a warrant
because we do not know your whereabouts.
Besides, sometimes a conflict will come
up and we have to change your appointment.
If you don't get the letter, you will potentially
have to take time off work, arrange for
transportation, arrange for child care,
etc. and not be able to see your probation
officer.
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Q. I am really depressed and don't know
what to do. I can't talk to my probation
officer because probation officers aren't
counselors, are they?
A. Probation officers are
typically not trained in counseling. However,
probation officers know agencies in the
community that can help you with counseling
and get you into that agency quickly. Don't
hold back on asking your probation officer
for help. Your probation officer is there
to help you stay out of trouble and if that
means helping work out a problem with you,
he/she will do that.
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Q. I was ordered to go to alcohol classes.
I met with the alcohol program and they
want me to come once a week for classes.
I have a really busy schedule in the evenings,
so is it OK if I miss a few of the classes?
A. If you have an emergency
come up, you must clear it with your counselor.
Sometimes missing a class is alright and
you can make it up later. However, if the
make-up class is later than your probation
release date, your probation officer may
file a probation violation against you for
not completing the program during your probation
period.
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Q. A buddy told me that all probation officers
are jerks and to not do certain things.
A. DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT OTHER
PEOPLE TELL YOU ABOUT PROBATION, unless
it is your probation officer. Many people
get into a lot of trouble because they made
certain assumptions. Talk to your probation
officer first.
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Q. Can I get off of probation early?
A. No, unless the plea agreement
you signed allows for you to be released from
probation when you have completed all special
conditions, our general policy is not to release
early. However, sometimes if all conditions
have been completed and all fees are paid,
a person could be placed on administrative
supervision, requiring them to mail a reporting
form to our office monthly.
