Wrong, Nak.

They don't care if these RSOs live normal lives. Oh yeah, they will spit out the rhetoric to make themselves sound as if they have some humanity, but they really could not care less.

But they DO want the RSOs to do well enough financially speaking that they can continue to be used as a cash cow to the system by paying for all these treatments, tests, and probation fees. Completely destroying the RSO would prevent that. So they give them a few crumbs off the table every once in a while, sort of like dangling the carrot in front of the horse, to keep them just viable enough to play the game.

After all, what is the first thing they ask if someone wants to get off probation early? "Are your fines and fees paid up and in full?" That tells you everything you need to hear.

Probation and many areas of corrections are just a money making scheme perpetrated by our government.

rewdiazepam

Rew, "Are your fines and fees paid up and in full?" ... what does that mean exactly?

I never had any fees or fines to pay. I refused all plea bargains because I was not guilty, so even though I received 20 years, I discharged all my time while in prison. I never had any probation fees or fines as I never was on probation or parole.

I do know that the first questions the PO will ask a probationer if said probationer asks to get off probation early is, "Are all your probation fines and fees paid up in full?" They will not even consider any such request if someone is behind on their fees.

On another note and I am sure Nak will not like to hear this---and I know she will read this, as I hope she somewhat understands this---but here is the reality of the situation: Most of her son's problems stem from the fact that he willingly signed a plea bargain admitting his guilt. I don't know the actual wording of the plea bargain, but the government takes any acceptance of a plea bargain as an admission of guilt.

If he was convinced that he did nothing wrong, he should have gone to trial, testified on his behalf and let the jury sort it out. That's what I did and they were threatening me with a life sentence if I went to trial.

Now Nak, I believe you when you said your son's download was an accident. I know how these P2P programs work and it is possible. But all the government has to go by is the guilty plea that your son signed.

It is disingenuous to now say he did nothing wrong when he signed a guilty plea indicating he was guilty.
I know, I know, he admitted that the CP was on his hard drive, but he did not purposely download it. I see your point, but your son could have made all this a moot point if he had just stuck to his guns and refused to plea.

But he did plea and now you can see the consequences. A guilty plea takes away a lot of options for a defendant.

When I was in prison, on two different occasions the case manager wanted me to take the sex offender treatment course. I refused. He retaliated by throwing me into solitary confinement for a long period of time. After I was out, I appealed the decision and it was upheld on appeal. They said that since I had not plead guilty and had always maintained my innocence, I was not even eligible for the treatment plan and they were wrong to even attempt to make me enroll in the sex offender treatment course.

His guilty plea is the biggest obstacle here.

If a person decides to sign a plea bargain and plead guilty, there are consequences they must be willing to accept. No, it does not make it right, but we are not dealing with "right" or "wrong" here.
We are dealing with reality.

rewdaizepam

I agree Rew. The PO said he didn't care what the judge or the psych evaluation, or forensics prove. The 'truth' was in my son's plea bargain.

He was only 21. The fear of loosing 25 years of his life were more than either of us care deal with. If it were me, at an older age and I had no family I would have gone to trial. but each circumstance is different. Most who have to defend themselves are young, like my son. The Feds know what they're doing. But my son is not as strong as me or you, Rew. I worried when he first went in, that he would take his own life because it was so unbearable.

The reality is my son might always be labeled and have to live under this for the rest of his life. But I'm a big optimist.. and I've overcome things that others thought weren't possible.

I'll keep fighting.

Nak, that is one of the most thoughtful responses I have ever received.

You are right about everything that goes on in the system. It just stinks to high heaven, but it is reality and we have to deal with it.

The government only cares about the guilty plea. How it came about or the circumstances around it does not matter to them. It is just a conviction.

I have no doubt that your son has no attraction toward children. And you are totally correct in that the government actually coerces people to sign plea agreements they don't really want to by threatening them with additional counts for more charges which will land them in prison for decades.

I understand why you son signed the plea deal. At 21, he was scared as any young man would be with the full force of the government against him. Yes, the potential 25 years if he went to trial is just too much to ask of a young man when he has his entire life ahead of him. He really did do the right thing by signing the plea.

I really do admire your tenacity and I hope it goes well for you and your son.

rewdiazepam

You don't live a normal life in AZ. Florida is probably better. My husband suffers from extreme depression and there are no groups to fight the laws. They are all afraid. I guess when he dies we will be free. I'm ready to move but probation has to approve which probably won't happen. He has a TBI and PTSD from the war with pieces of shrapnel in his body. America in not free to anyone who fights for his country. He loves our country but I don't anymore.

Rew. yes, they want your fines an fees paid off...but in our case we did get a refund...I was surprised.

As for going to court and fighting when you're not guilty...we tried that, got a hung jury and then he took a plea. 3mos. in county and 3 yrs. probation and 10 years on the registry sounded far better than the 20 years he could have gotten.
How were we to know they would change the rules after the fact and that he'd be on the registry for life? Our goal now is to maybe try and get his tier lowered by contesting it, at least as a first step. And keep from any kind of residency or access restrictions from being enacted.
The fact is, innocent people are pushed into plea agreements all the time. 20 years is just too long to lose with your family and loved ones esp. when we're not garenteed tomorrow

Faeryedark and others,

You are absolutely right that the government forces even an innocent defendant to plead guilty. Either they wear him down or he runs out of money fighting the case.

I never judge anyone who is innocent, yet decides to plea. The prosecutors have placed the stakes too high if the defendant loses, and going to jury trial is just a crap shoot. In the end, it is just him and his PD all alone fighting the entire power of the government-----and that is not even a contest.

I have been in the system for many years and I understand all the variables here. And yes, many innocent men have been forced to plead guilty to a crime they did not commit.

rewdiazepam

Gosh, Sadsong. TBI, PTSD and SO? Whatever happened to THANK YOU for your service?!

Blessings to you!

No one cares in AZ and the system is run by women who's goal is to put men back in Jail. I am depressed and ready to give up. At least some states have groups they can turn too. Pray for our brave men and women who have fought for our country. Maybe when we die there will be peace.

We don't have a group in PA that I can turn too. All I have is this group.

I took the lead and currently state POC for WAR in AZ but can't find anyone else to help.