Families of SOs Community Group
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Hey everybody,
I recently contacted a probation officer in Pennsylvania. My wife moved there when I went to prison for CM. I am trying to get up there so I can be with them.
In GA where I am, it is by default that you cannot have contact with minors including your own children. I have been working with my defense attorney to get this altered; and the DA has consented. I will hopefully have a signed document from the judge shortly.
So I called up to the Pittsburgh office to get some info on transferring and the PO up there painted a terribly grim picture. He told me that I'd be treated as a parolee. I'm not on parole. I served my full sentence in GA prison. And that they could therefore impose any rules they'd like. The order from the judge in GA allowing me contact w/ my kid wouldn't apply as a GA judge has no jurisdiction in PA.
I work as a computer programmer for a company in New York. Does anybody think they'll restrict my computer use in PA. I'm unrestricted in GA. Obviously the threat of it being scanned by a computer forensics guy is always a looming threat. But I don't have monitoring software, etc. But if I cannot use a computer in PA, it really would limit my work possibilities and potentially me moving to PA.
Or....is the PO in PA just blowing smoke and trying to scare me.
Also, PA, as someone pointed out in a recent post, doesn't have living restrictions like a 1000' rule. Will they apply the PA rules or the GA rules if I transfer up there.
Thanks everyone!
Andy
I recently contacted a probation officer in Pennsylvania. My wife moved there when I went to prison for CM. I am trying to get up there so I can be with them.
In GA where I am, it is by default that you cannot have contact with minors including your own children. I have been working with my defense attorney to get this altered; and the DA has consented. I will hopefully have a signed document from the judge shortly.
So I called up to the Pittsburgh office to get some info on transferring and the PO up there painted a terribly grim picture. He told me that I'd be treated as a parolee. I'm not on parole. I served my full sentence in GA prison. And that they could therefore impose any rules they'd like. The order from the judge in GA allowing me contact w/ my kid wouldn't apply as a GA judge has no jurisdiction in PA.
I work as a computer programmer for a company in New York. Does anybody think they'll restrict my computer use in PA. I'm unrestricted in GA. Obviously the threat of it being scanned by a computer forensics guy is always a looming threat. But I don't have monitoring software, etc. But if I cannot use a computer in PA, it really would limit my work possibilities and potentially me moving to PA.
Or....is the PO in PA just blowing smoke and trying to scare me.
Also, PA, as someone pointed out in a recent post, doesn't have living restrictions like a 1000' rule. Will they apply the PA rules or the GA rules if I transfer up there.
Thanks everyone!
Andy
I would suggest contacting a lawyer in Pittsburgh. Once you move here, PA takes over and they have the final decision on some issues,unless they're stated by the judge in your release papers.
You say a key phrase - 'unless they're stated by the judge'. So you're saying that if I get the word from the judge that I can see my kid, then transfer to PA, that PA will follow that. That's exactly the opposite of what the PO told me in Pitt.
I've written a lawyer up there, and hopefully will get a response.
I like the no 1000' restrictions up there and all that. But butthead up there really has put the fear in me, to the point that I might just rather stay down here and Skype my kid and wife.
I don't know much about the Pennsylvania probation system, but there are several member here from that area that can help you. I was never even on probation or any kind of paper time.
But having to Skype your wife and child is no way to live. Life is too short for that. I don't think Pennsylvania is that bad, but as I said I don't know.
Find a way to get back with your family.
rewdiazepam
I'm sure my PO would make a courtesy call or write a letter to the new PO to introduce me as a non-problem entity.
At my son's sentencing the judge made some decisions for his release . Some the PO here doesn't like but can't do anything about it unless the Probation Office decides to try to bring it in front of a judge. Unless you already have those in place at sentencing I don't know if you can do anything about it afterwards. I would assume, if you take it before the judge in GA you might get it in writing. My son is federal so there might be a difference there as well, if you're state.
I don't know if that helps, but there are no easy answers and no one really knows how to deal with any of these laws. Get everything in writing, if you can. I emailed the PD in Floriduh before my son's release to make sure he wouldn't have to register there before leaving for PA and they emailed me back.. so I have it in writing. That's important.
I still have to sign the paperwork to let my wife update his passport. So I haven't lost my parental rights. So to make an extreme case, my wife could be in a fatal car crash and my son need consent to have surgery. I could give the consent, but not visit him? Does that make any sense?
Now that I think about it, I had a conversation w/ my PO about the living restrictions. There are two separate jurisdictions. And if I'm not mistaken, he really confused me in this, the living restrictions in GA WOULD NOT follow me out of state, but the seeing my kid would. But then if I get the judge to say I can have unrestricted access to my son, wouldn't that follow????? This is really an impossible subject. The mental gymnastics are really challenging.
After you move to PA, and the case gets sent to the courts here you could petition the court to see you're son, I'm assuming.. because we would petition the court here to deal with cutting back my son's probation.
Is your case federal? I don't know about state cases, might be different.
Well that explains why you're contacting the PO office rather than another attorney. You might want to contact an attorney there in PA to see what they know about the supervision rules and customs of their agents. Maybe there is some way to some how get an exemption... But they are correct, by moving your supervision to another state you would be subject to their rules and BS...
I hope this helps
have anymore questions, PM me