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travel plans squashed

droidmcse
droidmcse
I live in Houston County, GA.
A new probation office took over for my area on 10/1/2015. My previous PO had already approved my travel plans to see my wife and son in Pittsburgh over Thanksgiving. The new PO has honored this since the previous one already approved it.
I was asking probation today trying to confirm permission to travel to NY to work for a few days and the annual Christmas diner, along w/ traveling to Pittsburgh for Christmas.
Here are some excerpts of the exchange:
Me: The dates to see my family in Pitt for Christmas is 12/23 - 12/30
Them: Mrs D says that you will need to choose between Christmas or thanksgiving
Me: i guess thanksgiving since I've already paid. Thank you
Me: The Christmas dinner in NY is on 12/11. Could I go up there on 12/9 to work for 3 days, and return 12/12?
Them: Look you really need to make up your mind you seem as if you are trying to do something wrong. This Beginning to look a little suspicious
Me: Suspicious in what respect? This is exactly what I did last year. I visited my family for Thanksgiving & Christmas and went to NY for the annual xmas dinner in between.
Them: OK well I didn't approve all that. I know that D says to choose so... Thanksgiving

My thought is how is it suspicious that it's the holidays and I am interested in seeing my family, whom I'm 750 miles away from because it's friggin hard to get an interstate compact
And that my employer is having an xmas dinner and have invited me to go, expenses paid. What is suspicious about this?
october2014
october2014
Perhaps they're not accustomed to having clients whose families and employers actually like them and want to spend time with them. It's too bad that you have a P.O. who wants you to choose just one. He or she should be glad that you have such a good support network.
droidmcse
droidmcse
Forgive me for this, you used the term "clients" like they're professionals.
Here is a quote from the mission statement for probation:
"and at providing effective opportunities for offenders to achieve positive change"
The positive change is for me to do things irrational that would ultimately hurt me. I pay my fines, I'm home for curfew, I'm going to treatment and paying that extortion fee.
I'm FURIOUS!!!!
Independent2014
Independent2014
Yep, I never liked the term client either, it always irked me. I think October is on to something though, most offenders do not have the support network that you do. Instead of trying to encourage that and help you one on with your life your PO is being an idiot.
catspaw1954
catspaw1954
OMG do you and my husband have the same PO? :) Seriously the same thing happened to my husband. We went to see my daughter in March and then to see my family in July and ended up at a sister-in-laws funeral in August. His PO said "we aren't going to be letting you travel so much in the future." Same money extortion going on over here as well. It really sucks. I keep telling myself "this too shall pass". Just not fast enough.
inthestepsofjesus
inthestepsofjesus
Sometimes it does make you think they hate for us to succeed. I sometimes wonder if they just pray we don't screw up so that they don't have any paperwork to do. The flip-side is that they want us to succeed because if they get too many parolees messin' up they get yelled at.

I dunno.. maybe I am barking up the wrong tree...lol.
Advocate2
Advocate2
You know as far as I know (at least in FL) you have the right to ask the PO to ask a judge - true it will make them mad but if there are no absolute rules in your state laws about RSO probation that prohibit travel like this then you have the right to ask for permission from a judge. Steps would be to check the state laws regarding RSO probation - if you find info about travel see what it says (in other words if it says something like the person needs to choose between 2 trips - etc.) then armed with that knowledge get letters from family and the boss telling about the trips. Then approach the PO with the letters (keep the originals!) and tell them that you know there is no law that says you must choose and that at the holidays you do not feel like you should or want to choose - tell them you are going to ask for a hearing with the judge in your case (or get a lawyer to do it) they do not need to know that you really do not want to do that but the thought of you doing it may make them relent. But they will be ticked off! They hate nothing more than an informed RSO!
buildingupslow
buildingupslow
What Advocate2 said is so true, that really hate a informed rso.


By the way Advocate2 how is your son doing?

Regards

buildingupslow
Advocate2
Advocate2
Thanks for asking - he is really doing great! He got a new job at a storage facility and his boss adores him - after the holidays he will be made manger of that location and will live in an apartment right there on property (free!!!!) - I have to admit that my moms heart worried that something will go wrong but I have to let that go as much as I can ....