Many people don’t make it through probation successfully for several reason. Being on probation can be too demanding and many people aren’t aware of what the consequences are if probation is violated. According to Dalton, those people who are innocent are more likely plea guilty when probation is offered. (Lec, 3/25/16) Innocent people are less likely to be fully informed about how probation works, which results in them violating it. Furthermore, probation can be expensive. For those who do choose to plea guilty and get probation, it can be very difficult to get a job because of their criminal record. It can be extremely hard to pay the fees that come along with probation, like weekly drug test, probation officers and etc. If they are employed, it is difficult for them to meet with their probation officer for their mandatory meetings that are often held at conflicting times. So, they end up violating probation by not meeting with their probation officers. In Courtroom 302 it states that when, “…you’re broke, unemployed, and a convicted felon, he says, is to work at a drug spot. The spot always needs help, and they don’t do criminal background checks.” (Bogira, 109). Instead of getting Bates treatment for his cocaine addiction or going to jail they offered him probation, but since he can’t get a job because of his record he ends up working at a drug spot. One way to improve this type of community supervision would be by not running employees’ background checks to “ensure... [that convicts don’t] put their ‘“worst foot forward”’ when applying for jobs.” (ICJ, 364).
