Importance of the Practice of Probation - Essay Example

The word probation means testing of behavior, for the person who is charged to demonstrate his or her willingness to reform and not become a recidivist. Probation helps both the said person and society as well; it is suited for first-time offenders or those who have no prior records.

Assuming a cocaine drug offender is assigned to me, this is the proposed schedule that I will recommend to be followed, as a suggestion to the judge and the concerned parties. For the required 20 hours of community service, I will recommend that said service be rendered for four weeks (1 hour per day for five days per week, so 5 hours per week x 4 weeks = 20 hours of service) which is not heavy on the offender to perform. For the $500 in court costs, attorney's fees, and all other related expenses, I suggest the amount be paid at $100 per week, for a total of five weeks.

For the ten-week drug rehabilitation program, this should be rendered first; meaning it is scheduled ahead of the community service and the payment of the $500 fine as mentioned above, because the drug offender must be fit and well first (already rehabilitated) before rendition of the community service, so as not to endanger other citizens and prevent the offender from becoming a drug addict again. Drug rehabilitation is the priority and should be given precedence.

Along this line, I recommend the drug addict be enrolled at the Argus IV Community Men's Residential Program. It is located at 760 East 160th Street, Bronx, New York. It has a safe and nurturing environment and provides innovative programs, with an emphasis on the acquisition of practical skills, changing bad behaviors, and transforming life attitudes through self-help, mutual support, and instilling a sense of personal responsibility. It has 38 years of experience already. It relies on public funds and private donations for its program (www.arguscommunity.org, 2013, p. 1). A good alternative would be the Albert Einstein College of Medicine drug rehabilitation program, with individual counseling and also provides treatment for related ailments like asthma, diabetes, and hypertension. It is located at Melrose-on-Track at 260 East 161st Street, Bronx.

For community service, it is highly recommended to render it at the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS) located in the East Tremont Section of the Bronx. This center provides emergency services for low-income people, previously homeless individuals or families, and those without electricity or running water (www.cucs.org, 2013, p. 1) and it is located at 198 E. 121st Street, New York, NY. It has training programs and provides job placement services. It is a neighborhood center and specific duties include helping the sick and the elderly.

Probationer will be strongly advised that failure to comply with the terms of his or her probationary service constitutes one of the three grounds for revocation of privileges; the other two being, taken into police custody for committing another delinquent crime and attempting to escape from the jurisdiction of the supervising court (Martin, 2005, p. 270). In this instance, failure will re-impose the original sentence (with jail time if included); other consequences are the loss of the right to file an appeal later on or to ask for leniency (McConville & Mirsky, 2005, p. 8). Read More