| Probation is designed to offer courts an alternative | | | | that they not consume any alcoholic beverages. |
| to punishing a person with jail time. It can also be | | | | Other conditions can include curfews that place set |
| utilized as a part of a person's parole conditions. The | | | | times on when the person must be home, required |
| intent is to free the individual from the physical | | | | work hours, restrictions on where the person lives, |
| containment of prison while still keeping their lives | | | | limits on who the person socializes or comes into |
| under tight restriction and monitoring. The threat is | | | | contact with, and paying fines or fees. |
| that if the conditions of the probation are broken, | | | | In almost all cases, probation conditions include |
| the person can easily find themselves back in jail (or | | | | frequent meetings with a probation officer. This |
| in jail for the first time, depending on the situation). | | | | officer is responsible for determining whether or not |
| Sometimes, people look at probation as an easy way | | | | the person is satisfying the requirements of their |
| to avoid prison. This is partially because prosecuting | | | | probationary sentence. The probation officer has a |
| attorneys will sometimes present it as a "best case | | | | huge amount of control and influence over the life of |
| scenario" as part of a plea bargain or sentencing | | | | the individual required to meet with them. In many |
| hearing. In reality, there is nothing easy about living | | | | cases, they can change the conditions of their |
| under the strict conditions of a probationary | | | | probation with very little or no warning. A probation |
| sentence. It can make life extremely stressful not | | | | officer can search your residence at will, and report |
| only for the person on probation, but also for their | | | | violations to the judge, resulting in revocation. |
| loved ones, friends, employers, and roommates. | | | | Clearly, probation is not as pleasant as many |
| The conditions of a person's probation are set by the | | | | prosecuting attorneys make it out to be. If you are |
| court. If applicable, they tend to be relevant to the | | | | being put on probation, it is very important to have |
| crime for which the individual is being sentenced. For | | | | good legal representation to help negotiate the terms |
| example, if a person is charged with a crime relating | | | | of your sentence. |
| to a DWI, their probation may include the condition | | | | |