Deleted User 298457
Deleted User 298457
Name them
Has anyone been on probation before?
- Thread starter NVP
- Start date
homeless people for one and people who need to collect a debt inside
Deleted User 298457
Deleted User 298457
Touché
If your complaint is that your Offender Manager is asking too many personal questions, then I think you might misunderstand the situation.Thanks, but I can't see it doing any real harm yet potentially may get me assigned to someone else or at least explain the reasoning behind it. Not really in my personality to just roll over for something I feel strongly against. Fingers crossed, hey
You've been convicted of a crime and are now serving your punishment. You're not supposed to like it. Determining if you're a risk by looking into your private life IS their business.
Complaining to the Chief Officer about it is utterly ridiculous. The Chief has other things to be concerned about and your letter will never see their desk. If you must escalate, try the local Senior. But the senior would be more concerned if their officer hadn't asked these questions.
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Associate
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He battered someone for asking too many questions...
Nothing serious to add here but good luck to you OP, hope you survive the process and the many, many judgemental people who never, ever made any mistakes.
Thanks, but I can't see it doing any real harm yet potentially may get me assigned to someone else or at least explain the reasoning behind it. Not really in my personality to just roll over for something I feel strongly against. Fingers crossed, hey
Don't stab the guy. He's just doing his job.
Soldato
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I had a job interview with the local probation service in 2003, and it didn't strike me as being very professional in my experience.
My interview included a 45-minute word processing test where I had to replicate a hard copy printout back into the word processor, matching the fonts, formatting, typesetting etc. I found it pretty easy imo, but the examiner stopped the clock at 25 minutes and so I ran out of time. I pointed this out and they argued that they gave me 45 minutes. I know I was right because I looked at the time and I haven't been inside the probation premises for as long as 45 minutes yet. And yet they were adamant and it was obvious that they didn't want me. They had a candidate in mind already and the interviews was just a formality.
Also, their PCs ran on Windows 95! In 2003, they should have been running either 2000 or XP.
My interview included a 45-minute word processing test where I had to replicate a hard copy printout back into the word processor, matching the fonts, formatting, typesetting etc. I found it pretty easy imo, but the examiner stopped the clock at 25 minutes and so I ran out of time. I pointed this out and they argued that they gave me 45 minutes. I know I was right because I looked at the time and I haven't been inside the probation premises for as long as 45 minutes yet. And yet they were adamant and it was obvious that they didn't want me. They had a candidate in mind already and the interviews was just a formality.
Also, their PCs ran on Windows 95! In 2003, they should have been running either 2000 or XP.
Associate
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homeless people for one and people who need to collect a debt inside
Sad but true, unfortunately. There are some in this world that even get kicked out of homeless shelters.
It's a bit more than simply asking general questions or being inquisitive about my nature to determine reoffending risk, otherwise I wouldn't be so perplexed by it all. Can't harm in voicing my concerns, as I said it could simply end in an explanation for my appeasement. And thanks for your advise
homeless people for one and people who need to collect a debt inside
Or people who are having a debt collected from them.
And because there was usually no reason in the UK for most people to be carrying them around with them "just in case it gets a bit chilly" or a sudden unexpected ski trip.
I must admit the first time I went to go into the local bank with a mask on I felt very self conscious, but checked with the staff member at the door.
I was a bit confused at why they gave me a large bag when I asked to take some cash out, but I highly recommend Barclays customer service, they even let me jump to the front of the queue, I was in and out in under a minute!
Associate
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So I guess I'm the only person whose parents gave them a balaclava to wear in winter as a child.
If balaclavas and ski masks are so offensive, then maybe ban them?
I had a friend who was. I will tell you the story, since I like harping on about what I consider to be a misapplication of the law! Politicians and to some extent the public are fast to make new laws without thinking of the consequences. Anyway, middle aged English woman who is an alcoholic. She has serious mental problems and becomes verbally very aggressive when drunk. Fuelled by paranoia and a hatred for all humankind, she tends to attack anyone and anyone she has an argument with in any way her little brain things is going to hurt the target. She kicked off at a bus stop with an American girl who was being high and mighty. In a fit of abuse she said that she was glad that Osama had destroyed the towers. The American girl phoned the police and miss-Abuse was instantly arrested on terrorism charges, slapped in court, found guilty, because she was drunk in court, and put on probation. Intrusive wasn't the right word. The problem with probation is that it can intrude on the lives of the people around the person. The people who didn't do anything wrong. Miss Abuse had to turn up for various appointments, when she had no transport, and is pretty much incapable of getting a bus ( social fears ) and forcing her to do various social things that actually just made her worse and so massively stressed the people around her. In general I found the legal system had no real understanding of the mentally challenged and the problems they cause by inflicting punishments that are really inappropriate. The entire situation declined with her bouncing in and out of court, probation and prison for several years until she was eventually banned from living in her own house. For two years she lived on the streets and had to steal to live because she had no income. That led to more arrests, more prison. Finally the courts realised they were wasting their time trying to punish someone who was just plain crazy. They threw their hands up and just dropped everything. Since then everything has been quiet. There are huge numbers of mentally ill people in the UK that just go under the radar because they aren't ill enough to be institutionalised but they aren't well enough to live in the real world. Anyway, sorry for my rant.
I get you're being vague, but are you over exaggerating the extremely personal bit.
I.e. Asking whether you got any action last night, and how long it went on for would be quite personal. Asking who you went to the shop with, where you met them and how long you were with them might seem intrusive, but sounds perfectly adequate to be asking someone on probation those kind of questions.
Caporegime
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They were in his car rather than on his person whilst he was in the middle of a public place.
The letter of the law doesn't care but for example if I was out camping in the middle of the Highlands and needed a knife for various things. It would be illegal fo me to carry one with a blade longer than an inch or whatever it is or have certain type of locking mechanism, etc.
If I was stopped by the police in the Highlands I could be arrested and charged.
The same applies if I was in a nightclub.
To me personally I don't see an issue with scenarios like camping, etc.
However it then brings a massive grey area into it. Sure of you are caught with a knife in a pub, nightclub, busy high street then sure you should be locked up.
However there are many trades which require a knife, etc.
It's a minority that has ruined it all for the majority of legal users and owners. For example I had to go to my mates house to do DIY and I took a knife. Had I been stopped I could have been put in jail.
I once had to give evidence in court against a shop lifter who was carrying a screwdriver. He said it was for his bike that he had left at home. So that didn't carry. However if he had a bike with a dodgy part it is plausible he needed it but he wasn't exactly a reliable person for testimony given his previous and current situation.
They have to get an insight into you as a person and do a massively in depth and complicated risk assessment based on the detail they get from you.
Basically they are just doing their job. They are there to protect the public, not keep you happy. You did the crime not them and quite a serious crime too really, even if you don't agree with that. Tough luck basically.
Once the initial assessment is done and they have you figured out and deem you to not really be much of a risk the meetings will be quick 5 minute almost casual chats. If you complain and make their lives difficult for no reason, expect them to do the same to you.
Basically they are just doing their job. They are there to protect the public, not keep you happy. You did the crime not them and quite a serious crime too really, even if you don't agree with that. Tough luck basically.
Once the initial assessment is done and they have you figured out and deem you to not really be much of a risk the meetings will be quick 5 minute almost casual chats. If you complain and make their lives difficult for no reason, expect them to do the same to you.
Associate
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What happens if a clothes store within a shopping centre happens to sell balaclavas / ski masks, I buy one and choose to wear it everytime I go shopping there?
Am I expected to not be allowed to even wear an item on the same premises that it was sold on?
Why is it only ok for women to cover their faces and not men? It might actually enable me to go outside more if I could fully cover my face. Forget about medical masks, I dont want anyone able to see anything more than my eyes too.
Am I expected to not be allowed to even wear an item on the same premises that it was sold on?
Why is it only ok for women to cover their faces and not men? It might actually enable me to go outside more if I could fully cover my face. Forget about medical masks, I dont want anyone able to see anything more than my eyes too.
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Maybe getting outside a bit might do some good.....
Associate
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But wearing a non religious / medical face cover isn't allowed.
I've seen kids being asked to take their hoodies off in shopping centres by security guards, when they would never dare to ask people to remove religious head covers.
Always rules for thee but not for me.
Isn't assuming that someone might be predisposed to committing a crime based on their clothing the same logic as believing the same thing based on ethnicity?