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Probation began as a community-driven project in Boston in the 1830s. Local philanthropists often convinced judges to place incarcerated defendants in their custody, so these people could be rehabilitated. This program worked so well that the government took it over. Probation was statewide in Massachusetts by about 1880. In 1925, after over two dozen failed …
Judges must ensure that defendants know the direct consequences of a criminal conviction, such as the maximum incarceration period and fine. But they don’t need to warn defendants about, and probably don’t care about, the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction. According to one major study, these consequences include “accessing employment, business and occupational licensing, …
The game doesn’t always end when the final horn blows. In 2011, because of massive rules violations, the NCAA stripped USC of its 2004 BCS national title. Standout tailback Reggie Bush also relinquished his Heisman trophy after the NCAA threatened to take it back. Allegedly, a sports company gave Bush and his family over $280,000 …
Almost all defendants get probation in Georgia. The Peachtree State has the highest misdemeanor and felony probation population in the country. Nationwide, one in fifty people are under community supervision. In Georgia, that ratio is one in twenty-five people. All of these people break at least one rule at least once. That’s especially true since …
Since 2007, the probation population has leveled off slightly in Georgia. More troubling, however, is the rise of punitive surveillance. Essentially, for many probationers, personal information is no longer personal. Instead, the county tracks probationers’ location, biometric, and other meta-data. The law imposes almost no restrictions on this activity. Worse yet, many counties contract these …
Mostly for financial reasons, almost all convicted defendants in Cobb County receive probation. Even violent and/or repeat offenders usually get suspended sentences. The fees and other money that probationers pay do not make the probation department self-sufficient. However, these funds at least offset the enormous expense of operating these agencies. Jails and prisons are simply …
