Breach of community order

BitterAndTwisted

Perhaps the root-cause of some of this young person's problems is that at every turn the parents are seeking to sort out what should be their son's responsibilities. If he's holding down a job then he's old enough to make his own phone calls when they are necessary.

Other people finding out about our pasts is an inevitable consequence of our own actions. That your son's employers may have found out about his community order is his fault, not the probation officer's. This past transgression could follow him for the rest of his life as he may have just discovered.

Ronaldo_Mconaldo

Would this illness that this boy suffered from have anything to do with drinking large amounts of alcohol the night before?

DVardysShadow

rozmister wrote: »

A lot of employers put in their contract of employment that should the employee be prosecuted for an offence the employer must be notified. I work for a top 4 supermarket part time & it's in my contract I have to notify them of any prosecutions brought against me and failing to do so is gross misconduct = instant dismissal. Your son should fess up and tell them what he did!

Only if it is in his contract.

DVardysShadow

trevpas wrote: »

It was not in the local newspaper.

He did have a reason for not going that weekend and had provided evidence which the probation officer was happy with.

He was ill in bed so phoning the officer was probably the last thing on his mind but anyway as he was not meant to be going he did not think he needed to phone.

Anyway I have today spoken to someone higher up in the office and they said the probation officer was in the wrong and will be reprimanded for this.

I must say the police, the court officials etc were all nice reasonable people but the probation officer seems a jumped up guy who seems to think his job is the most important in the world!!!

Perhaps the probation service should be providing the advice on dealing with this. I agree with the senior person here. The probation service is about putting and keeping people on the straight and narrow. Messing around with someone's employment is highly counterproductive, particularly in an era where we are less supportive of the concept of rehabilitation.

Janepig

trevpas wrote: »

Anyway I have today spoken to someone higher up in the office and they said the probation officer was in the wrong and will be reprimanded for this.

Really? They decided that without discussing it with the Probation Officer to get their side of the story first? And they shouldn't be discussing the case with anyone other than [STRIKE]the offender[/STRIKE] your son, or professionals from other agencies. If he was so upset by his PO's behaviour, why didn't your son grow a pair and ring them himself?

Jxx

terryw

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Perhaps the probation service should be providing the advice on dealing with this. I agree with the senior person here. The probation service is about putting and keeping people on the straight and narrow. Messing around with someone's employment is highly counterproductive, particularly in an era where we are less supportive of the concept of rehabilitation.

This is really a difficult one. As I understand it the Probation Officer was acting quite properly in checking out that the young man was indeed staying away. Many a young rascal will give a !!!! and bull story to avoid his community order.( not the young man involved I hasten to add) I am very pleased that the probation Officer was so pro-active.

The PO did not inform the employer. Did the young offender inform the PO that the place where he was going were friends with his employer?

Surely, the obligation rests upon the young man to advise the PO of the situation. If he was poorly then the young man should have informed the PO and the whole situation could have been avoided.

lifeisgood

As someone with no experience of the system, I see the facts as:
1. Your son has been found guilty of a criminal offence (however minor) and been sentenced.
2. Though not custodial, a community order is a sentence all the same, and should be treated with the same respect.
3. Your son's PO authorised his absence for the weekend.
4. Your son did not go to the place where he had said he would be, and did not let the PO or anyone else know, so breached his community order.
5. The fact that his employer was involved is not relevant, just rather unfortunate for your son.
6. You, as his parent, from the OP, seem to be condoning what he has done.

I think your son's PO was quite entitled to check up on his story. Your son told him/her where he was going, and didn't go there. So it appears that he had lied, and has breached his community order.

However valid his reason, why didn't he tell anyone what had happened? Does he not understand how serious this is? As you seem to be able to phone to complain on his behalf, then why on earth did you not ring for him to say he was unwell?

Agree with janepig that nobody should have discussed your son's case with you, or should have told you what would happen before investigating the facts.

Are you sure the PO contacted the employer direct? My guess would be that he phoned the venue and asked to speak to your son.