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How often do I need to see my PO while on license?

icy — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 12:18:30 GMT

I need some help from anyone that might have gone through this before.

I got a 7 years for fraud and money laundering and served 3 1/2. I beleive that im considered low risk and never had any problems with police before or after my sentence. Now I'm out on license for 8 months. I used to see my PO once a month, and not in the COVID-19 area, I was told I had only to call me once a month. Which is fine for now.
I asked my PO last time, if after so many months, were my appointments going to be less frequent, like once in a couple of months/ three months.

He said that once a month is the minimum frequency that there is. This once a month reporting to PO will remain for the rest of my licence (providing my behaviour doesn't change for worse, which I don't think it will).
I told him that I know other guys living in different areas, and they are seeing their POs less frequent, even with similar situations like mine.
He told me that once a month is a national policy and anything else is not true.
I was just wandering if anyone else thinks the same or what my PO is saying is not entirely true. I am aware that the POs could not always be op to date with the latest regulation.

If what the PO is saying is not true, can I please be pointed to the source of information so I can counter argue him.

Many thanks in advance.
I.C.Y

RE: How often do I need to see my PO while on license?

JASB — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 12:18:30 GMT

[quote]

[b]icy - 29 Jun 20 10:44 AM[/b]

[/quote]

Hi
As most will say, meeting will be based on the risk 'you' are assessed as by them not what you think you are. No offence meant. That is why at the beginning they are more frequent as; no matter what you think, you made an error of judgement so not fully in control so seen to be at a risk of committing offences. The 're-educational' program you go through by attending constantly reassess this risk and so the more 'in control' of your behaviour you demonstrate the frequency of 're-education' reduces.

[quote]Remember you are being punished for commiting an offence so consider the following by looking at you through the eyes of the PO.[/quote]

On a certain date you awoke, not probably thinking you was going to commit an offence that day. For some reason your control behaviour system allowed you to commit an offence. As the PO you have to assess the offender to ensure the persons behaviour control systems resets to not allow an offence to be committed. This take time and understanding by the PO and offender fix. As the PO you will decide at some stage the offender is understanding the reasons why they committed an offence and managing their behavior controls more effectively. This assessment will allow the PO to slowly relax their supervisory (or teaching responsibilities). You are still being punished and the PO is also being assessed on their management skills so there has to be a minimum frequency period else what is the point.

[quote]Take the decrease of frequency as praise to boast for your confidence.[/quote]

In regard to quoting other ex-offender scenarios please don't. We are individuals, our offences are individual to us as is the circumstances surrounding them.

In my case a person with more charges than me got a supervisory order but I didn't even though the basic offence was the same; paying for sex. What was the reason, he had a different Judge.

Good luck, learn from the experience as it will improve you in many ways. Just remain an ex-offender.

RE: How often do I need to see my PO while on license?

Was — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 19:04:06 GMT

I wasn't on licence but I had to see probation for two years as part of a community order. It was once a month, and that was even after we finished the court mandated programme in the first 6 months. The next 18 months was basically having a chat about gigs and films and checking I wasn't going off the rails. I think there is some leeway dependent on individual circumstances and scheduling but once a month sounds about right for low risk offenders.

RE: How often do I need to see my PO while on license?

punter99 — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 11:30:39 GMT

[quote]

[b]icy - 29 Jun 20 10:44 AM[/b]

[/quote]

I know that they've been told to double the amount of contact, while lockdown was in place. Once a month sounds fairly typical, but because of high workloads, some may be doing less than that. When quoting 'national policy', its important to bear in mind, which national policy. The policy for all offenders, the policy for low risk offenders, the policy for fraud offenders? It could be any or all of these they are referring to.