If someone dealing with a Fort Collins or Larimer County criminal case, and you asked them if they would prefer probation or a sentence to the Larimer County Jail or prison, most people would answer with probation. This is usually because a probation sentence means you are not incarcerated and still able to do your daily life. However, it is not always the best option for everyone. Let’s take a closer look at this issue and why a sentence to jail or prison may be a better option than probation.
Fort Collins Probation SENTENCE is Pricey: Your Life is Not Your Own While on Probation in Colorado
A Colorado probation sentence is pricey and will cost you time, money, and freedom. You may think that being on probation will mean that you are still free to live your life, but many things will change. Your schedule will be filled with probation meetings, call- ins, classes, treatment, UAs and BAs, especially at the beginning. And, all these things cost money. You will have to pay a monthly fee to be on probation supervision, pay for all your classes and treatment, and pay for your UAs/BAs. We have even heard of people losing their jobs because they were unable to meet all their employment requirements and those things required by probation. In these cases, a shorter jail sentence might be a better option.
Probation Sentence Is Generally Longer than Larimer County Jail Sentence
Sometimes, obviously depending on the specifics of a case, a sentence to the Larimer County Jail or even the Department of Corrections – DOC (prison) can be shorter that a probation sentence. 18 months of probation might seem overwhelming when you could do 20 days of jail or even work release to complete your sentence. Some people don’t have the option of taking off work to do a little ‘vacation’ in jail, but for others, the trade off with being away from civilization for a short period to avoid a government entity running your life for a while is worth it.
Failing Probation in Loveland and Estes Park: Which Crimes Have a High Probation Failure Rate
Those who are convicted of or plead to a sexual crime, like Sexual Assault, have an uphill battle when it comes to a probation sentence. Probation is especially difficult when a sexual factual basis is involved. The person on probation has to do polygraphs to prove they are being compliant with all probation and treatment requirements. They are very restricted on where they can go and what they can do. Sometimes, they are forced to quit their job if probation doesn’t approve. It is definitely an uphill battle when someone is on sex offender probation, and if someone isn’t fully committed to the understanding that they are no longer in charge of their life, then probation might not be the best choice.
Who is Likely to Be Unsuccessful on Probation Sentence in Larimer County?
If you are not a detail-oriented person, probation will be very difficult for you. Especially at first, there is A LOT to juggle to meet all the requirements. If you are not willing to let go of control and just smile and nod – agreeing to let someone run your life for a period of time, then it will be hard to be successful on probation. We’ve had clients with previous cases where they served a probation sentence and hated it so much, they asked for us to negotiate a resolution that would avoid probation at all costs – meaning they were willing to serve some time.
Now, we are not trying to dissuade anyone from entering a plea agreement where they will be sentenced to probation. We have had MANY clients successfully complete probation sentences with very few bumps along the road. It definitely can be done. You just need to be fully aware of what to expect going in, because it can be a real shock to the system and cause a lot of frustration when you have a lot of additional restrictions put on your life.
If you or someone you love has been charged with a crime, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-658-0007 to schedule a free initial consultation. Together, we can protect your future.
Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA