I have worked in the system, not as a PO but know a number of them and have had long talks with them about their job. They start out all fresh and eager to help the people who get on probation. As they progress in their experience they encounter many bad people who really belong in jail not on probation and many who dont belong on probation because they really did not do anything that bad but the MAN needed the fees from their pockets. Check yourself, how are the probation offices judged. Most of the time they will brag about the fees generated, rarely about the people who they actually helped get their lives back to normal. Those PO's who start out trying to help, are quickly brought in line by supervisors who make it clear its the fees or their ass. What would you do, you got a family to support, so you may help some of the really easy cases to make it but if it involves any significant time effort you cant take the chance of getting yourself caught in a crack either. So the Money god has won again. If a person is so bad that they need to be watched that close, they should be in jail. If not they should not be forced to be a fee slave to the state. For those of you who believe that the probation system is a help to the majority of probationers i have a few dozen words. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA ...... HMFICDICK