Say what? My brother’s a probation officer. I’d 100x rather be under a PO’s thumb and sleeping next to my own wife in my own bed in my own house than to live in even a minimum security prison.

Probation sucks. The only thing it sucks less than is prison.

Prison sucks. The only thing it sucks less than is probation.

Considering how easy it is to get sent back to prison if you’re in probation, it seems like you’re a small minority!

Minority, but not small. Something like 40% do not complete probation.

Is that because they want to be in prison, or because they're fuckups who think they can get away with violating the terms of their probation but get caught?

I think mileage varies man. You get a good probation officer and can basically do as you please. You get a crappy one and they show up randomly everywhere. It also depends on if you are pushing the rules. If your probation officer doesn't trust you it's going to be a bad time

I'll get a remote job and eat poptarts delivered by amazon. I won't leave the damn house unless the PO says I have to. He can show up and watch me program anytime he likes.

Knowing someone who spent a few years in jail, there is no way they'd agree. Maybe a year on probation is more of a hassle than a year in jail (I don't think so, but acknowledge the possibility), but whatever generous spirit I'll give to this balance gets more and more out of whack the more time we're talking. And Brock shouldn't have been looking at one year in jail, he should have been looking at something a little more standard for the crime of sexual assault.

> The people that think he got off easy

He got off easy, give me a break.

>He got off easy, give me a break.

He didn't get off easy, give me a break.

What do you think the standard punishment for sexual assault should be? 100 hours community service? One year in jail, no chance for probation (seeing as how it's "worse" and all, even though it's basically an option to live outside jail or go straight to it if you'd prefer to as you claim so many do)?

Probation is really only horrible for people that don’t plan on changing.

Source: friends on probation who have changed the way they live and friends that didn’t.

"plan on changing"

Yeah. The fact that they're in probation in the first place is probably because they have a hard time acting like adults in the first place and haven't past the stage of "kid throwing a fit" except in an adult's body

Maybe you could educate us.

Can you elaborate?

Why is that?

In prison you have no freedom, but no responsiblities. With probation you have fake freedom with a bunch of extra shit you have to do - and pay for - yourself.

This is from NC, but look at "Common violations": https://www.browninglonglaw.com/library/common-violations-an...

Miss an appointment because of a car accident? Probation violation.

Miss a court hearing due to traffic? Probation violation.

Don't pay fines or restitution because you're broke? Probation violation.

Miss community service because you're sick? Probation violation.

Not employed because the economy is in the shitter and no one will hire a felon? Probation violation.

There are so many ways to get fucked that are out of your control and the punishment can be prison anyway.

So it's all the downsides of prison - because you can still end up there - but with a bunch of extra life disrupting headaches that are super stressful because the consequences are harsh. And you have to pay for all of it yourself.

Like I said, I know a cop that would take prison over probation.

A cop.

If your freedom means anything to you than prison and probation aren't even comparable. This is silly. It's very basic, either you have some freedoms, or you have none.

Why do you think the convicted (their representation) push for probation over jail time?

Saying things aren't comparable is just bad faith.

Well, no problem: if you really feel that way, then you can just violate the terms immediately and get sent to prison.

People literally do that for that reason.

by the same logic you could argue that prison is strictly worse than probation, because you can always swap probation for prison by violating it. and yet, most people at least try to satisfy the terms of probation when given a choice.

"by the same logic"

Ah yes, the phrase that invariably preceedes a strawman fallacy.

Yeah they force you to do things that regular people do. Be on time, keep a job, and pay your bills. It's just terrible.

The consequence for those isn't going to prison.

Isn't snark supposed to be against the rules here?

It’s the alternative to prison. What would you require if it were up to you?

Yeah but in exchange you get to sleep in a bed, eat real food, walk more than 8' in one direction any time you want, and a thousand other life experiences that are better than in prison. The fact that so many prisoners try to get out of prison into probation also undermines your point.

Well shit, I sure did not consider the possibility that mentioning the canonical example of sentencing shenanigans would bring someone garbage enough to defend a rapist out of the woodwork, but here we are.

FTR, I’ve been on probation and therefore must vehemently disagree with your uninformed second-hand opinion.

>defend a rapist

This strawman fallacy ruins any credibility the rest of your comment might have had.

Right, my credibility does seem to what’s at stake here.