Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

List of Issues and Questions that Often Come Up:

 

 I don't have a way there/I don't have transportation to my appointments.

• Officers legally and by policy cannot provide transportation to probationers. Officers will attempt to work with you and your "ride's" availability within reason but in some instances this may not be possible.​

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I need you to set up NetTrans for me.​

• We are not associated with NetTrans and will not pay for your transportation​.

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I have to work and can't come to probation.​

• You are given your reporting dates in enough advance notice that you can arrange it with your job. If you don't discuss it with our employer before the date of your appointment, it is not your supervising officer's job to reschedule your appointment due to your failure to ask to come in late/early to accommodate your probation obligations. 

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I have a doctor's appointment when I have my reporting appointment​.

• Most doctor's offices have appointments a few weeks in the future so you should not have scheduled your doctor's appointment at the same time as your reporting appointment. We will not reschedule you for your failure to schedule your medical appointment around your probation appointment. **Note: if it is an emergency this does not necessarily apply so speak to your officer for guidance.

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My cat/dog/etc. died and I can't come to probation​.

• We are animal loving people as well and would be sorry for your loss however you still have the obligation to report to probation.

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I'm sick/don't feel well and don't think I can report.​

• Unless you are at the hospital at the exact same time as your reporting date then you still need to come to the office but please wear a mask to keep whatever illness you have or may have from spreading to others. If you are ADMITTED INTO the hospital at the time of your appointment, you are required to have your doctor fax/email your officer documentation showing you are inpatient in the hospital to be excused from reporting that day. If you fail to provide documentation it will be a failure to report and may result in a violation of probation or other corrective action.

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I overslept and missed my appointment​.

• Please do not using this as a reason to request rescheduling your appointment. We all do this from time to time however if you have a reporting date you need to ensure you are awake and present for your appointment. Your supervising officer should not have to try to fit you in for a rescheduled appointment at a later date or time to complete the update on your progress toward completing probation.

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My car broke down/wouldn't start​.

• You need to have a backup plan for when issues like this occur. Your officer will not reschedule you for this reason but in some circumstances, you may be able to report later in the day on the date of your appointment, if allowed by your supervising officer. If granted this option, you are to be in the probation office prior to the office closing for the day. If you fail to get to the office on that date, it will be considered failure to report and may result in a violation of probation or other corrective action.

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I don't have the money to pay someone for a ride​.

• This may be true however please plan for transportation to and from your appointments. Also, you need to have a backup plan for transportation in case the first option falls through.

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I don't have anyone to rely on for transportation​.

• If necessary, you may have to walk to your appointments from your residence. If you are walking then advise your supervising officer that you are on foot, and he/she may be able to allow you to report later in the day on the date of your appointment. If granted this option, you are to be in the probation office prior to the office closing for the day. If you fail to get to the office on that date, it will be considered failure to report and may result in a violation of probation or other corrective action.​

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I need to reschedule my reporting date​.

• We will only reschedule you if there is an emergency situation where you cannot come to the office. Your supervising officer needs to be made aware of the situation and he/she may be able to work around this reporting date however if not then you need to be at your appointment. If your supervising officer agrees it is an emergency situation, then he/she may reschedule you once, but you must provide documentation of the emergency (doctor's note, obituary, etc.).​

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I have a "shy bladder" and can't urinate with someone watching me​.

• Honestly, this has come up several times in our careers. Probationer's drug screens have to be observed by an officer who is a member of the same sex. We have given thousands of screens to probationers and try to be as unobtrusive as possible. Unfortunately, we cannot give individuals a large chunk of time to sit in the bathroom to wait until he/she can urinate as we have many tasks to complete. Please be ready to give a sample at every reporting appointment as this makes your appointment faster so that you may continue on your way.​

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I just used the bathroom before I left the house and can't go right now​.

• On every reporting appointment, you need to be able to give a sample. We will give you two hours from the time you checked in for your appointment to give a sample, but you cannot leave the lobby, leave the office, leave the parking lot to do anything including smoking, calling someone, speaking with someone who brought you to your appointment, etc.

           

NOTE: If you leave the lobby or office, it is considered a refusal and will result in a violation of probation being issued for your failure to comply. However, after the two-hour time period is up, you can leave the lobby or office without giving a sample, but if you do it will be considered a refusal and again will result in a violation of probation being issued.

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I have a bladder infection/kidney stones/urinary tract infection/etc. and can't urinate.

• Having any of these issues will make a person have to urinate more frequently so providing a sample for testing should be easier. If this is not the case in your situation, a medical professional will need to provide a doctor's note stating the reason for your inability to give a sample.

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I know I am going to be positive for something (THC, Meth, etc.) so I want to reschedule my appointment with my officer​.

• Under no circumstance can your officer reschedule you so that you have time to flush the illegal or non-prescribed substance(s) out of your system. ​

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Marijuana is a legal substance in the Commonwealth of Virginia, why am I not allowed to smoke it?​

• While you are under supervision by Probation and Supervision Services of the Tri-Cities, LLC, you may not ingest any Marijuana, CBD, or other products that have THC in them. This will cause you to have a positive drug screen which may be addressed by a violation or sanction (which is an in-house punishment) for the use. Even if Tennessee legalizes it in this state, while you are under supervision, you are not allowed to smoke or otherwise ingest these substances. When you are released from probation supervision, you may (if the law allows) use these substances.

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I work 40 hours a week so I can't do my community service that the court ordered.

• Working full time does not remove this obligation from your sentence. A lot of our probationers work more hours than this and still manage to get their requirements completed before the deadline. You will have to make probation a priority in your schedule. Officers have seen where probationers waited until the end of their sentence and he/she had to quit/take vacation time from their job to complete their requirements. Officers try to see to it that this happens little to none. 

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