Editor's Note: We are pleased to upload the 2009 rules and protocols for the Pocahontas County Day Report Center. We hope that these will dispel a lot of doubt and perhaps a few myths that are arising.
1. Why are participants being required to submit money orders without an endorsee? (We have not see one of these yet!) If this is the case, who are the MO's being made out to?
2. There is a report of one person on both home confinement and day report. Is this legit?
3. Is J.L. Clifton overstepping his bounds in some matters? Hopefully, these questions will be answered via these documents. Please let us know how you interpret these rules.
4. Apparently, the program does indeed provide a van for people to get to work. Someone had complained that they were having to walk to work.
"No offender will be permitted to take narcotic or hait forming medications while on the community corrections program."--Quote from the Day Report
If you have been diagnosed with depression and are on a habit forming medication for that you are not eligible for this program (even with a doctor's prescription) What happens if you blow a gasket and shoot up the town? Tough! If you know of someone who has been on habit-forming medication and on the program, you can assume that the doctor has altered their medicine. That will make the doctor responsible for your blowing a gasket. As one person said you could even use "diminished" capacity as a defense if you re-offend. Ask your lawyer about that!
According to these rules it really doesn't matter what your doctor prescribes; they are required to put you on alternative non-habit forming drugs.
Sickness is no excuse for not doing community service. You will be required to make-up any hours that you miss regardless of the reason for your absence.
Some of these rules are crazy, such as the one that is only allowing one hour per week to do your shopping and paying bills. What about the people that live almost an hour from town anyway? How are they supposed to get anything done? Also if you are prescribed medication, chances are there is something wrong. I seriously doubt that any of the Day Report staff is a medical doctor. There could be possible bad side effects if someone were to suddenly stop taking their meds not to mention, there are certain medical conditions that are either very painful such as cancers or what if someone had an accident and broke a bone or had to have surgery? Does anyone know if these things are taken into consideration?
One person has decided they would rather spend their time in jail that give their lives over to Day Report.
With silly rules and regulations I would probably take the jail time as well. I heard that if you are sentenced to let's say 1 year of Day Report and you mess up in your sentence then the time that you have already put in is not counted so that year still has to be pulled in jail even if you got through 6 or so months. I really do not think that would be fair if it is true. Even felons that mess up on parole still get the time they were good in consideration.
Also do they have routine underwear inspections or what?? That is one silly rule. I guess there is no going commando in the program permitted.
