Drug abuse and addiction is prevalent everywhere in the Wisconsin and the United States, and even those who proclaim to uphold the law are sometimes violators of it. Although the illegal possession of prescription drugs may be a charge that seems to relate only to major criminals, there is the possibility that any citizen can become victim to the slavery of drug addiction. A few bad decisions may require a harsh penalty, but it is not always the case that the person should be prohibited from having a future once they are rehabilitated.
According to two of her former parolees, a Wisconsin parole officer was considered a friend and did her best to keep them in line after their brushes with the law. Eventually, she fell victim to the dangers of drug abuse herself, and was recently sentenced to 18 months in prison along with a probation period of six years.
Although the woman is a young mother with two children, prosecutors felt the sentence was accurate and that the fact that she is a mother should not have influenced the judge’s decision. Witnesses wavered on how they felt about the sentence the woman had earned.
In this situation, the woman’s actions may not have been characteristic for her. It may also be true that she was held to a higher standard by the public because she was a member of the corrections department. Regardless of her current job title or family situation, the woman should be afforded the same rights and considerations awarded to any accused of a crime rather than a stricter set of rules set by the public.
Source: Source: WSAW, “Fmr. probation agent sentenced to 18 mo. in prison,” Colin Mayfield, August 12, 2013