Posting  #153 – I Am Still at the VCBR, by Donald

By:  Donald
Date:  09/14/2009

RSOL of Virginia,

I’ve been a resident at the VCBR since 2005. On my annual review hearing early this year, the judge gave me and the office of SVP Services until mid-July to come up with a suitable conditional release plan.

The Attorney General’s lawyer, _____________ asked for a continuance, it was granted and the next hearing was scheduled for early August. At the early August hearing the judge ordered me conditionally released to live with my sister and her family and my home plan was approved.

Well, I’m still at the VCBR. My lawyer wanted the language in the conditional release plan to be changed so I would have a better chance at success. On Aug __ my lawyer and ______________ had a conference call with the judge to get some of the language either removed or changed from the conditional release plan. The AG lawyer has refused to make the necessary changes as ordered by the judge. They have another conference call scheduled for mid September. I’ve been here an extra 38 days because the AG’s office is playing games.

The AG’s office doing this intentionally, stalling and keeping us in here longer.

Donald

 

Update

RSOL of Virginia,

I was finally released from the VCBR.
I’m ready to help with the cause, let’s get started!

Donald

Update
By:  Tammy
Date:  11/30/2009

My name is Tammy and I am Donald’s sister. 

Donald asked me to e-mail you to let you know that he is currently being held in ___________ Jail because of a probation violation. 

On Oct. 30th he accidentally left the hand held device for his GPS in the charger when                  he went with my husband to the store.  They were gone for an hour and twenty minutes.  The ankle bracelet did not vibrate or alert him that he was out of proximity to the other unit.  Donald immediately called his Probation Officer when he got back  from Walmart (we have the receipt) about two hours later the PO came with the police to pick Donald up on a pv15.

I have retained an attorney for Donald and we are waiting on a hearing date for the violation. 

We are praying that the judge will understand that it was an honest mistake.

Tammy

Response
From:  RSOL of Virginia
Date: 11/30/09
Tammy,

We are so sorry to hear what has happened with Donald. We will keep him in our prayers but we must tell you what we've learned since beginning this work.

Probation officers aren’t here to help the ex-offenders they are here to monitor them and send them back to prison if they slip up. The state of Virginia also wants ex-Sexually Violent Predators who happen to get released from the Virginia Center for  Behavioral Rehabilitation to break probation. The recidivism rates (rate to re-offend)  for all sexual offenses will then increase without anyone new being harmed and the success rate for ex-SVP’s fails.

Donald will most likely be sent back to prison, not the VCBR. Then when he completes his time in prison for the probation violation the state will attempt to send him back to the VCBR, so as you can see there may not be a quick fix.

The state has only ever released a handful of VCBR residents and they don't want to ever release any of them. So, if one ex-SVP violates probation or fails to register they will use that ex-SVP as an example that releasing any of them is an exercise in futility.

I'm sorry my response isn't the positive upbeat response that it should be but I believe you and your family should know what to expect.

Please give Donald our best and keep us posted on the outcome of his hearing.

RSOL of Virginia