Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Oh yeah, I'm back in action. For your satisfaction. Good people.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Swill Smith, not the actor. I want to thank you
again for joining my show. We're talking Cool to Gate
today we on Intellectual Radio dot com and we're about
to do our thing and hopefully you had a chance
to check out some things. I've been away for a while,
but I'm back. I'm back, like number twenty three when
he came back out of retirement just to press release,
(00:31):
just said I'm back, and guys, I'm back. And today. Man,
it's been a lot going on since I've been gone.
I mean, it's been a lot going on. I took
a couple of adventures. I was on a couple of
trips around the world, you know, did my thing. I
had to go help some some some courts do some
(00:53):
things so they can help the people in a better way.
I told you, God has been blessed me to make
a difference in the community and and and so society.
So I'm back in action. And uh, and a lot
has been happening, you know. Uh, you know, Ice is
taking over. You know, we in Chicago. Ice is doing
their thing, you know in the streets. You know, we
got that going down. We got you know, the the
(01:14):
the jobs report, it's missing. We got talk to your
hosts being taken off a TV. You know, we got
we had a whole bunch of stuff that's going on.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
And and today though, today we're gonna focus in on ourselves.
This is a self focused type of thing. And and
you all know when we come on this and we
we're doing talking cool, we're talking about how to help
you elevate this this is the elevation uh.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
And I'm gonna get a shirt that's the Elevation Nation.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Everybody who joined, who joined in my cars is Elevation Nation.
You know, like like almost like that Hulk Hogan type
of era. What you're gonna do from Hulk Hogan runs
wild on you. You know, we're gonna have the Elevation Nation.
And so this show, you know, if you all remember,
you know, we're talking about how to elevate through your situation.
(02:04):
And one of the target populations some of the people
that I like to speak to, my guys that's been
justice involved. I do a lot of work with justice
involved individuals, and as you all know, for twenty three years,
you know, I was a federal officer of myself working
with people who were justice involved. And that's why this
(02:25):
is my passion, because I've had the opportunity to help
guys turn their self their situation around us. I had
the opportunity to help generations. You know, I've had the daddy,
I've had the granddaddy, and the son had a new case.
And so, man, how do we handle this thing when
we on probation. Probation is a big thing for a
(02:47):
lot of people. So I told you all on the
first show. I had a lot of friends and a
lot of hot places, and so I was gonna be
calling on some favors. And so I got a friend
who is in how but she out out of camera
in the house, out the camera. She is a probation officer,
(03:09):
decades of service in the area of helping people or
doing what probation officers do.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
All right, And.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Depending on who you are and what your experience is,
you have your own thoughts of what probation officers do.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
But because the.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Recidivism rate is so high in the United States, man,
I thought it would be a good idea to bring
an officer on, like while they off duty, to like
talk about some of the pros and cons and how
to help people in their situation with probation. And so
(03:48):
without any further ado on what you are. You can't see,
you can't see her, but you're gonna hear. You can't
you can't see her, but you're definitely gonna hear she's
in the house.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Without further to give a big round of.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Applause to Officer King, Officer King, postball.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
People down and if your team want to, you know,
we got we got.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
It says that sixty so percent or more of individuals
when they get released from prison, Uh, they recitivate within
the first three to five years and a majority of
them are given some type of probation and and and
and sometimes.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
They struggle with this thing called probation.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
So so uh, which what you're being you know, this
could be your softer side because you are off duty now.
But but breakdown to the people, you know, and what
probation job is? What what is what's the what's the
job of a probation officer? And it don't matter if
(04:59):
it's state, it don't matter, if it's county, it don't
matter if it's federal. You know, most probations everybody it
kind of operates the same. The same rules apply, and
so you know what, what what what's y'all do? What y'all
supposed to be doing? You know what's what a probation
officer do?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
What y'all for?
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Good morning, officers. I'm sorry, mister Smith, thank you for
having me on. As far as probation, what we are
charged to do is to be an extension of the court,
and like you said, it doesn't matter if that's county, federal, state.
Speaker 5 (05:35):
We are an extension of the court.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Our job in and of itself is to assist individuals
that are reintegrating into society. So that means, first we
are to uphold the conditions that the individual has been
given by the judge, and those can be very lengthy
or they can be short in nature. We are to
(05:57):
make sure that they are abiding by those conditions. Those
conditions are generally set forth to either protect the community,
to make sure that the individual is not engaging in
the activities that put them in the situation where they're
on supervisor release or probation, and to also help them
to become the better person or a person that thinks
(06:20):
differently than they did before. The other part of probation is,
like I said, to assist the individual to reintegrate into society.
And that may mean helping them changing their thought process,
It may mean getting them treatment, it may mean walking
them through different situations that they're in with their families,
(06:42):
their friends, society in general. So we're not necessarily out
here to police individuals. We are here to assist them.
And I know that is a misnomer by most of
our clients across the country, across the nation, across the world.
Is that probation that want to be in your business
and police you, And that's not necessarily what we what
we look like you got a question, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Let me let me let me, let me, let me
ask you.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
So you're saying that when people get out of prison
that you're not trying to police them, But.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Like, don't y'all be making people like take drug tests?
Speaker 5 (07:18):
Yes, we do.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
That is not necessarily policing. So the drug tests come
in play in that we're attempting to change the mindset
and the activities of individuals. So when we talk about
drug usage, statistically, when someone is using drugs, illicit drugs,
(07:43):
they are more apt to commit crimes or do things
that they should not necessarily be doing. So if you
are your mindset is altered by a substance.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
You are not prone.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Statistically, I'm not saying everybody, but statistically, your mindset is altered.
So therefore, if, for example, I'm having a conversation with
you and you have been using cocaine, heroin, or what
have you all night, when I'm having that conversation with
you the next day, your mindset or you are not
in the situation whereas you can really hone in on
(08:19):
what we're trying to say to you, what we're trying
to assist you in doing so in order that you
are being the best you. Since we're here to elevate
the individual. For you to be the best you, we
need you not enhanced or altered by a mind altering
chemical that could alter the nervous system, the mind to brain,
(08:40):
the whole nine.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
All right, all right, all right, all right.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
So so just for you all map tune in a
little lake. This is Will Smith, not the actor. This
is podcast Talking Cool. We don't intellectual radio dot com.
And the day's topic is surviving the game of probation,
surviving the game of being on paper. So we got
a guess, I gotta guess here probation officer, and she
(09:04):
was just breaking down about what probation does and what
their role is. But I mean, but you are seeing
people back to jail. I mean, you know, I hear
people all the time saying that my my PO violated me,
my PO violated me. I mean, so if you not
policing them, then then why and how are you violating them?
Speaker 4 (09:25):
So that's clear that a probation does not violate you.
If there is a violation, it is something that the
individual themselves have done or not done. So not everything
that is a violation is because you did something. It
could simply be that you did not do something. The
misnumber is that probation officers violate. We cannot violate you.
(09:46):
We do not have that power. The violation if you
are revoked, that comes from the court. All we do
is report the activity, the action, the non action that
you have done. For example, if we just talked about drugs,
so if you are using an elicted drug, let's say
(10:06):
you've used and we've tested you and within a three
hundred and sixty five day time period you have tested
four times positive, like you've been hot four times. We
are governed by the Statutes of the land to report
that to the court. So we're not revoking you, we're
not violating you. We're just reporting that to the court.
(10:27):
The court may say, yes, you're violated and send you
back to jail. They may put you in rehab, they
may put you at the residential re entry center. They
may have you do community service, they may have you
do a lot of things. But it's up to that court.
It's not up to me. All I do is report
what has transpired according to the guidelines. Now there's also
(10:49):
what we call the guidelines rules. So if you have
been convicted of a firearms and then you test the
positive for marijuana, it's.
Speaker 5 (10:59):
What we how they low grade violation. But based on those.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Two instances, it tells us what incarceration you could face
or reincarceration you can face. Not again, not up to
the probation officer. It's written in a manual that I mean,
a guideline book. Anybody can go pick it up and
it tells us what your potential sentence can be. But
it's up to the judge to impose.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
That, not the sole me. Let me get this right.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
So you saying that your job you first started off,
that your job is to let the court know what
I'm doing, what the personal probation doing, or what they're
not doing correct, and then if they if it's if
it's something that's a violation of their conditions of probation,
(11:48):
then you all let the court know. But you're telling
me that you all don't decide what the punishment is.
You saying it's a book that gives you all what
the possible punishments are. Correct, and then it's up to
the judge to decide if they're gonna punish you or.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Not, or what they're gonna do that is correct.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
But the po got all the power, Like, can't y'all
let some stuff slide? Like some of the stuff y'all
can let slide, Like if I tell you I use
the drug, can't you just wait to test me until
the next time, or if I get a like if
I don't, if I test positive or something happen, do
you gotta reap? I mean, I understand why you just
(12:29):
can't let some stuff slide because.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
I'm trying to I'm trying to get to where y'all
want me to be.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
So it is not our goal to catch you up
to put you before a judge because you're using, because
we're talking about drug use, because you're using drugs. Our
ultimate goal is to put you in a situation where
you're not using. So what we ask you, or shall
I say what I ask you on the front end
that very first meeting and tell you is that I
(12:55):
hope that you never.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
Test positive for an enlistic substance.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
I hope that I never have to go before Judge
and say, hey, this guy's using whatever substance it is.
So we have mechanisms in place. If you are honest
with us, we can help you.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
So if you have a.
Speaker 4 (13:10):
Cocaine addiction, a marijuana addiction, a gambling addiction, whatever the
addiction may be, there are avenues that we can travel
to assist you with that addiction. But it's up to
you to be honest with us, and those avenues can
be treatment. We can get you in treatments, we can
get you in outpatient and patient, a combination of the two.
But it's up to you as the probationer to be
(13:33):
honest with your officer to let them know, Hey, I've
been using heroin since I was twelve years old and
I'm still having issues. That means off the bat, we
got some treatment for you, So let's try this treatment
thing before we go to the judge and say, hey,
he just using So that gives us a little bit
more ammunition. So when we go to the judge and say, hey,
(13:54):
this guy's been testing h he's testified positive four times
within that three hundred and sixty five year date term.
But we can also say he's tried treatment, he's done
the impatient, he's done the outpatient, he's done everything. You're
honored that he has been tasked to do. But we
still can't get over this hump. So we can recommend, hey,
(14:14):
give us a little bit more time to work with him,
but that doesn't guarantee that that's going to happen. It's
still up to the judge as to what that sentence
could be.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
But you're saying you can't let nothing slide.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
Technically we are not.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
You can't let nothing go.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
We are not. That's not our job.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Can't give me a pass, that's not our job. Can't
say at this time, but next So.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
Here's what I would challenge anyone on supervision probation to consider.
If you think about your life and what has gone
on from the moment you were born from the moment
you decided to do whatever it is that you did,
join the street culture, whatever. Many times, the reason you
are where you are is because people kept letting things slide.
(14:58):
Your family, your mom, you dad, your auntie, whoever. You
stole a piece of gun from the store. Ah, he's
just young. We're gonna let that slide. We gonna let
that slide. Now he's still in the back of potatorships.
He just a boy being a boy. We're gonna let
that slide. So you weren't held accountable early in life,
so then when it started making a difference in you thirteen, fourteen,
(15:21):
fifteen and you're stealing stuff from the store, no one's
gonna let that slide. So if we start to hold
you accountable and make you hold yourself accountable for your choices,
then that starts the change process, the change process.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
So you're saying, part of what y'all want to do
is help people hold you. Gotta hold people accountable, so
you can't let some stuff slide, because part of the
change process is holding people accountable and correct me if
I'm wrong, But not just the probation officer holding him accountable,
(15:59):
but the person holding themselves accountable exactly as well. So
so k nothing, slide, k nothing. You gotta do what
you gotta do. You gotta report it to the court.
So let me ask you this. Let me ask you this.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
You know, you know how long you been being a
probation officer?
Speaker 4 (16:16):
Oh, seventeen years, ten months.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
So that's a long time. That's a long time.
Speaker 5 (16:23):
Twenty one day.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
So what made you become a probation officer?
Speaker 2 (16:26):
I mean you like shaking people down, You like locking
people up, You like putting brothers down on their back.
I mean you like telling, You be telling on people
or you, you know, because the probation office be telling
on people. You like telling known people. I mean, like
what made you become a PO? I mean, of all
things you could deal, Like what's your what's your degree in?
Speaker 1 (16:44):
You got a degree?
Speaker 4 (16:46):
I have several degrees and they have absolutely nothing to
do with probation. So my my journey into probation is
a little different from most officers. I actually started as
a street police officer. I was an officer for about
ten years, and I actually fell into probation. I fell
(17:06):
into it. There was a group of young ladies on
the police department that we all was like, Hey, let's
get out of the street piece of it, and then
let's do something different.
Speaker 5 (17:15):
We all applied. I got the slot.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
So in my journey, I have transition. It took a
minute for me to transition my brain from locking them
up to helping them when they come out. So what
I've seen over the course of my career is it
takes an individual to hold themselves accountable to be the
(17:41):
change they want to see in the world. So if
I'm the individual locking persons up because they're committing crimes,
because they're doing this, and I'm complaining about I'm locking
up the same people over and over again, I lock
them up, they get out, they're committing the same crimes.
I lock them up, and I'm complaining about it. Then,
and it's up to me to make a difference, to
(18:02):
see that change that I want to see, and probation
helps me do that. So probation helps me help other
individuals make the change so that they are not I
tell them at the beginning of my speech, my goal
for them in life is not to ever be on
that side of the table ever again. And whatever that means.
If that means you need assistance with employment, then We're
(18:26):
going to do what we need to do to get
you that job, training, to get you interviewing skills, to
get you the clothing that you need to do those
job interviews, or get that job.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
So you're telling me, you're telling me that as a
probation officer, you took the job because you wanted to
help people out. Yes, you want to help people. Yes,
And after seventeen years being on the job, you feel
(18:58):
like you're helping people.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
I don't help as many as I would like to help,
but I feel like if I've changed one individual throughout
the course of my career, I've done my job.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Okay, all right, so this is good. This is interesting.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
This is interesting because you know, the general perception is
that the probation officer.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Now, are you just an anomaly? Are you just.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Do you think majority of the probation officers care about
helping people out? I mean, I mean, I know, you
can't speak for everybody, you know, you can't speak for
probation officers around the world, you know, but you know, uh,
you know. But what you think from what you see
about the field, is it is it a field about
helping people or is it a field about helping people,
(19:44):
lifting people up or is it a field about putting
people down?
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Yeah, putting people down.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
As you said, I can't speak for everyone, but I
would speculate that the mass majority of the officers are
out for.
Speaker 5 (19:59):
The same cause, that is to assist.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
When you talk to some of my colleagues or watch
some of my colleagues, many of them are looking for
the programs to put people in. Many of them are
meeting the family and having those conversations with mom, with dad,
with girlfriends, with boyfriends, with children, to see what the
individual need, where they're lacking, and what is it that
(20:22):
probation can offer them to help them get over that hump.
Speaker 5 (20:26):
It's not.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Just like with policing there's always ninety nine percent of
the force that are good. It's that one percent or
five percent, ninety five percent. It's only a small portion
of those careers that make the rest of us look bad.
So it may be one percent that is out to
(20:49):
lock everybody up or has had that situation, whereas now
they're tainted because something didn't go their way and they're
treating everybody bad. But that's usually, like I said, like
one percent. Maybe if I want to grow a little higher,
it's this very small percentage when you look at us
were across the country. I mean, and honestly, they're probation
(21:09):
officers across the world, their probation office in Germany and England,
and I personally believe that there's a small percentage that
I out to just lock people up.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Okay, all right, all right, So look that's interesting. That's interesting.
So look, if you at at home in podcast land,
if you auntie, if you uncle, if you big sister,
big brother, little brother, little sister, if you got a family,
if it's you, if you got a family member that's
on paper, they need to hear this podcast. They need
(21:46):
If this they second time on paper, this day's third
time on paper. You know they keep they never make
it off of paper. Man, this is this is it,
and this is you know, we need to spread the
word like we spread the word about when jay Z
got into it with Beyonce on the elevator. We need
to spread the word about this like we spread the
word about everything that's going on. Spread the word so
(22:07):
they can hear some of this this insight. Because this
is remember what I told job, this is intellectual radio
dot com.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
These ain't just regular conversation.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
You just can't get this on one O two point
seven on the local station. This is intellectual. This is
designed to make you think. This is designed to.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Make you look.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
And if I can make you look, that that means
I made your processing and thinking.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
So so pass this on. So now let me ask
you this question.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Officer misofficer probation. What is and I'm gonna give you.
I'm gonna ask for your top two to three. What's
the number one thing you would suggest to anybody when
we talk about surviving the game. And remember the name
of this episode is surviving the game? How to make
(22:58):
it through probation? All right, Uh, surviving the game? What
are kind of like your top three? Give me like
your top your want number one, give me like your
third one.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Now we're gonna take it up to the top.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
If we can't take it up to the top three',
what's one thing that you would advise people to make
this thing happen? To make it through probation without having
getting revoked.
Speaker 5 (23:22):
Or violated, follow your conditions.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Follow your conditions.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
Whatever your judge has deemed necessary for you to be
governed by for the amount of time that you are
on supervisoral ease are probation if it's a year, three years,
five years, eight, whatever the timeframe may be. Look at
your conditions and know them and just following condition.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
So follow my conditions. So my conditions say I can't
drink no alcohol, I gotta follow that. Yes, my conditions
say I can't leave the area without getting permission from
my probation office.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
I gotta follow that. Yes, but I'm grown. I gotta
follow that.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
You was grown when you was making the decisions to
be in the street.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
But I'm grown, so I still gotta follow that. Yes,
but I'm grown. Some stuff come up, and I might
want to go to Vegas, or my girl might want
to take me someplace. I gotta steal file. I still
gotta get permission from my provision.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
You have to get permission, get permission, and some of
our conditions are negotiable. So let's talk about your travel.
Since the travel is the thing that you bring. So
when you first come on to probation, your travel is
gonna be really tight. It's gonna be really stringent. You
(24:40):
you're gonna have to ask every single time you go somewhere.
But if you form that rapport with your officer. You
may be that one person that they say, all right,
just let me know that you're traveling. You don't necessarily
have to ask to go over to Indiana because it's
literally right there, to go to Wisconsin because it's a
little we right there.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
You may have gained the.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
Rapport with your officer to say, hey, officer, whatnot, I'm
going to Indiana today with my family. I'll be back
at five o'clock. That's not permission, but you're letting them know.
It's kind of like being in a relationship. You know, you
don't just up and go out of town without telling
your mom, your dad, your wife, your husband, whoever.
Speaker 5 (25:21):
You just let them know.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
And that could potentially be what happens with your officer
once you've established rapport, once you've let them know or
shown them through your actions that you're worthy to have
that privilege.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
So so so my condition say, I can't smoke weed,
but weed is legal, you know, so if i'm if
I'm on, if I'm on like like it's it's different offices,
it's like state county, but if it's if it's.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Like the federal the federal approbation.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Like they telling them, they telling me I can't smoke weed,
like but it's legal, so I still can't smoke weed.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
If I'm on federal probation, you may not be.
Speaker 5 (26:01):
Able to smoke weed on state or county probation.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
It's the fans is a little different because it's a
scheduled one drug and it's not legal federally. Even though
many states have legalized it, the federal government has not
legalized it. So if you're on federal supervision, it's all
illicit drugs.
Speaker 5 (26:19):
Any scheduled one drug you cannot use.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
You can't get a prescription for a scheduled one drug,
which is marijuana, So you can walk into your officer
and it's like, hey, I got a prescription. It doesn't
fly because that's not a prescription, and we could go
deep into that, but it's really not worth it right now.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Now.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
Even on the state and local level, you can still
be deemed not able to smoke marijuana if smoking marijuana
kind of enhances or contributes to the trouble that you're in.
If it's drinking alcohol. Alcohol has been legal for years,
but if drinking alcohol causes you to do things that
(26:57):
are contrary to being productive in society, the courts may
say you can't drink alcohol, so marijuana is the same thing,
same way, even on state and local.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
If it's something that.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Enhances your actions that are illegal, then the court may
say you can't have it.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
But they're not just veal.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
But I mean, part of the conditions is I can't
hang out with my cousin Juwel, Bug, Ron, Ron and Rodney.
But though my cousins, so you're telling me I can't
hang out with family, because that's that's what my conditions.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
If your conditions specifically say you can't hang out with them, yeah,
I'm sorry for the time that you're on supervisor release
that that's gonna be a problem.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
Now again, that's not to say that the.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
Entire time that you're on supervisor release you can't hang
out with them, but at least go with what is
said in the beginning. And it may be a situation
that down the line things have changed with you and
your behavior and what you're doing, the report you have
with your officer. Anything can change and you can go
back before the court and your officer, Like we tell
(28:00):
the court what you're doing that you're not supposed to
be doing. We're also your biggest cheerleader when you're doing
what you're supposed to be doing. So it could be
that the officer assists you and goes to court and say, hey,
your honor, he's been working, he's been staying out of trouble,
he has no positive drug screens, he's taking care of
his family, he's doing everything he's supposed to be doing.
(28:21):
And we feel as though at this point he can
hang out with Junebug on a limited basis.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
So just for if you just tuning in, this is Will.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Smith, not the actor else sw likes in Clinical social
Worker and let me throw this in, let me pay
some bills. This show today is brought to you by
Cool Concepts Outside Ordinary Limits. We help people be better.
It's a therapeutic agency, Black on Black operated as well.
You can find them at seven o eight for zero
(28:54):
five nine five six' nine again seven zero eight for
zero five nine five six. Nine they accept insurances and
they accept. Cash mental health matters cool helping people be.
Better oh, yeah and we're right here you On Intellectual
radio Dot com and we're talking cool right. Here this
(29:17):
episode is Entitled surviving The Game probation and so we
got an officer king here she's been dropping, knowledge laying
down some nuggets It and if you do just want
to happen to call, in you can call in on
seven or eight two two three eight nine five. Three
that's seven zero eight two two, three eight nine five.
(29:40):
Three we do take some. Calls we won't be, long
but we will be. Strong we want to keep you
at home and let you know what's going.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
On so she's been dropping some knowledge about.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Doing what your conditions of say, so and then what?
Else what is some other advice you would give to
people to survive this thing called.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
Probation listen to and use your probation officer as your biggest.
Ally they know the ins and out of, Probation they
know what your conditions.
Speaker 5 (30:14):
Say they know how.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
To guide you through those conditions to make sure that
you are one doing what the court is saying that
you should, do to assisting you to become a better.
You and three your biggest advocate when it comes to
early termination or changing your conditions or getting that job
(30:36):
and being able to a minior of our guys like
to do cdo and they want to drive over the. Road,
well technically you're supposed to stay in the district while
you're on supervisor lease or in your area while you're
on supervisor. Lease so if you're using your officer to
the best of their abilities and listening to them and
help allowing them to guide your, journey it could be
(30:58):
that you do leave the state and drive two three
weeks out the month and then come back. In so
just use them for what they're there, for allow them
to assist, you and not think that they are there
just to punish you and send you back to.
Speaker 5 (31:15):
Prison, okay all?
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Right and then number, one number one she, said WELL
i heard her. Say, first she, said obey your, conditions
do whatever your conditions, say because remember we called the
name of this show is Called surviving The.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
Game surviving The, game.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
All, right and then she, said use your your probation,
officer listen to. Them so you saying you, said you,
saying don't be don't be, adversarial don't be arguing with,
them don't be you saying use the, insight you.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
Know like like like make them your.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
Friend not your friend in the respect that you all
are gonna go hang out after work and have drinks
or or anything like, that but they're not there as
an adversary in THE i have a serials. Connotation they're
there as your, adversary meaning that they're there to assist.
(32:08):
You they're there to walk you through this thing when
you have those, questions when you have those. CONCERNS a
lot of, times the probation officer may be the only
person that you can talk to about things going, on
because you can't just go to, mom, like, Hey i'm
having this issue with that issue without them judging. You
your probation officer is there to not, judge to listen
(32:28):
to what you're, saying and to help you work through
coming up with a solution for those, problems coming.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
Up with people that may help.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
You for, example If i'm an officer AND i don't
have the answer to your, QUESTION i can find out
for You, insteady you're trying to figure it out on
y'all and you have the what we call it, efforts
it's not working, Out so, Efic i'm just gonna do
WHAT i know to. Do before you do, that ask your.
Officer they can sit down and potentially walk you through
(33:00):
a help you figure out the best course of action
in most.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Situations, okay all, Right so WHAT i THINK i hear you,
Saying Officer king is the advice would be is use
your probation officer to your.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Advantage you, know.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Use their, knowledge get their, insight and went in, doubt
talk it out with your probation.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Officer, yeah went in, doubt talk.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
IT i don't just wing, it because when you wing,
it then next, thing you, know you in court and
you gotta sing it to the judge that you sorry and.
Everything don't just wing. It so you're gonna have to
go sing. It win in, doubt talk it out with
your probation, officer and.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
That way they can help you work it.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Out so you won't be a violation of your conditions
or your. Probation and, so now as we start to
wind down a little, bit what's your number? One do
you have a number one thing that you would recommend
to people on.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Probation survive the, game, fellas just gotta survive the.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Game it's ain't about how you want to do, it
how you think it should be.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Done we dropping, knowledge we dropping.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Wisdom because you're trying to get from one point to,
another and a lot of people one of the most
important things to do they want to get this probation
off their. Back and so what's your number one.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
Thing.
Speaker 4 (34:17):
A change in thinking and giving probation a. Chance and
WHAT i mean by that is most of our guys
come to probation or are on some type of probation
based on the way they think or the way they
thought during the times when they were engaged in whatever
criminal activity it. Was if you have the open mindset
(34:40):
going into, probation allowing the change process to, happen and
not going in kicking and, screaming then you will be
successful to.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Wait stoping you that you, said go in kicking and.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
Screaming what does that look like when you when somebody
get out of prison and they come and they got
a meet with, you and you say kicking and, screaming
like paint the, picture like what's kicking and?
Speaker 4 (35:04):
SCREAMING i have had individuals come in in day. One
just send me back to, Jail just let me flatten
out my. TIME i don't want to do. This it
doesn't work like, that because even if you violate and
go back to, prison, jail whatever you wanna call, it
you still may have supervisor release when you come back.
Out supervision or probation is a part of your. Sentence
(35:26):
it is not separate from the. Sentence so if your
sentence to twenty years plus probation or plus supervised, release
it's all one. Sentence it's NOT i can flatten out
and do instead of getting day for, day good time
or whatever the good time is and come out with eighty.
PERCENT i can just do the whole one hundred percent
AND i have probation. Afterwards you still got. Probation so
(35:49):
let that notion. Go we are, Here just let that.
Go know that it's going to.
Speaker 5 (35:54):
Happen.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Relax let us do with you what we need to.
Do and the biggest thing is. Cognitions and when we
talk about, cognitions cognitions mean the way you think is
your thinking. Process and if we can assist you in that.
Change if you're coming in with the, efforts if you're
coming in thinking you above the, law you can get
(36:15):
away with. Anything we need to work through that because
it didn't work for you. Before so what makes you
think is gonna work. NOW a lot of that thought
process is what got you to be on that side
of the.
Speaker 5 (36:26):
Table so if.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
You help us help you in your thinking, process the
rest of, it it all falls in.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Line oh, ah that's some intellectual stuff right. There that's
some intellectual stuff right. There that's why we On Intellectual
radio Dot, com you, know the, largest the, biggest the
baddest black on pod cast station in the. Nation that's
why we're here because we're here to make you. Think all,
(36:56):
Right we're here to make you. Think so what she
said is coming to the. Office, cats when you get
off of when you get out of, prison you halfway.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Home you almost, there all.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
Right what she's saying is when you come, out come
out with an attitude of. Gratitude you know What i'm,
saying and understanding That i'm a work in.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
PROGRESS i still got some THINGS i need to.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
Do and even THOUGH i don't like being on, paper remember,
this this is called surviving the.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Game this episode is called surviving the.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Game and you not gonna survive kicking and screaming and
bucking and jiving the po because the truth always comes
to light always because but she, said she said some
concepts that are, ooh that's difficult for us that we she,
said be honest with your probation. Officer that's hard to,
do to be honest with your probation, officer because you,
(37:49):
know we naturally anti law, enforcement we anti, police we anti.
Probation you know they that we think they gonna send us.
Back BUT i heard her say that if you're honest with,
us if you let us know what's really going, on
THAT i hear you.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Say we might be able to help you.
Speaker 5 (38:07):
Out that is.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Correct, well look y'all be on people back though about
not having a.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
Job do y'all help people get? JOBS i, mean that's
that's what y'all they've been locked. Up it is.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
Easy first thing is say you gotta have a. Job
gotta have a, job you, know do y'all help people get?
Job y'all got jobs to get people, ways that's what's.
Up y'all got some jobs to get people that that's
what parents be acting, acting that's.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
What and you got a job for.
Speaker 4 (38:27):
Me so let's back up this job. Thing let's take
it back to you being. Incarcerated part of you helping
us help you with getting a job is that you
do the work on the inside while you're in behind
whatever doors doing, whatever instead of sitting in your room doing.
Nothing start, programming start preparing yourself to come out of that.
(38:49):
Institution that means if they have job, readiness if they
have any skills.
Speaker 5 (38:53):
That you can.
Speaker 4 (38:54):
Take think, About, hey what DO i want to do
WHEN i come? Out DO i want to go into?
Computers DO i want to go into? Carpentry whatever it.
Is if your institution offers, that you need to take those.
Classes that, way when you come, out you are more
marketable because you already got to strike against. You you
have a, Background you have been. Incarcerated most of our
(39:15):
guys they've been incarcerated more than one. Time they've been arrested, eight, nine,
ten fifteen. Times so we need to get over that.
Hurdle and you have to give us something to work.
With so if you start planning for your release before
that time, comes that gives us more to work. With,
now do we have jobs to give? You, no we
do not have literal jobs to give. You can we
(39:37):
assist you in obtaining a? Job, yes we can assist
you with getting that job by assisting you writing your,
resume by doing mock, interviews helping you get through that interview,
process helping you answer those tough questions of have you
ever been? Incarcerated that question is going to come. Up
have you ever been convicted of a? Felony that question
(40:00):
is going to come. Up why is there such a
gap in your employment that question is going to come.
Speaker 5 (40:06):
Up so, yes.
Speaker 4 (40:07):
We will assist you in those tools that will allow
you to answer those questions and don't look like a
deer caught in headlights when it comes. Up we have
resource fairs where we bring in sixty seventy different agencies
to assist you in getting that. Employment but, again we
(40:27):
can't want you to be employed more than you want
to be. EMPLOYED i can't want you to be successful
on supervision more than you want to be successful on.
Supervision this, is as one of my colleagues used to,
say this is grown man. Supervision it's up to you
to do the. Work we're just there to assist you
getting over some of those.
Speaker 1 (40:47):
Hurdles, god that's.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
Powerful so many, nuggets you dropping so many. Nuggets when
we talk about surviving the, games she, said we can't want,
it the probation officers can't want. It then you want.
It oh that's powerful right. There you gotta want. It
you gotta want to survive the. Game not just we're
in a. Pass not just. Survive we're talking about. Thriving
(41:11):
SO i HEARD i heard her say something, about you,
know going to a training for job training and completing
a resume and interviewing and stuff like. That and AND
i think that a lot of people think that they
got it, covered they got it figured it. Out but
if you ain't never had a real, job you ain't
(41:32):
never interview but you don't want to go to an interview,
class to a job skills, class then you're not setting
yourself up to survive this. Game and then you wonder
why nobody is hiring you if you want to wear your,
kakis if you want to wear your blue, jeans if
you want to wear your timbulance to the job interview
and a button, Up and then you wonder why it's just.
(41:54):
MacDonald's it's just a factory, job it's just a, warehouse
and you wonder why they're not hiring. You maybe it's
because you didn't put your best foot. Forward SO i
think the probation officers they recommend if you've been, incarcerated
because little things mean a. Lot and you think that
(42:16):
you're not getting the job because you got a criminal,
history but maybe you not getting the job because of
what she. Said you don't want it bad, enough your
mindset ain't, right and you're treating it like it's just
a little nick knack. Job but the next brother who
got the, job who got. Hired maybe he put on
his shirt and, Tie maybe he put on some penny
(42:39):
loafers or some casual, shoes and he came in on,
time and he looked like it was more than just
a factory.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
Job he put his best foot. Forward and guess.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
What maybe his criminal record is more extensive than. Yours
but he's playing the game the right.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
Way.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Now he's elevating and you are. Stagnating, OOH i like.
That he's elevating and you are. Stagnating you, know y'all
gonna hear me rhyme a. Lot that used to be
a rapper back in the, Day so it's kind of.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
NATURAL i can't help. It so, Enclosing, officer.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Is there anything with seventeen years of have you seen
people be able to? CHANGE i mean the worst of the.
WORST i mean the people who come into. You they've
been locked, up they been institutional, lives ain't never had a,
job fed, no very little family, support very little. Desk
have you seen them be able to make a change
(43:38):
or are they just lost in?
Speaker 1 (43:39):
Limbo talk to, me.
Speaker 4 (43:41):
Officer of, course WHEN i say we am speaking specifically about,
ME i have a guy right now that he started,
supervision AND i promise YOU i believe that he would
be locked up two or three times before he actually completed.
Supervision he Will my term of knucklehead wasn't listening smoking.
Speaker 5 (44:05):
Weed every day all.
Speaker 4 (44:07):
Day penny anti Jobs and By Penny, ANNIE i mean
they may have, existed they may not, have just not
adhering to anything that we. Said and we had a
come To jesus meeting and they had that conversation and
had the the give gave him the understanding that many
of the skills that our guys have in the, streets
(44:28):
many of the things that they've done in the, streets
the selling, drugs the leading, gangs the whatever it is
that they have, done some of those skills translates to Corporate.
America so if we can hone in on those skills
and get you into job placement or from your own
(44:50):
company that uses those, skills, legitimately you can be. Successful
and when he realized that some of the skills that
he had and we got him into the right, job
we got him into treatment be it for. Him it
was both mental health and substance abuse. Treatment he on
the verge right now of getting early term and early. Termination,
(45:12):
wow early. Termination and this is a, guy, honestly THAT
i had little hope for when WHEN i sat down
and spoke with. Him And i'm not talking about the first.
Meeting i'm talking about several meetings several, months took him
back to, court he had to go back before his.
Judge but when that light came on and he realized
That i'm not here to put you back in, Prison
(45:32):
i'm actually here to assist, you it's been up an
uphill climb ever since he's BEEN i talked to his
family just two weeks, ago and they are one hundred
percent pleased that where he is in life right. Now
he has children that he's taken care, of he is
in a steady, relationship he's, working he's taking his mental health.
Mess he hasn't. Smoked he's been cleaned now for over a.
(45:53):
Year so you, know we have success.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
Stories success, STORIES i, mean and that's a story right,
there because IF i heard you, correctly you said he
not only gonna complete his, probation it's a strong possibility
he gonna get off.
Speaker 1 (46:09):
Early. Yep oh, man it ain't.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Nothing you, know for some people who have been in
the system since they was, twelve and we ain't even
counting THE dcf system that you.
Speaker 1 (46:18):
Was a part. Of you KNOW dcfs, system.
Speaker 2 (46:21):
Then the group homes and then you Know juve and
next thing you, know you in state and then you in,
feeds you in, state you in fez show all your.
Life so to have to finally get to the point
where you you don't have just a system on your, back,
man that's an. Accomplishment that's an. Accomplishment AND i heard
(46:44):
officer say that when you realize that probation is not
there to hold you, down but to help you, out
that's when the light switch.
Speaker 1 (46:58):
Flipped and he.
Speaker 2 (46:59):
Went and then got a lot of services that normally
he would have, SAID i don't need. That i'm a
buck THAT i don't feel like doing.
Speaker 1 (47:07):
That and now look at. Him now he got a,
woman he got a, job he got family.
Speaker 2 (47:14):
Support and he got AND i heard The office Of
probation officers say that they advocate for you in court
when things are going. Well she, said we go in
court and we'll tell the judge man been doing, phenomenal
and we recommend we are not opposed to this person
being let off probation.
Speaker 1 (47:34):
Early, man that's.
Speaker 2 (47:36):
Powerful surviving The, game good people is what this thing
is all.
Speaker 1 (47:42):
About and so you know.
Speaker 2 (47:44):
Again this Is Will smith On Talking Cool we On
Intellectual radio Dot. Com this episode has been Entitled surviving The, game.
Guys and no matter what you've been, through no matter
what you've been, doing no matter.
Speaker 1 (47:59):
If you like you know.
Speaker 2 (47:59):
This This the movie With Eddie murphy And Mark lawrence
was Called. Life you're talking about Somebody casey And. Jojo
somebody gave Me, Life Live.
Speaker 1 (48:11):
Live you're supposed to Go Life.
Speaker 2 (48:12):
LIVE i guess was supposed to do the, background but
she wasn't ready for. That the low Was, life and
it was this character in there called can't get. Right
so even if you for the last several years just
can't get, right, man you this opportunity is never too
late to turn around and you can be as successful
(48:34):
as you want to. Be and she, said no matter
what's going, on if you're doing the right, thing if
you're doing the right, thing if you doing your conditions
the supervised, release your probation officer can't violate. You if
you're doing what you're supposed to, do if you're not getting,
arrested your probation officer can't violate.
Speaker 1 (48:52):
You they can't hold you.
Speaker 2 (48:53):
Back and if you are getting the job and getting
educated and getting some, skills your probation.
Speaker 1 (48:59):
Officer can't hold you.
Speaker 2 (49:01):
Back so even if you think the probation officer has
a lot to do with, it if you think that
your probation officer passed the keys to the kingdom and
you trying to get to heaven and they won't let you,
in even if you think. That as we close this,
(49:21):
Show i'm gonna leave you with the QUOTE i leave
you with at the end of every SHOW W. E.
B The boy, said there's no stronger force known to
the world than a man determined to? Rise are you
determined to? Rise producer play My thing
Oh yeah, I'm back in action. For your satisfaction. Good people.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Swill Smith, not the actor. I want to thank you
again for joining my show. We're talking Cool to Gate
today we on Intellectual Radio dot com and we're about
to do our thing and hopefully you had a chance
to check out some things. I've been away for a while,
but I'm back. I'm back, like number twenty three when
he came back out of retirement just to press release,
(00:31):
just said I'm back, and guys, I'm back. And today. Man,
it's been a lot going on since I've been gone.
I mean, it's been a lot going on. I took
a couple of adventures. I was on a couple of
trips around the world, you know, did my thing. I
had to go help some some some courts do some
(00:53):
things so they can help the people in a better way.
I told you, God has been blessed me to make
a difference in the community and and and so society.
So I'm back in action. And uh, and a lot
has been happening, you know. Uh, you know, Ice is
taking over. You know, we in Chicago. Ice is doing
their thing, you know in the streets. You know, we
got that going down. We got you know, the the
(01:14):
the jobs report, it's missing. We got talk to your
hosts being taken off a TV. You know, we got
we had a whole bunch of stuff that's going on.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
And and today though, today we're gonna focus in on ourselves.
This is a self focused type of thing. And and
you all know when we come on this and we
we're doing talking cool, we're talking about how to help
you elevate this this is the elevation uh.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
And I'm gonna get a shirt that's the Elevation Nation.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Everybody who joined, who joined in my cars is Elevation Nation.
You know, like like almost like that Hulk Hogan type
of era. What you're gonna do from Hulk Hogan runs
wild on you. You know, we're gonna have the Elevation Nation.
And so this show, you know, if you all remember,
you know, we're talking about how to elevate through your situation.
(02:04):
And one of the target populations some of the people
that I like to speak to, my guys that's been
justice involved. I do a lot of work with justice
involved individuals, and as you all know, for twenty three years,
you know, I was a federal officer of myself working
with people who were justice involved. And that's why this
(02:25):
is my passion, because I've had the opportunity to help
guys turn their self their situation around us. I had
the opportunity to help generations. You know, I've had the daddy,
I've had the granddaddy, and the son had a new case.
And so, man, how do we handle this thing when
we on probation. Probation is a big thing for a
(02:47):
lot of people. So I told you all on the
first show. I had a lot of friends and a
lot of hot places, and so I was gonna be
calling on some favors. And so I got a friend
who is in how but she out out of camera
in the house, out the camera. She is a probation officer,
(03:09):
decades of service in the area of helping people or
doing what probation officers do.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
All right, And.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Depending on who you are and what your experience is,
you have your own thoughts of what probation officers do.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
But because the.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Recidivism rate is so high in the United States, man,
I thought it would be a good idea to bring
an officer on, like while they off duty, to like
talk about some of the pros and cons and how
to help people in their situation with probation. And so
(03:48):
without any further ado on what you are. You can't see,
you can't see her, but you're gonna hear. You can't
you can't see her, but you're definitely gonna hear she's
in the house.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Without further to give a big round of.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Applause to Officer King, Officer King, postball.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
People down and if your team want to, you know,
we got we got.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
It says that sixty so percent or more of individuals
when they get released from prison, Uh, they recitivate within
the first three to five years and a majority of
them are given some type of probation and and and
and sometimes.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
They struggle with this thing called probation.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
So so uh, which what you're being you know, this
could be your softer side because you are off duty now.
But but breakdown to the people, you know, and what
probation job is? What what is what's the what's the
job of a probation officer? And it don't matter if
(04:59):
it's state, it don't matter, if it's county, it don't
matter if it's federal. You know, most probations everybody it
kind of operates the same. The same rules apply, and
so you know what, what what what's y'all do? What y'all
supposed to be doing? You know what's what a probation
officer do?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
What y'all for?
Speaker 4 (05:19):
Good morning, officers. I'm sorry, mister Smith, thank you for
having me on. As far as probation, what we are
charged to do is to be an extension of the court,
and like you said, it doesn't matter if that's county, federal, state.
Speaker 5 (05:35):
We are an extension of the court.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Our job in and of itself is to assist individuals
that are reintegrating into society. So that means, first we
are to uphold the conditions that the individual has been
given by the judge, and those can be very lengthy
or they can be short in nature. We are to
(05:57):
make sure that they are abiding by those conditions. Those
conditions are generally set forth to either protect the community,
to make sure that the individual is not engaging in
the activities that put them in the situation where they're
on supervisor release or probation, and to also help them
to become the better person or a person that thinks
(06:20):
differently than they did before. The other part of probation is,
like I said, to assist the individual to reintegrate into society.
And that may mean helping them changing their thought process,
It may mean getting them treatment, it may mean walking
them through different situations that they're in with their families,
(06:42):
their friends, society in general. So we're not necessarily out
here to police individuals. We are here to assist them.
And I know that is a misnomer by most of
our clients across the country, across the nation, across the world.
Is that probation that want to be in your business
and police you, And that's not necessarily what we what
we look like you got a question, go ahead.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Let me let me let me, let me, let me
ask you.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
So you're saying that when people get out of prison
that you're not trying to police them, But.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Like, don't y'all be making people like take drug tests?
Speaker 5 (07:18):
Yes, we do.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
That is not necessarily policing. So the drug tests come
in play in that we're attempting to change the mindset
and the activities of individuals. So when we talk about
drug usage, statistically, when someone is using drugs, illicit drugs,
(07:43):
they are more apt to commit crimes or do things
that they should not necessarily be doing. So if you
are your mindset is altered by a substance.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
You are not prone.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Statistically, I'm not saying everybody, but statistically, your mindset is altered.
So therefore, if, for example, I'm having a conversation with
you and you have been using cocaine, heroin, or what
have you all night, when I'm having that conversation with
you the next day, your mindset or you are not
in the situation whereas you can really hone in on
(08:19):
what we're trying to say to you, what we're trying
to assist you in doing so in order that you
are being the best you. Since we're here to elevate
the individual. For you to be the best you, we
need you not enhanced or altered by a mind altering
chemical that could alter the nervous system, the mind to brain,
(08:40):
the whole nine.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
All right, all right, all right, all right.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
So so just for you all map tune in a
little lake. This is Will Smith, not the actor. This
is podcast Talking Cool. We don't intellectual radio dot com.
And the day's topic is surviving the game of probation,
surviving the game of being on paper. So we got
a guess, I gotta guess here probation officer, and she
(09:04):
was just breaking down about what probation does and what
their role is. But I mean, but you are seeing
people back to jail. I mean, you know, I hear
people all the time saying that my my PO violated me,
my PO violated me. I mean, so if you not
policing them, then then why and how are you violating them?
Speaker 4 (09:25):
So that's clear that a probation does not violate you.
If there is a violation, it is something that the
individual themselves have done or not done. So not everything
that is a violation is because you did something. It
could simply be that you did not do something. The
misnumber is that probation officers violate. We cannot violate you.
(09:46):
We do not have that power. The violation if you
are revoked, that comes from the court. All we do
is report the activity, the action, the non action that
you have done. For example, if we just talked about drugs,
so if you are using an elicted drug, let's say
(10:06):
you've used and we've tested you and within a three
hundred and sixty five day time period you have tested
four times positive, like you've been hot four times. We
are governed by the Statutes of the land to report
that to the court. So we're not revoking you, we're
not violating you. We're just reporting that to the court.
(10:27):
The court may say, yes, you're violated and send you
back to jail. They may put you in rehab, they
may put you at the residential re entry center. They
may have you do community service, they may have you
do a lot of things. But it's up to that court.
It's not up to me. All I do is report
what has transpired according to the guidelines. Now there's also
(10:49):
what we call the guidelines rules. So if you have
been convicted of a firearms and then you test the
positive for marijuana, it's.
Speaker 5 (10:59):
What we how they low grade violation. But based on those.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Two instances, it tells us what incarceration you could face
or reincarceration you can face. Not again, not up to
the probation officer. It's written in a manual that I mean,
a guideline book. Anybody can go pick it up and
it tells us what your potential sentence can be. But
it's up to the judge to impose.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
That, not the sole me. Let me get this right.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
So you saying that your job you first started off,
that your job is to let the court know what
I'm doing, what the personal probation doing, or what they're
not doing correct, and then if they if it's if
it's something that's a violation of their conditions of probation,
(11:48):
then you all let the court know. But you're telling
me that you all don't decide what the punishment is.
You saying it's a book that gives you all what
the possible punishments are. Correct, and then it's up to
the judge to decide if they're gonna punish you or.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Not, or what they're gonna do that is correct.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
But the po got all the power, Like, can't y'all
let some stuff slide? Like some of the stuff y'all
can let slide, Like if I tell you I use
the drug, can't you just wait to test me until
the next time, or if I get a like if
I don't, if I test positive or something happen, do
you gotta reap? I mean, I understand why you just
(12:29):
can't let some stuff slide because.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
I'm trying to I'm trying to get to where y'all
want me to be.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
So it is not our goal to catch you up
to put you before a judge because you're using, because
we're talking about drug use, because you're using drugs. Our
ultimate goal is to put you in a situation where
you're not using. So what we ask you, or shall
I say what I ask you on the front end
that very first meeting and tell you is that I
(12:55):
hope that you never.
Speaker 5 (12:56):
Test positive for an enlistic substance.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
I hope that I never have to go before Judge
and say, hey, this guy's using whatever substance it is.
So we have mechanisms in place. If you are honest
with us, we can help you.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
So if you have a.
Speaker 4 (13:10):
Cocaine addiction, a marijuana addiction, a gambling addiction, whatever the
addiction may be, there are avenues that we can travel
to assist you with that addiction. But it's up to
you to be honest with us, and those avenues can
be treatment. We can get you in treatments, we can
get you in outpatient and patient, a combination of the two.
But it's up to you as the probationer to be
(13:33):
honest with your officer to let them know, Hey, I've
been using heroin since I was twelve years old and
I'm still having issues. That means off the bat, we
got some treatment for you, So let's try this treatment
thing before we go to the judge and say, hey,
he just using So that gives us a little bit
more ammunition. So when we go to the judge and say, hey,
(13:54):
this guy's been testing h he's testified positive four times
within that three hundred and sixty five year date term.
But we can also say he's tried treatment, he's done
the impatient, he's done the outpatient, he's done everything. You're
honored that he has been tasked to do. But we
still can't get over this hump. So we can recommend, hey,
(14:14):
give us a little bit more time to work with him,
but that doesn't guarantee that that's going to happen. It's
still up to the judge as to what that sentence
could be.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
But you're saying you can't let nothing slide.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
Technically we are not.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
You can't let nothing go.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
We are not. That's not our job.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Can't give me a pass, that's not our job. Can't
say at this time, but next So.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
Here's what I would challenge anyone on supervision probation to consider.
If you think about your life and what has gone
on from the moment you were born from the moment
you decided to do whatever it is that you did,
join the street culture, whatever. Many times, the reason you
are where you are is because people kept letting things slide.
(14:58):
Your family, your mom, you dad, your auntie, whoever. You
stole a piece of gun from the store. Ah, he's
just young. We're gonna let that slide. We gonna let
that slide. Now he's still in the back of potatorships.
He just a boy being a boy. We're gonna let
that slide. So you weren't held accountable early in life,
so then when it started making a difference in you thirteen, fourteen,
(15:21):
fifteen and you're stealing stuff from the store, no one's
gonna let that slide. So if we start to hold
you accountable and make you hold yourself accountable for your choices,
then that starts the change process, the change process.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
So you're saying, part of what y'all want to do
is help people hold you. Gotta hold people accountable, so
you can't let some stuff slide, because part of the
change process is holding people accountable and correct me if
I'm wrong, But not just the probation officer holding him accountable,
(15:59):
but the person holding themselves accountable exactly as well. So
so k nothing, slide, k nothing. You gotta do what
you gotta do. You gotta report it to the court.
So let me ask you this. Let me ask you this.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
You know, you know how long you been being a
probation officer?
Speaker 4 (16:16):
Oh, seventeen years, ten months.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
So that's a long time. That's a long time.
Speaker 5 (16:23):
Twenty one day.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
So what made you become a probation officer?
Speaker 2 (16:26):
I mean you like shaking people down, You like locking
people up, You like putting brothers down on their back.
I mean you like telling, You be telling on people
or you, you know, because the probation office be telling
on people. You like telling known people. I mean, like
what made you become a PO? I mean, of all
things you could deal, Like what's your what's your degree in?
Speaker 1 (16:44):
You got a degree?
Speaker 4 (16:46):
I have several degrees and they have absolutely nothing to
do with probation. So my my journey into probation is
a little different from most officers. I actually started as
a street police officer. I was an officer for about
ten years, and I actually fell into probation. I fell
(17:06):
into it. There was a group of young ladies on
the police department that we all was like, Hey, let's
get out of the street piece of it, and then
let's do something different.
Speaker 5 (17:15):
We all applied. I got the slot.
Speaker 4 (17:18):
So in my journey, I have transition. It took a
minute for me to transition my brain from locking them
up to helping them when they come out. So what
I've seen over the course of my career is it
takes an individual to hold themselves accountable to be the
(17:41):
change they want to see in the world. So if
I'm the individual locking persons up because they're committing crimes,
because they're doing this, and I'm complaining about I'm locking
up the same people over and over again, I lock
them up, they get out, they're committing the same crimes.
I lock them up, and I'm complaining about it. Then,
and it's up to me to make a difference, to
(18:02):
see that change that I want to see, and probation
helps me do that. So probation helps me help other
individuals make the change so that they are not I
tell them at the beginning of my speech, my goal
for them in life is not to ever be on
that side of the table ever again. And whatever that means.
If that means you need assistance with employment, then We're
(18:26):
going to do what we need to do to get
you that job, training, to get you interviewing skills, to
get you the clothing that you need to do those
job interviews, or get that job.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
So you're telling me, you're telling me that as a
probation officer, you took the job because you wanted to
help people out. Yes, you want to help people. Yes,
And after seventeen years being on the job, you feel
(18:58):
like you're helping people.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
I don't help as many as I would like to help,
but I feel like if I've changed one individual throughout
the course of my career, I've done my job.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Okay, all right, so this is good. This is interesting.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
This is interesting because you know, the general perception is
that the probation officer.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Now, are you just an anomaly? Are you just.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Do you think majority of the probation officers care about
helping people out? I mean, I mean, I know, you
can't speak for everybody, you know, you can't speak for
probation officers around the world, you know, but you know, uh,
you know. But what you think from what you see
about the field, is it is it a field about
helping people or is it a field about helping people,
(19:44):
lifting people up or is it a field about putting
people down?
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Yeah, putting people down.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
As you said, I can't speak for everyone, but I
would speculate that the mass majority of the officers are
out for.
Speaker 5 (19:59):
The same cause, that is to assist.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
When you talk to some of my colleagues or watch
some of my colleagues, many of them are looking for
the programs to put people in. Many of them are
meeting the family and having those conversations with mom, with dad,
with girlfriends, with boyfriends, with children, to see what the
individual need, where they're lacking, and what is it that
(20:22):
probation can offer them to help them get over that hump.
Speaker 5 (20:26):
It's not.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
Just like with policing there's always ninety nine percent of
the force that are good. It's that one percent or
five percent, ninety five percent. It's only a small portion
of those careers that make the rest of us look bad.
So it may be one percent that is out to
(20:49):
lock everybody up or has had that situation, whereas now
they're tainted because something didn't go their way and they're
treating everybody bad. But that's usually, like I said, like
one percent. Maybe if I want to grow a little higher,
it's this very small percentage when you look at us
were across the country. I mean, and honestly, they're probation
(21:09):
officers across the world, their probation office in Germany and England,
and I personally believe that there's a small percentage that
I out to just lock people up.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Okay, all right, all right, So look that's interesting. That's interesting.
So look, if you at at home in podcast land,
if you auntie, if you uncle, if you big sister,
big brother, little brother, little sister, if you got a family,
if it's you, if you got a family member that's
on paper, they need to hear this podcast. They need
(21:46):
If this they second time on paper, this day's third
time on paper. You know they keep they never make
it off of paper. Man, this is this is it,
and this is you know, we need to spread the
word like we spread the word about when jay Z
got into it with Beyonce on the elevator. We need
to spread the word about this like we spread the
word about everything that's going on. Spread the word so
(22:07):
they can hear some of this this insight. Because this
is remember what I told job, this is intellectual radio
dot com.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
These ain't just regular conversation.
Speaker 2 (22:16):
You just can't get this on one O two point
seven on the local station. This is intellectual. This is
designed to make you think. This is designed to.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
Make you look.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
And if I can make you look, that that means
I made your processing and thinking.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
So so pass this on. So now let me ask
you this question.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Officer misofficer probation. What is and I'm gonna give you.
I'm gonna ask for your top two to three. What's
the number one thing you would suggest to anybody when
we talk about surviving the game. And remember the name
of this episode is surviving the game? How to make
(22:58):
it through probation? All right, Uh, surviving the game? What
are kind of like your top three? Give me like
your top your want number one, give me like your
third one.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Now we're gonna take it up to the top.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
If we can't take it up to the top three',
what's one thing that you would advise people to make
this thing happen? To make it through probation without having
getting revoked.
Speaker 5 (23:22):
Or violated, follow your conditions.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
Follow your conditions.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
Whatever your judge has deemed necessary for you to be
governed by for the amount of time that you are
on supervisoral ease are probation if it's a year, three years,
five years, eight, whatever the timeframe may be. Look at
your conditions and know them and just following condition.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
So follow my conditions. So my conditions say I can't
drink no alcohol, I gotta follow that. Yes, my conditions
say I can't leave the area without getting permission from
my probation office.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
I gotta follow that. Yes, but I'm grown. I gotta
follow that.
Speaker 5 (24:06):
You was grown when you was making the decisions to
be in the street.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
But I'm grown, so I still gotta follow that. Yes,
but I'm grown. Some stuff come up, and I might
want to go to Vegas, or my girl might want
to take me someplace. I gotta steal file. I still
gotta get permission from my provision.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
You have to get permission, get permission, and some of
our conditions are negotiable. So let's talk about your travel.
Since the travel is the thing that you bring. So
when you first come on to probation, your travel is
gonna be really tight. It's gonna be really stringent. You
(24:40):
you're gonna have to ask every single time you go somewhere.
But if you form that rapport with your officer. You
may be that one person that they say, all right,
just let me know that you're traveling. You don't necessarily
have to ask to go over to Indiana because it's
literally right there, to go to Wisconsin because it's a
little we right there.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
You may have gained the.
Speaker 4 (25:03):
Rapport with your officer to say, hey, officer, whatnot, I'm
going to Indiana today with my family. I'll be back
at five o'clock. That's not permission, but you're letting them know.
It's kind of like being in a relationship. You know, you
don't just up and go out of town without telling
your mom, your dad, your wife, your husband, whoever.
Speaker 5 (25:21):
You just let them know.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
And that could potentially be what happens with your officer
once you've established rapport, once you've let them know or
shown them through your actions that you're worthy to have
that privilege.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
So so so my condition say, I can't smoke weed,
but weed is legal, you know, so if i'm if
I'm on, if I'm on like like it's it's different offices,
it's like state county, but if it's if it's.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Like the federal the federal approbation.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Like they telling them, they telling me I can't smoke weed,
like but it's legal, so I still can't smoke weed.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
If I'm on federal probation, you may not be.
Speaker 5 (26:01):
Able to smoke weed on state or county probation.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
It's the fans is a little different because it's a
scheduled one drug and it's not legal federally. Even though
many states have legalized it, the federal government has not
legalized it. So if you're on federal supervision, it's all
illicit drugs.
Speaker 5 (26:19):
Any scheduled one drug you cannot use.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
You can't get a prescription for a scheduled one drug,
which is marijuana, So you can walk into your officer
and it's like, hey, I got a prescription. It doesn't
fly because that's not a prescription, and we could go
deep into that, but it's really not worth it right now.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Now.
Speaker 4 (26:37):
Even on the state and local level, you can still
be deemed not able to smoke marijuana if smoking marijuana
kind of enhances or contributes to the trouble that you're in.
If it's drinking alcohol. Alcohol has been legal for years,
but if drinking alcohol causes you to do things that
(26:57):
are contrary to being productive in society, the courts may
say you can't drink alcohol, so marijuana is the same thing,
same way, even on state and local.
Speaker 5 (27:07):
If it's something that.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Enhances your actions that are illegal, then the court may
say you can't have it.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
But they're not just veal.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
But I mean, part of the conditions is I can't
hang out with my cousin Juwel, Bug, Ron, Ron and Rodney.
But though my cousins, so you're telling me I can't
hang out with family, because that's that's what my conditions.
Speaker 4 (27:28):
If your conditions specifically say you can't hang out with them, yeah,
I'm sorry for the time that you're on supervisor release
that that's gonna be a problem.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
Now again, that's not to say that the.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
Entire time that you're on supervisor release you can't hang
out with them, but at least go with what is
said in the beginning. And it may be a situation
that down the line things have changed with you and
your behavior and what you're doing, the report you have
with your officer. Anything can change and you can go
back before the court and your officer, Like we tell
(28:00):
the court what you're doing that you're not supposed to
be doing. We're also your biggest cheerleader when you're doing
what you're supposed to be doing. So it could be
that the officer assists you and goes to court and say, hey,
your honor, he's been working, he's been staying out of trouble,
he has no positive drug screens, he's taking care of
his family, he's doing everything he's supposed to be doing.
(28:21):
And we feel as though at this point he can
hang out with Junebug on a limited basis.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
So just for if you just tuning in, this is Will.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
Smith, not the actor else sw likes in Clinical social
Worker and let me throw this in, let me pay
some bills. This show today is brought to you by
Cool Concepts Outside Ordinary Limits. We help people be better.
It's a therapeutic agency, Black on Black operated as well.
You can find them at seven o eight for zero
(28:54):
five nine five six' nine again seven zero eight for
zero five nine five six. Nine they accept insurances and
they accept. Cash mental health matters cool helping people be.
Better oh, yeah and we're right here you On Intellectual
radio Dot com and we're talking cool right. Here this
(29:17):
episode is Entitled surviving The Game probation and so we
got an officer king here she's been dropping, knowledge laying
down some nuggets It and if you do just want
to happen to call, in you can call in on
seven or eight two two three eight nine five. Three
that's seven zero eight two two, three eight nine five.
(29:40):
Three we do take some. Calls we won't be, long
but we will be. Strong we want to keep you
at home and let you know what's going.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
On so she's been dropping some knowledge about.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Doing what your conditions of say, so and then what?
Else what is some other advice you would give to
people to survive this thing called.
Speaker 4 (30:02):
Probation listen to and use your probation officer as your biggest.
Ally they know the ins and out of, Probation they
know what your conditions.
Speaker 5 (30:14):
Say they know how.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
To guide you through those conditions to make sure that
you are one doing what the court is saying that
you should, do to assisting you to become a better.
You and three your biggest advocate when it comes to
early termination or changing your conditions or getting that job
(30:36):
and being able to a minior of our guys like
to do cdo and they want to drive over the. Road,
well technically you're supposed to stay in the district while
you're on supervisor lease or in your area while you're
on supervisor. Lease so if you're using your officer to
the best of their abilities and listening to them and
help allowing them to guide your, journey it could be
(30:58):
that you do leave the state and drive two three
weeks out the month and then come back. In so
just use them for what they're there, for allow them
to assist, you and not think that they are there
just to punish you and send you back to.
Speaker 5 (31:15):
Prison, okay all?
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Right and then number, one number one she, said WELL
i heard her. Say, first she, said obey your, conditions
do whatever your conditions, say because remember we called the
name of this show is Called surviving The.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
Game surviving The, game.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
All, right and then she, said use your your probation,
officer listen to. Them so you saying you, said you,
saying don't be don't be, adversarial don't be arguing with,
them don't be you saying use the, insight you.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
Know like like like make them your.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
Friend not your friend in the respect that you all
are gonna go hang out after work and have drinks
or or anything like, that but they're not there as
an adversary in THE i have a serials. Connotation they're
there as your, adversary meaning that they're there to assist.
(32:08):
You they're there to walk you through this thing when
you have those, questions when you have those. CONCERNS a
lot of, times the probation officer may be the only
person that you can talk to about things going, on
because you can't just go to, mom, like, Hey i'm
having this issue with that issue without them judging. You
your probation officer is there to not, judge to listen
(32:28):
to what you're, saying and to help you work through
coming up with a solution for those, problems coming.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
Up with people that may help.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
You for, example If i'm an officer AND i don't
have the answer to your, QUESTION i can find out
for You, insteady you're trying to figure it out on
y'all and you have the what we call it, efforts
it's not working, Out so, Efic i'm just gonna do
WHAT i know to. Do before you do, that ask your.
Officer they can sit down and potentially walk you through
(33:00):
a help you figure out the best course of action
in most.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Situations, okay all, Right so WHAT i THINK i hear you,
Saying Officer king is the advice would be is use
your probation officer to your.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Advantage you, know.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Use their, knowledge get their, insight and went in, doubt
talk it out with your probation.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
Officer, yeah went in, doubt talk.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
IT i don't just wing, it because when you wing,
it then next, thing you, know you in court and
you gotta sing it to the judge that you sorry and.
Everything don't just wing. It so you're gonna have to
go sing. It win in, doubt talk it out with
your probation, officer and.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
That way they can help you work it.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Out so you won't be a violation of your conditions
or your. Probation and, so now as we start to
wind down a little, bit what's your number? One do
you have a number one thing that you would recommend
to people on.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Probation survive the, game, fellas just gotta survive the.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
Game it's ain't about how you want to do, it
how you think it should be.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Done we dropping, knowledge we dropping.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
Wisdom because you're trying to get from one point to,
another and a lot of people one of the most
important things to do they want to get this probation
off their. Back and so what's your number one.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
Thing.
Speaker 4 (34:17):
A change in thinking and giving probation a. Chance and
WHAT i mean by that is most of our guys
come to probation or are on some type of probation
based on the way they think or the way they
thought during the times when they were engaged in whatever
criminal activity it. Was if you have the open mindset
(34:40):
going into, probation allowing the change process to, happen and
not going in kicking and, screaming then you will be
successful to.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Wait stoping you that you, said go in kicking and.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
Screaming what does that look like when you when somebody
get out of prison and they come and they got
a meet with, you and you say kicking and, screaming
like paint the, picture like what's kicking and?
Speaker 4 (35:04):
SCREAMING i have had individuals come in in day. One
just send me back to, Jail just let me flatten
out my. TIME i don't want to do. This it
doesn't work like, that because even if you violate and
go back to, prison, jail whatever you wanna call, it
you still may have supervisor release when you come back.
Out supervision or probation is a part of your. Sentence
(35:26):
it is not separate from the. Sentence so if your
sentence to twenty years plus probation or plus supervised, release
it's all one. Sentence it's NOT i can flatten out
and do instead of getting day for, day good time
or whatever the good time is and come out with eighty.
PERCENT i can just do the whole one hundred percent
AND i have probation. Afterwards you still got. Probation so
(35:49):
let that notion. Go we are, Here just let that.
Go know that it's going to.
Speaker 5 (35:54):
Happen.
Speaker 4 (35:55):
Relax let us do with you what we need to.
Do and the biggest thing is. Cognitions and when we
talk about, cognitions cognitions mean the way you think is
your thinking. Process and if we can assist you in that.
Change if you're coming in with the, efforts if you're
coming in thinking you above the, law you can get
(36:15):
away with. Anything we need to work through that because
it didn't work for you. Before so what makes you
think is gonna work. NOW a lot of that thought
process is what got you to be on that side
of the.
Speaker 5 (36:26):
Table so if.
Speaker 4 (36:27):
You help us help you in your thinking, process the
rest of, it it all falls in.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Line oh, ah that's some intellectual stuff right. There that's
some intellectual stuff right. There that's why we On Intellectual
radio Dot, com you, know the, largest the, biggest the
baddest black on pod cast station in the. Nation that's
why we're here because we're here to make you. Think all,
(36:56):
Right we're here to make you. Think so what she
said is coming to the. Office, cats when you get
off of when you get out of, prison you halfway.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Home you almost, there all.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
Right what she's saying is when you come, out come
out with an attitude of. Gratitude you know What i'm,
saying and understanding That i'm a work in.
Speaker 1 (37:16):
PROGRESS i still got some THINGS i need to.
Speaker 2 (37:18):
Do and even THOUGH i don't like being on, paper remember,
this this is called surviving the.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
Game this episode is called surviving the.
Speaker 2 (37:26):
Game and you not gonna survive kicking and screaming and
bucking and jiving the po because the truth always comes
to light always because but she, said she said some
concepts that are, ooh that's difficult for us that we she,
said be honest with your probation. Officer that's hard to,
do to be honest with your probation, officer because you,
(37:49):
know we naturally anti law, enforcement we anti, police we anti.
Probation you know they that we think they gonna send us.
Back BUT i heard her say that if you're honest with,
us if you let us know what's really going, on
THAT i hear you.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Say we might be able to help you.
Speaker 5 (38:07):
Out that is.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Correct, well look y'all be on people back though about
not having a.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
Job do y'all help people get? JOBS i, mean that's
that's what y'all they've been locked. Up it is.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
Easy first thing is say you gotta have a. Job
gotta have a, job you, know do y'all help people get?
Job y'all got jobs to get people, ways that's what's.
Up y'all got some jobs to get people that that's
what parents be acting, acting that's.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
What and you got a job for.
Speaker 4 (38:27):
Me so let's back up this job. Thing let's take
it back to you being. Incarcerated part of you helping
us help you with getting a job is that you
do the work on the inside while you're in behind
whatever doors doing, whatever instead of sitting in your room doing.
Nothing start, programming start preparing yourself to come out of that.
(38:49):
Institution that means if they have job, readiness if they
have any skills.
Speaker 5 (38:53):
That you can.
Speaker 4 (38:54):
Take think, About, hey what DO i want to do
WHEN i come? Out DO i want to go into?
Computers DO i want to go into? Carpentry whatever it.
Is if your institution offers, that you need to take those.
Classes that, way when you come, out you are more
marketable because you already got to strike against. You you
have a, Background you have been. Incarcerated most of our
(39:15):
guys they've been incarcerated more than one. Time they've been arrested, eight, nine,
ten fifteen. Times so we need to get over that.
Hurdle and you have to give us something to work.
With so if you start planning for your release before
that time, comes that gives us more to work. With,
now do we have jobs to give? You, no we
do not have literal jobs to give. You can we
(39:37):
assist you in obtaining a? Job, yes we can assist
you with getting that job by assisting you writing your,
resume by doing mock, interviews helping you get through that interview,
process helping you answer those tough questions of have you
ever been? Incarcerated that question is going to come. Up
have you ever been convicted of a? Felony that question
(40:00):
is going to come. Up why is there such a
gap in your employment that question is going to come.
Speaker 5 (40:06):
Up so, yes.
Speaker 4 (40:07):
We will assist you in those tools that will allow
you to answer those questions and don't look like a
deer caught in headlights when it comes. Up we have
resource fairs where we bring in sixty seventy different agencies
to assist you in getting that. Employment but, again we
(40:27):
can't want you to be employed more than you want
to be. EMPLOYED i can't want you to be successful
on supervision more than you want to be successful on.
Supervision this, is as one of my colleagues used to,
say this is grown man. Supervision it's up to you
to do the. Work we're just there to assist you
getting over some of those.
Speaker 1 (40:47):
Hurdles, god that's.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
Powerful so many, nuggets you dropping so many. Nuggets when
we talk about surviving the, games she, said we can't want,
it the probation officers can't want. It then you want.
It oh that's powerful right. There you gotta want. It
you gotta want to survive the. Game not just we're
in a. Pass not just. Survive we're talking about. Thriving
(41:11):
SO i HEARD i heard her say something, about you,
know going to a training for job training and completing
a resume and interviewing and stuff like. That and AND
i think that a lot of people think that they
got it, covered they got it figured it. Out but
if you ain't never had a real, job you ain't
(41:32):
never interview but you don't want to go to an interview,
class to a job skills, class then you're not setting
yourself up to survive this. Game and then you wonder
why nobody is hiring you if you want to wear your,
kakis if you want to wear your blue, jeans if
you want to wear your timbulance to the job interview
and a button, Up and then you wonder why it's just.
(41:54):
MacDonald's it's just a factory, job it's just a, warehouse
and you wonder why they're not hiring. You maybe it's
because you didn't put your best foot. Forward SO i
think the probation officers they recommend if you've been, incarcerated
because little things mean a. Lot and you think that
(42:16):
you're not getting the job because you got a criminal,
history but maybe you not getting the job because of
what she. Said you don't want it bad, enough your
mindset ain't, right and you're treating it like it's just
a little nick knack. Job but the next brother who
got the, job who got. Hired maybe he put on
his shirt and, Tie maybe he put on some penny
(42:39):
loafers or some casual, shoes and he came in on,
time and he looked like it was more than just
a factory.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
Job he put his best foot. Forward and guess.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
What maybe his criminal record is more extensive than. Yours
but he's playing the game the right.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
Way.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Now he's elevating and you are. Stagnating, OOH i like.
That he's elevating and you are. Stagnating you, know y'all
gonna hear me rhyme a. Lot that used to be
a rapper back in the, Day so it's kind of.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
NATURAL i can't help. It so, Enclosing, officer.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Is there anything with seventeen years of have you seen
people be able to? CHANGE i mean the worst of the.
WORST i mean the people who come into. You they've
been locked, up they been institutional, lives ain't never had a,
job fed, no very little family, support very little. Desk
have you seen them be able to make a change
(43:38):
or are they just lost in?
Speaker 1 (43:39):
Limbo talk to, me.
Speaker 4 (43:41):
Officer of, course WHEN i say we am speaking specifically about,
ME i have a guy right now that he started,
supervision AND i promise YOU i believe that he would
be locked up two or three times before he actually completed.
Supervision he Will my term of knucklehead wasn't listening smoking.
Speaker 5 (44:05):
Weed every day all.
Speaker 4 (44:07):
Day penny anti Jobs and By Penny, ANNIE i mean
they may have, existed they may not, have just not
adhering to anything that we. Said and we had a
come To jesus meeting and they had that conversation and
had the the give gave him the understanding that many
of the skills that our guys have in the, streets
(44:28):
many of the things that they've done in the, streets
the selling, drugs the leading, gangs the whatever it is
that they have, done some of those skills translates to Corporate.
America so if we can hone in on those skills
and get you into job placement or from your own
(44:50):
company that uses those, skills, legitimately you can be. Successful
and when he realized that some of the skills that
he had and we got him into the right, job
we got him into treatment be it for. Him it
was both mental health and substance abuse. Treatment he on
the verge right now of getting early term and early. Termination,
(45:12):
wow early. Termination and this is a, guy, honestly THAT
i had little hope for when WHEN i sat down
and spoke with. Him And i'm not talking about the first.
Meeting i'm talking about several meetings several, months took him
back to, court he had to go back before his.
Judge but when that light came on and he realized
That i'm not here to put you back in, Prison
(45:32):
i'm actually here to assist, you it's been up an
uphill climb ever since he's BEEN i talked to his
family just two weeks, ago and they are one hundred
percent pleased that where he is in life right. Now
he has children that he's taken care, of he is
in a steady, relationship he's, working he's taking his mental health.
Mess he hasn't. Smoked he's been cleaned now for over a.
(45:53):
Year so you, know we have success.
Speaker 2 (45:56):
Stories success, STORIES i, mean and that's a story right,
there because IF i heard you, correctly you said he
not only gonna complete his, probation it's a strong possibility
he gonna get off.
Speaker 1 (46:09):
Early. Yep oh, man it ain't.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Nothing you, know for some people who have been in
the system since they was, twelve and we ain't even
counting THE dcf system that you.
Speaker 1 (46:18):
Was a part. Of you KNOW dcfs, system.
Speaker 2 (46:21):
Then the group homes and then you Know juve and
next thing you, know you in state and then you in,
feeds you in, state you in fez show all your.
Life so to have to finally get to the point
where you you don't have just a system on your, back,
man that's an. Accomplishment that's an. Accomplishment AND i heard
(46:44):
officer say that when you realize that probation is not
there to hold you, down but to help you, out
that's when the light switch.
Speaker 1 (46:58):
Flipped and he.
Speaker 2 (46:59):
Went and then got a lot of services that normally
he would have, SAID i don't need. That i'm a
buck THAT i don't feel like doing.
Speaker 1 (47:07):
That and now look at. Him now he got a,
woman he got a, job he got family.
Speaker 2 (47:14):
Support and he got AND i heard The office Of
probation officers say that they advocate for you in court
when things are going. Well she, said we go in
court and we'll tell the judge man been doing, phenomenal
and we recommend we are not opposed to this person
being let off probation.
Speaker 1 (47:34):
Early, man that's.
Speaker 2 (47:36):
Powerful surviving The, game good people is what this thing
is all.
Speaker 1 (47:42):
About and so you know.
Speaker 2 (47:44):
Again this Is Will smith On Talking Cool we On
Intellectual radio Dot. Com this episode has been Entitled surviving The, game.
Guys and no matter what you've been, through no matter
what you've been, doing no matter.
Speaker 1 (47:59):
If you like you know.
Speaker 2 (47:59):
This This the movie With Eddie murphy And Mark lawrence
was Called. Life you're talking about Somebody casey And. Jojo
somebody gave Me, Life Live.
Speaker 1 (48:11):
Live you're supposed to Go Life.
Speaker 2 (48:12):
LIVE i guess was supposed to do the, background but
she wasn't ready for. That the low Was, life and
it was this character in there called can't get. Right
so even if you for the last several years just
can't get, right, man you this opportunity is never too
late to turn around and you can be as successful
(48:34):
as you want to. Be and she, said no matter
what's going, on if you're doing the right, thing if
you're doing the right, thing if you doing your conditions
the supervised, release your probation officer can't violate. You if
you're doing what you're supposed to, do if you're not getting,
arrested your probation officer can't violate.
Speaker 1 (48:52):
You they can't hold you.
Speaker 2 (48:53):
Back and if you are getting the job and getting
educated and getting some, skills your probation.
Speaker 1 (48:59):
Officer can't hold you.
Speaker 2 (49:01):
Back so even if you think the probation officer has
a lot to do with, it if you think that
your probation officer passed the keys to the kingdom and
you trying to get to heaven and they won't let you,
in even if you think. That as we close this,
(49:21):
Show i'm gonna leave you with the QUOTE i leave
you with at the end of every SHOW W. E.
B The boy, said there's no stronger force known to
the world than a man determined to? Rise are you
determined to? Rise producer play My thing
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