Karen McNeil, 56, of Giles County, had a four-month probationary period extended into two years by a private probationary company. (Photo: Submitted)Karen McNeil was arrested in 2015 for the misdemeanor offense of driving on a revoked license in Giles County, Tennessee. What happened next nearly broke her.
Sentenced to four months of probation under the supervision of a private, for-profit company, McNeil’s life soon revolved around the demands of her probation officer.
Charged fees she could not afford, McNeil was threatened with re-arrest if she did not pay. She lost her home after paying fees instead of rent. Then she sold even the tent she was living in. McNeil relies solely on disability payments and food stamps for income. The officer insisted on in-person check-ins. McNeil often had to walk the 3 miles from her home to the probation office.
When she missed monthly payments, her probation officer had her rearrested. Convicted of violating probation, she was sentenced to more months of probation – a cycle that was on repeat. McNeil was also subject to repeated random drug testing, often in an open bathroom in the presence of a male probation officer. Each drug test came with a price tag that McNeil was also expected to pay.
The four months of probation stretched to more than two years.