Do police keep tabs on you?

Yes, but there are usually rules for tapping a phone line, such as restrictions on time so that law enforcement can’t listen indefinitely. The police are also supposed to limit wiretapping to telephone conversations that will probably result in evidence for their case.

How does a felony conviction affect your life?

Not only can it have a lasting impact on your life, but it can also lead to the loss of basic civil rights (such the right to vote, sit on a jury, and to own, possess, or use a firearm). Convicted felons can also be barred from certain jobs (including law enforcement, the school system, and health care).

Can police monitor your cell phone?

In most of the United States, police can get many kinds of cellphone data without obtaining a warrant. Law-enforcement records show police can use initial data from a tower dump to ask for another court order for more information, including addresses, billing records and logs of calls, texts and locations.

Can police look through your texts?

Generally speaking, police can’t seize any private communications without a warrant. They can’t wiretap telephone conversations, read emails, or read text messages without consent of at least one of the parties of such communications.

Can a felon serve probation and not go to prison?

In other words, a felon may serve some prison time first, then be released on probation. But by and large, probation is a method of allowing a felon to “skip” prison time, so long as the circumstances of their crime were not severe enough to warrant it.

How many years can a convicted felon serve in prison?

It’s not unusual for a convicted felon to spent several years in prison. At the extreme end of this spectrum, one may serve a life sentence…or more. Convicted child rapist Charles Scott Robinson was given a sentence of 30,000 years…5,000 years for each count he was convicted of.

What challenges do felons face in their life after prison?

Another difficult task felons face in their life after prison is finding a place to live. Many landlords refuse to rent to former convicts as they are not a protected class of citizens.

What does it mean when a felon is inactive?

If the felon isn’t required to report in, they are on an “inactive status,” because it was deemed that their crime doesn’t warrant such restrictions as reporting in all the time. Sometimes a felon on probation begins on active supervision but then moves to inactive after establishing a reliable pattern of being trustworthy.