I’ve been charged with Breach of Probation. What do I need to know?
Breach of Probation means that you did not follow the rules of your .
Probation is a type of the judge can give you after you're found guilty of a crime. Probation includes rules about what you cannot do and about what you must do. Those rules are called your “probation order”.
A probation order can have rules about what you cannot do. For example, the order may say that you cannot:
- have or carry weapons
- go to certain places
- communicate with certain people
- leave the province or your city
- drink alcohol or take drugs
A probation order can also have rules about what you must do. For example, the order may say that you must:
- attend court when you're supposed to
- follow the instructions of your probation officer
- keep the peace and behave well
- complete a certain number of community service hours
- attend a drug treatment program
- occasionally provide a urine sample to see if you've been taking drugs
You commit the crime of Breach of Probation if you break any of your probation rules on purpose. You also commit the crime if you break the rules by accident, but the accident happened because you weren't being careful enough about the rules.
The maximum sentence for Breach of Probation is 2 years in jail and a $5,000 fine.
