FAQs

Q: What is the procedure for the drug testing program also known as Code-A-Phone Answering Service?

Answer

Code-A-Phone is a random urinalysis system that requires participants to call the hotline on a daily basis, listen for a designated number and report to the required location on the specified day for submission. You are to remember your designated number to ensure you report on the proper day.

Q: How can I have my probation/supervised release terminated early?

Answer

You are eligible to request early termination from probation or supervised release under the following circumstances:

After you have completed at least one year of supervision, your attorney can petition the Court, or
After you have completed at least 18 months of supervision, you can request early termination through your U.S. Probation Officer.

If you have been convicted of a serious felony and/or have a history of violence, your case will not be considered for early termination.

Q: I have a family member/friend who is scheduled to be released from prison. They were convicted in federal court in another district or state but want to reside in the Middle District of Louisiana. How can his/her case be transferred?

Answer

The offender must request transfer of jurisdiction through his/her Bureau of Prisons Case Manager. When the request is made by the case manager, the U.S. Probation Office will conduct an investigation to determine whether the offender may transfer and report its findings to the Bureau of Prisons. The transfer of jurisdiction may only occur with approval from the district that would receive and supervise the offender.

Q: If I am convicted of a Federal crime, can I or a family member own or possess a firearm?

Answer

An individual convicted of a felony offense is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Possession of a firearm by a family member living in the same residence as a convicted felon could constitute constructive possession, which may violate federal law.

Q: How do I have my conviction expunged?

Answer

Federal convictions cannot be expunged. However, you may apply for a Presidential Pardon. Any person convicted of a felony in Federal court is eligible to file a petition for a Presidential Pardon under the following circumstances, although some exceptions may apply:

The individual is no longer serving the sentence and is not under parole, probation, or supervised release;
Five years have passed since release from confinement or if confinement was not imposed, five years from the date of conviction; and
A waiting period of seven years is required for more serious offenses, including violations of narcotic laws, income tax laws, perjury, violation of public trust involving dishonesty, violent crimes, gun control laws, fraud involving substantial sums of money, violations involving organized crime, and other crimes of a serious nature.

It is strongly recommended that you consult with an attorney to assist you with the process. Pardon applications may be obtained by making a written request to the Office of the Pardon Attorney, at the following address:

Office of the Pardon Attorney United States Department of Justice 1425 New York Ave NW, Suite 11000, Washington, DC 20530.

Q: If I am convicted of a felony in Federal court, can I vote?

Answer

In all but two states (Vermont and Maine), voting age citizens convicted of a felony are barred from voting for at least some period of time. Restrictions on a felon's right to vote are summarized below:

Voting rights retained while incarcerated for a felony conviction in: Maine and Vermont.

Voting rights restored automatically upon release from prison in: The District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Utah.

Voting rights restored automatically once released from prison and discharged from parole (probationers can vote) in: California, Colorado, Connecticut, New York, and South Dakota.

Voting rights restored automatically upon completion of sentence, including prison, parole, and probation in: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Voting rights restoration is dependent on the type of conviction and/or the outcome of an individual petition or application to the government in: Alabama, Delaware, Mississippi, Nevada, Tennessee, and Wyoming.

Voting rights can only be restored through an individual petition or application to the government in: Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, and Virginia.

Q: Where can I find the probation or pretrial service office mailing address?

Answer

U.S. Probation

777 Florida Street Suite 161

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Q: What is the presentence investigation phase of a case?

Answer

Presentence investigation occurs after a defendant enters a plea of guilty to a federal offense or is convicted by trial. During this phase, a probation officer interviews the defendant to gather information on the defendant's background. From the interviews and investigation, the probation officer prepares a presentence report for the judge to use to determine the appopriate sentence for the defendant.

Read more about presentence investigation.

Q: What is supervision?

Answer

Supervision in the federal system is:

A core responsibility of U.S. probation and pretrial services officers, along with investigation.
A way to monitor the activities and behavior of people released to the community by the federal courts or paroling authorities.
An opportunity to help offenders reintegrate into the community following a period of incarceration.
In the case of probation, a punishment that is less severe than imprisonment, but still holds people accountable for breaking the law.
An alternative to jail or prison that costs less than incarceration and gives people charged with or convicted of federal crimes the opportunity to live with their families, hold jobs, and be productive members of society.

Read more about supervision.

Q: Where can I find information about the district court’s judges and magistrate judges?

Answer

You can find information on federal judges (district and magistrate judges) on the following website:

http://www.lamd.uscourts.gov/

Q: If I am convicted of a Federal crime, am I permitted to hunt?

Answer

An individual convicted of a felony offense is prohibited from possessing a firearm under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), but is not prohibited from hunting consistent with state regulations.

Provided that they are not subject to probation/supervised release conditions prohibiting the possession of a dangerous weapon, felons may hunt with bows and/or black powder rifles.

Q: I have been found guilty in Federal Court, what happens next?

Answer

Most likely the judge has ordered a presentence report that will be used at your sentencing hearing. Your case will be assigned to a U.S. Probation Officer for the preparation of the presentence report, which will include a personal interview with you.

Q: I am an employer and I want to know if a prospective employee has been convicted of a crime, can you run a background check?

Answer

The U.S. Probation Office is restricted from disclosing information to the public. However, most convictions are generally available in public records. These records are maintained by the U.S. District Court Clerk.

Q: How do I get a certified copy of a document?

Answer

You may request a certified copy of a document by contacting the clerk’s office at 225-389-3500.

Q: I have a friend/family member who is in prison. How do I find out where he is being held?

Answer

If your friend/family member was convicted in Federal court, he most likely is held in a prison operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. This information is publicly available via the Federal Bureau of Prisons website with the Inmate Locator.

Q: What are the standard conditions of probation the court must impose?

Answer

Standard Conditions of Supervision

The defendant shall not leave the judicial district without permission of the Court or probation officer;

The defendant shall report to the probation officer in a manner and frequency directed by the court or probation officer;

The defendant shall answer truthfully all inquiries by the probation officer and follow the instructions of the probation officer;

The defendant shall support his/her dependents and meet other family responsibilities;

The defendant shall work regularly at a lawful occupation unless excused by the probation officer for schooling, training or other acceptable reasons;

The defendant shall notify the probation officer within seventy-two hours of any change of residence or employment;

The defendant shall refrain from excessive use of alcohol and shall not purchase, possess, use, distribute, or administer any narcotic or other controlled substance, or any paraphernalia related to such substances, except as prescribed by a physician;

The defendant shall not frequent places where controlled substances are illegally sold, used, distributed, or administered;

The defendant shall not associate with any persons engaged in criminal activity, and shall not associate with any person convicted of a felony unless granted permission to do so by the probation officer;

The defendant shall permit a probation officer to visit at any time at home or elsewhere and shall permit confiscation of any contraband observed in plain view by the probation officer;

The defendant shall notify the probation officer within seventy-two hours of being arrested or questioned by a law enforcement officer;

The defendant shall not enter into any agreement to act as an informer or special agent of a law enforcement agency without the permission of the Court;

As directed by the probation officer, the defendant shall notify third parties of risks that may be occasioned by his/her criminal record or personal history or characteristics, and shall permit the probation officer to make such notifications and to confirm his/her compliance with such notification requirement.

Q: I am on probation/supervised release. Am I allowed to leave the state?

Answer

The Middle District of Louisiana is comprised of the following parishes: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, Saint Helena, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana. You are allowed to travel freely within these parishes. Unless you are given permission in advance by the judge in your case, any requests to travel outside of these parishes must be approved in advance by your U.S. Probation Officer.

Failure to do so may result in a violation of your supervision.

Q: I have been released from federal prison, how soon do I have to report for supervision?

Answer

Once released from custody, you are required to report to your assigned Probation Officer within 72 hours of release, which includes weekends and holidays. Please call (225) 389-3600 between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, for instructions on where to report. If you have been convicted in another district, please contact the U.S. Probation Office in the district in which you have been convicted.

Failure to report will constitute grounds for a violation of supervised release.

Q: I know of a family member who is on Federal probation/supervised release, can you tell me what crime they committed?

Answer

The U.S. Probation Office is restricted from disclosing information to the public, which includes family members. However, most convictions can be found in public records. These public records are maintained by the U.S. District Court Clerk.

Q: I have been sentenced and am waiting to be told where to report to serve my sentence. Do I report to my U.S. Probation Officer until I am assigned to a prison?

Answer

If you were released on bond with pretrial supervision, you are still required to report to your U.S. Pretrial Services Agency Officer until you report to prison. Failure to abide by these conditions after sentencing could result in arrest and remand for immediate service of the sentence.

Q: I am owed court-ordered restitution, who do I contact to get my money?

Answer

The U.S. Probation Office is not authorized to release information regarding payments received and distributed by criminal defendants. Please contact the U.S. District Court Clerk for information if you believe you are owed court-ordered restitution.

Q: I owe restitution for my crime. Who do I pay?

Answer

All payments for fines, restitution and special assessments ordered by the judge in your case are to be paid to the U.S. District Court Clerk in the district in which you were convicted. Please include your name and case number on your cashier’s check or money order.

Acceptable forms of payment are cashier's check, money order, VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and Diner's Club. No personal checks or cash are accepted. All checks are to be payable to "U.S. Courts." Rejected ACH transactions are subject to returned check fees. If you choose to use ACH for payments, please verify your account has sufficient funds and is set up to allow ACH debits. When a credit card is used, the person using card must be cardholder and present a picture ID. Card must be presented. The court cannot accept card numbers over the telephone, by fax, or written on paper.

An order from the court is necessary to withdraw any monies that have been deposited with the court.

Q: Can I receive mental health treatment while on pretrial supervision?

Answer

Yes. If you have a condition for mental health treatment, you may participate in mental health treatment while on pretrial supervision. Should you be placed on probation or supervised release, and you need to continued mental health treatment, you may continue treatment under the post-conviction side.

Q: My loved one is supposed to be released from custody soon and an officer was in the process of completing a home inspection. What is the inspection status, and when can he/she stay with me?

Answer

Contact your Probation Officer at 225-389-3600.

Q: What is supervised release?

Answer

Federal supervised release is a period of restricted freedom following a prison sentence, where a person is supervised by a probation officer and must abide by specific conditions set by the Court.

Q: Am I able to obtain my TWIC card?

Answer

To apply for a TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential Card), you'll need to complete an online application, schedule an appointment at an enrollment center, provide required documentation and biometrics (finderprints and photo), and pay the application fee. The Transportation Secuirty Administration (TSA) requires that a person under supervision be 12 months (1 year) removed from incarceration before being approved for a TWIC.

Q: Will I get credit for the time I’ve already served?

Answer

It depends. If you have pending city or state cases, the time you’ve served, or are still serving, could be going towards one of those sentences and not your federal sentence. The federal judge does not have the authority to grant you credit for time served – that is the responsibility of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The federal judge can order your sentence concurrent or consecutive to other existing or pending sentences, but this only affects time to be served in the future after federal sentencing, not time you’ve already served.

Q: What will my guidelines be?

Answer

No one knows for sure until the judge makes his rulings at sentencing. Your attorney may give you an estimate, but it is not definitive, nor is it a reflection of what sentence you will receive. The presentence report will calculate your guidelines, and that information is more reliable than any estimates, but it may change as well. Ultimately, your guidelines and sentence will not be made final until sentencing and by no one other than the judge.

Q: Do you know of any programs that can possibly assist with housing in the area?

Answer

Volunteers of America https://www.voascla.org/ & (225) 925-2372 and Capital Area Human Services https://cahsd.org/ & 1-844-452-2133

Q: I don’t have reliable transportation to get to treatment, what can I do?

Answer

Medicaid transportation will assist. Call the number on back of your Medicaid card and set up transportation a day or two before the appointment.

Q: I went to mental health treatment years ago; however, I recently have been dealing with a stress and grief, can I return to treatment after the condition has been satisfied?

Answer

Yes. You may return to treatment after a condition has been satisfied. However, because there has been a significant time since treatment has been provided, the vendor will need to complete a new mental health assessment and psychiatric evaluation to assess any risk and needs.

United States Probation and Pretrial Services

Middle District of Louisiana

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FAQs