Tag: probation

Navigating A Probation Drug Test: Ultimate Guide To Passing With Confidence – Panel Tests Explained

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 Whether you’re on supervised or unsupervised probation, there will be rules you have to follow. This includes a potential probation drug test at regular interviews, or with suspicion of breaking the terms of your probation.

But don’t worry, we have got you covered fully in the next five minutes. Everything you need to know about drug testing for probation. What probation drug tests look for, the number of panels on the test, what happens when you fail, and how to mitigate failure the best way.

Plus, I’ll tell you exactly how to pass a probation drug test every single time, so you can stop worrying about failure

Drug Testing For Probation: How It Works In The USA

The first thing to understand is that probation can work slightly differently in each state in the USA, due to the nature of the state vs federal system. On top of that, obviously each situation is individual. Plus, judges and how the courts act can be different as well.

So please don’t take everything I say is black and white and definitely going to happen. Be aware of everything, so you don’t get caught out with whatever arises in your own personal situation.

Generally, the goals of probation across the USA are:

  • Minimize prisoner occupancy levels
  • Promote rehabilitation
  • Ensure probation compliance
  • Encourage progress within society
  • Act as a deterrent (suspended sentences)

How Often Are You Drug Tested On Probation?

Ultimately, there’s absolutely no hard and fast rule about when you are drug tested on probation. How often, and when, will depend on a multitude of factors. This can also include the offence you are found guilty of, how you behave and the lifestyle you keep while on probation.

You’ll know the terms of your probation through the documents given to you before the probation starts though.

Generally, you must obviously be compliant with these terms, including any drug testing.

Drug testing on probation can be:

  • Entirely random
  • On a fixed schedule
  • With suspicion
  • Court ordered

Combine all that together, and it’s impossible to predict fully. But ensuring good behavior, minimizing suspicion, and getting a good rapport with the probation officer/service you are working with will all minimize your chances of being drug tested frequently.

What Panel Drug Test Does Probation Use?

When it comes to knowing the panel drug test probation uses, it’s usually a standard 5 panel urine drug test in most situations, either administered through a court or probation drug testing location (some courts have testing on-site) or at a third-party drug testing company location.

Sometimes it can be a mouth swab 5 panel test, but this is actually quite unusual due to the short period of time that drugs are detectable in saliva. But if there is drug testing on-site at the court or probation office, then it can be used.

In terms of what the probation drug test tests for, it’s usually:

  • PCP
  • Marijuana
  • Cocaine
  • Methamphetamine/amphetamine
  • Opiates

What Do Probation Drug Test For (Is It A Fixed Set Of Drugs)?

Having told you it’s the standard five panel drug test, a fixed set of substances to look for, I want to give you a warning. You cannot assume it’s going to be a standard test. You will NOT know in advance what number of panels your sample will be tested against.

So even though overwhelmingly it will just be the standard five panel test, you could face a more stringent drug test, depending on the situation.

What Happens If You Fail A Drug Test On Probation

Failing a drug test on probation can have different outcomes, depending on whether it’s your first failed drug test and the nature of failing. Generally, though, these are the things that come into play that will be considered in the proceedings.

  1. Probation violation hearing

Your probation officer will almost certainly schedule a probation violation hearing. You might get away with it if it’s minor, but depending on the circumstances, this could be a full court hearing with a judge.

The judge will take in consideration things like the severity, type of drugs, scenario they were consumed in, and your general compliance with your probation so far.

Obviously the nature of your previous crime and your attitude will come into play here as well.

  1. Face the consequences

The hearing will produce an outcome, and consequences for failing a drug test. For a first-time offence, and depending on other circumstances, it might just be a warning. But there will be strings attached.

You could have your probation contract re-written, making it stricter, and therefore have the terms of your probation changed.

The judge could increase community service hours, increase the number of meetings with your probation officer, order unscheduled home visits from the probation service, and also increase drug testing.

Obviously, depending on the circumstances, this could extend to canceling probation and triggering increased jail time.

  1. Individual factors are considered

The truth is the nature of the crime will matter, as will your personal circumstances.

If they catch you smoking cannabis and it’s your first offense, and you are a family man doing well, you’re unlikely to get anything more than a warning.

Coming into play as well will be the severity of your initial offense that put you on probation in the first place. If you’re on probation for a previous drug use and violent disorder, don’t expect a second chance.

How To Stand The Best Chance Of A Lenient Response

Drug testing probation doesn’t follow a strict process after failure. There are obviously guidelines and normal circumstances from previous experience, but your personal circumstances and the nature of the offense will matter.

To stand the best chance of a lenient response, ensure the following:

  1. Acknowledge your mistake. If necessary use it as a call for help, and ask for help.
  2. If inpatient rehab, outpatient programs, support groups, or other support is on offer, ask for it. It shows remorse and proactive behavior.
  3. Always demonstrate genuine sorrow, even if you aren’t.
  4. Always be informed and prepared. Understand the processes and your rights. Make sure that you consult with an attorney or expert if needed.
  5. Remember that your probation can be revoked on the spot. You’ll be arrested, the warrant is cleared, meaning a requirement to post another bond, and you’ll go right back to the start again. Make sure you understand your legal rights, and do everything possible to avoid this.

Drug Testing & Unsupervised Probation

Unsupervised probation shows more leniency towards minor crimes where you were borderline on being under supervised probation or getting jail time. In terms of the conditions of your probation, and drug testing, these will usually also be more lenient.

You’ll still get terms for your probation, it will talk about drug testing, so you will know where you will stand. Usually, this is a standard clause about drug testing, regardless of the type of probation you are on.

Remember as well, whether it’s supervised or unsupervised, that alcohol testing might also come into play. With unsupervised probation, it’s not a free pass. It also doesn’t mean there are no consequences and you should just carry on doing what you like.

You can be checked up on and drug testing in exactly the same way as with supervised probation. The fact that you aren’t regularly scrutinized or tested doesn’t mean it can’t happen.

How To Pass A Probation Drug Test

The probation drug test is usually a urine sample drug test. Also, when it comes to knowing what panel drug test does probation use, it’s a five panel test.

In fact, everything about it is standard, in terms of the number of panels and the substances looked for, so knowing how to pass a probation drug test is pretty straightforward.

Here’s how you can pass a standard 5 panel drug test on probation:

  1. Synthetic urine

Synthetic Urine is the best way to pass, if the test is unsupervised. However, on probation tests can be supervised, so you need to know in advance of submitting your sample. The best on the market is called Quick Luck, from Clear Choice. It has the characteristics to pass even the most modern drug testing scrutiny.

On top of that, it uses heat activator powder rather than a heatpad to maintain the temperature until you submit it. For more information on synthetic urine, check out our complete guide

  1. Detox drinks

If the test is supervised, then a good quality detox drink called Rescue Cleanse is the best alternative.

Abstain from drug use as long as possible, several days before your test if you have the time and notification. 90 minutes before your test, drink the contents of the bottle and then urinate frequently over one hour. Sip a little extra water if necessary.

Even for heavier users you will get two or three hours clean, and up to 5 hours clean for lighter levels of drug metabolites in the body. For more information on synthetic urine, check out our Rescue Cleanse review.

1st Failed Drug Test On Probation – Understanding The Process & How To Avoid Failing A Drug Test

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After your first failed drug test on probation, you need to know exactly what to do and say to get out in the best shape.

After your second failed drug test on probation? Well, that’s a real problem but there’s still a chance if you know what to do. I’ll talk you through what happens with probation drug testing, and how best to act after failing one or two drug tests.

Plus, I’ll talk you through simple methods you can use to avoid failing a drug test at all.

How Does Drug Testing Work With Probation In The USA?

Probation in the USA actually works very different to many other countries, because it’s more widely used and money and conditions are tied to it.

The American system relies on judges making decisions on probation, which isn’t the case in some other countries.

On top of that, you’ve got your individual circumstances, and state laws and variations to consider as well. So how it works for you may not be even how it works for someone else even in your locality right now. Drug tests are usually commissioned with suspicion, or regularity on specific programs.

Occasionally, they are a condition of remaining on probation, with random testing throughout. Overall, drug testing helps to back the goals of probation:

  • Promotes rehabilitation
  • Constantly monitor progress
  • Acts as a deterrent for relapse
  • Encourages compliance with conditions

You Failed Your First Drug Test On Probation – Now What?

What happens after your 1st failed drug test on probation will depend on three key factors:

  • The terms of your probation
  • The judge and probation officers input
  • Your attitude

As it’s impossible for you to know how the judge and probation officers involved, along with other people and agencies, will react, all you can look at your attitude and know the terms of your probation. These three areas are key in terms of what generally happens and what you can influence.

  1. Violation of probation hearing

There will likely be a probation violation hearing, scheduled by your probation officer.

This will usually be a formal hearing where a judge will review the situation and will decide on the outcome. This could be a range of outcomes depending on how severe the violation is, your overall behavior, attitude, compliance, and your prior criminal record. Being positive and humble throughout the lead up to, and in your conduct during, the probation violation hearing can often work wonders for a first offense

  1. Implementation of consequences

If it’s a first-time offense and your criminality is relatively minor, then you could just get a warning.

This will especially be the case for offenses, with a first violation, where you have previously shown good conduct during your probation and in adhering to its conditions.

A second option is to increase your community service hours, this could be in combination with a warning that any further violation would lead to the withdrawal of your probation or some other stated sanction. You could be fined for the probation violation, but this isn’t as common as warnings and community service hour changes.

Another option is to extend your probation period, implement more severe limitations, or even withdraw probation entirely. In addition to all that, for failing a drug test, you could be put on a substance abuse treatment program, put in rehab, or have an existing program intensified or extended. Note also that several of those outcomes can be combined to create a multifaceted outcome that must be obeyed.

  1. How you act matters

If you are in denial and belligerent, then you will usually get harsher penalties. People will want to shock you into change or feel more aggressive in wanting to put you in your place.

Remember, probation is about the following goals:

  • Ensuring compliance
  • Monitoring progress
  • Promoting rehabilitation
  • Acting as a strong deterrent

So if you act with belligerence or indifference, you are more likely to face a deterrent step, rather than promoting rehabilitation and giving you a second chance.

Also, the severity of the offence you were convicted for comes into play here. Being humble, positive, and apologetic, can still go a long way even for more serious offences. This can mean being proactive in discussing help and next steps yourself. Try and show that you are positive about the problem.

Ask for more professional assistance, and demonstrate awareness. You can get more professional assistance through potential in or outpatient programs, support groups, and one-to-one counseling (sometimes, if available).

Talking from a position of understanding the situation helps as well. Get an attorney involved if you are unsure, at least make sure you understand the process thoroughly so you know what you’re talking about, otherwise you could come across as not caring or buying into the process.

You Just Failed Your Second Drug Test On Probation – Now What?

If you’ve already failed the first drug test and are now facing failing your second drug test on probation, then you obviously know already things are going to be pretty serious in comparison to the first failure.

Usually, the action taken against you will obviously be harsher, but also intended to be more decisive to end the situation.

This could mean the following types of responses:

  • Much tighter control on your activities
  • Removal of probation completely
  • Larger combination penalties
  • An inpatient rehab center
  • For alcohol SCRAM abstinence monitoring

Obviously sending you to jail is the ultimate response. But for failing a drug test they can sometimes be reluctant to do so because it increases their chance of rehabilitation failure in the future.

Again, your attitude is crucial. Don’t admit defeat, remain positive, tell them you can change, tell them you can do it, tell them to please not end the probation but give you a chance no matter how scrutinizing and controlled you are during that chance.

Remember to understand the goals of probation, and play into that with your responses. Ultimately it’s better to rehabilitate someone so they can go back into society and act well, so they are not a burden any longer financially or on other people.

What To Tell Your Probation Officer When You Fail A Drug Test?

Whether it’s your first or second failure of a drug test, what you tell your probation officer when you fail that drug test is crucial. Your initial attitude and information given can sway the probation officer into the potentially better or worse assessment and analysis.

How you act towards it, the information you give, the situation, how you play things, your knowledge, and your desire to change or put things right, can all soften the probation services’ initial assessment and recommendation for the judge.

How To Pass A Urine Drug Test Every Single Time

Now look, if you have committed a serious offence and are also taking narcotics, then you really should be honest and not be looking to avoid facing the music. And if you have a real drug problem, then you’re doing yourself no favors by trying to avoid the inevitable outcome of having to face your problems at some stage and clean yourself up.

Things will only get worse, not better if you try and hide the problem. The explosion will only be larger down the line, probably ending up with you going to jail. But for more minor offenses, and where your drug use has been recreational and controlled, then sure, it’s unfair for you to end up in jail or in some ridiculous program. So be honest with yourself, and look at what you should do. If you really feel avoiding getting caught is the best scenario for you, then these are the methods you can use to pass a probation drug test.

1. Synthetic Urine (Best Buy: Quick Luck)

Your 1st drug test on probation will almost always be unsupervised and a standard five panel urine drug test.

This would only change for more specific circumstances where a higher number of panels (looking for more types of drug) was used, but would still probably be unsupervised.

Supervised testing, where you will be indirectly or directly observed, is usually only done for retesting a failure, a second drug test probation failure, or specific circumstances where cheating was highly suspected.

You would be told in advance (usually 24 hours notice) if the test is to be supervised, where a proper physical search would probably also take place.

Remember that for probation drug testing you could be properly physically searched even for an unsupervised test. But they usually won’t touch you intimately, so as long as you discreetly tuck the sample into a pair of underwear, so it’s pulled tight against the body in an area they can’t directly touch, underneath baggy bottoms, then you should be fine.

The best product on the market to use is called Quick Luck, which has the following properties:

  • Highly complex, containing 14 chemicals found in urine
  • Contains the right proportions of key chemicals urea, uric acid, and creatinine
  • Is within the correct specific gravity and pH ranges
  • Looks, froths, and smells like human urine

Not only will Quick Luck pass the validity checks and any human scrutiny, but it will also allow you to submit the sample within the correct temperature range.

Legally, a sample has to be between 90°F and 100°F. Outside these ranges it is unlikely to have come from the human body. Most products rely on a heatpad, which can kick out a variable heat and fail. But Quick Luck uses something called ‘heat activator powder’. Simply tap in about one-quarter and shake it gently until it’s dissolved. Watch the temperature strip for 60 seconds, and add a few more in steps until you get a good reading.

NOTE: Do not buy smoke shop fake urine brands such as Quick Fix, Upass, or Xstream urine, they do NOT pass a modern lab test.

2. Detox Drinks (Best Buy: Rescue Cleanse)

If the drug test you are facing is supervised, or you are scared that a fake sample could get found even during an unsupervised test, then your best bet is to use a good quality detox drink.

Note the detox drink is only a masking agent that will stop toxins from flowing into your bladder for a few hours.

Rescue Cleanse is the best on the market, and works in the following way:

  1. When you drink it, the volume of liquid, along with the ingredients, pushes out more toxins than can be achieved naturally in the same time. This creates a gap in the flow of toxins to the kidneys and then out into the bladder. This gap, usually between two and five hours in length, is when fresh urine entering the bladder will be free of drug metabolites and will pass a drug test.
  2. Rescue Cleanse also floods the body with things found naturally in urine. These are passed through as waste in the correct proportion, meaning that your urine will still pass validity checks and human scrutiny.

Simply drink Rescue Cleanse in about 10 minutes, urinate three or four times over the next hour, and then go and submit your sample as quickly as possible to stand the best chance of passing.

3. Detox Pills (Best Buy: Toxin Rid)

The third option is to be genuinely clean to pass a drug test. Mostly that will be unrealistic naturally, but using high-quality detox pills to speed up the removal of toxins from your body by 50% or faster, it’s possible to get clean in just a few days.

Toxin Rid of is the best on the market. Simply take three pills per hour for the first five hours of each day while living a healthy lifestyle. On the day before your test, drink the included detox liquid. You consume it in two different batches, and it helps to push out a lot more of the remaining toxins, should there be any.

If you’ve only got a day or two before your test, you can use a one or two-day course, and take more than 15 pills per day, by taking three per hour for more hours per day to push out even more toxins.

At the very least Toxin Rid will remove a ton of metabolites so there are significantly fewer on the day of your drug test. Then, you can use Rescue Cleanse to mask the few remaining drug metabolites, which it will do for longer.