2nd Failed Drug Test on Probation

The Mounting Consequences of Using Drugs on Probation

In the world of addiction, dealing with the justice system is a common situation. I’ve been in and out of jail, on and off probation, and spent a lot of my time living in fear of legal consequences as a result of my drug abuse. Failing drug test after drug test was a common occurrence for me.

I would go to my probation officer with my fingers crossed every time. Would I get tested? Would I fail another drug test? I’ve been through the process enough times that I thought I could fool any probation officer. Due to the number of times I had been in trouble, I was subject to random drug tests which would often lead to a probation violation. Let’s just say from personal experience I know all about what happens with a 2nd failed drug test on probation!

There can be an argument made that the justice system needs an overhaul, particularly when it comes to drug testing, but the entire process is there for a reason, and you have to have support to get through it.

In this blog, I will give you some insight into the world of probation and drug testing via my own experiences, and how Rehabs Of Armerica helped me finally kick my habit and properly get through the probation process.

Failing Your First Drug Test on Probation

I dealt with an opioid addiction for many years, which inevitably led me to jail time instead of rehaband bail conditions once I was released. The first time I did a stint in jail, I was in my early twenties. I was arrested for possession with intent to distribute and was given probation and community service. I had been told by my friends that the probation officer I was assigned to was very lenient, and often didn’t drug test unless you were obviously using.

I continued to use opiates and went into my first meeting with my probation officer somewhat under the influence. Typically, probation conditions include abstaining from alcohol and all illegal drugs. The first thing my probation officer asked me was if I would fail a drug test or not. I lied and said that I could easily pass it. He tested me anyway, and I failed.

Because it was my first slip-up, he took mercy on me. Because of my failed drug test, I was put under stricter conditions. I would have to go in every two weeks instead of every month. I got lucky, but it still didn’t stop me from continuing my drug abuse. When I left my probation officer’s office that day, I planned to use opiates right up until a couple of days before my next drug test.

Tricking Your Probation Officer Doesn’t Work

Opiates will usually flush out of your system a few days after you stop using them. This sounds easy enough, but for an opiate addict, you need the drugs on a daily basis. If your addiction is bad enough, you will get dope sick and go through withdrawal symptoms if you discontinue your drug use cold turkey.

I continued using opiates right up until the two days before my next probation drug test. I thought that having a day or two in between my next drug test would allow me to pass the next test. When I went in, he asked me the same question. Would I fail a drug test if I was given one right there? I said absolutely not. He tested me, and I went on to test positive for opiates.

He was frustrated, and really didn’t have much of a choice but to do something about it. I faced probation revocation, which meant I would be facing jail time. I was angry at my probation officer when in reality my anger should have been directed at myself. At my probation violation hearing, I was sentenced to a three-month term in county jail.

A Return to Incarceration and the Availability of Opiates Inside

My second failed drug test was the first step toward my recovery. It didn’t begin right away, however. Interestingly enough, it isn’t that difficult to acquire drugs in jail. I didn’t have to worry about failing drug tests in jail, so I continued using opiates and whatever shreds of Suboxone I could get my hands on, even while I was locked up.

I could have tried to find legal counsel and protest the revocation, but I figured my probation file already had a violation marked down, and at that time my drug use was calling the shots more than I was anyway.

At the time I had not yet realized the best defense for a positive drug testis usually honesty, and that positive test results can often be overcome by an earnest willingness to get help.

Starting The Probation Process Over

The severe consequences of my failed drug test for court scared me, but I still craved the drugs when I was getting ready to be released from jail. All it takes is one drug test on probation and you can go right back to jail for an even longer term. When I was released, I continued using drugs and risked more failed drug tests.

Don’t get me wrong, I had an experienced defense attorney in my corner in the past and had even avoided felony probation this time, all over drug crimes and boosting to support my habits. But even he told me there was little I could do with repeated failed test results, other than continually having them revoke probation and even risk getting caught and charged again when I was going to get my ‘supplies.’

Being Given an Option for Rehab on Probation

I switched probation officers when I was released, and I was hoping this probation officer would go a bit easier on me. I faced more drug testing, but this time around I really didn’t want to go back to jail. I faced more random drug testing and made the decision to quit using. I stopped using opiates a few days before my first probation meeting.

Even though I stopped using Oxy a few days earlier, I still had trace amounts of opiates in my system. I was distraught by this and explained to my probation officer that I had used the last of my painkillers a few days before but was trying to quit. He could see how sick I was from not using it, so he decided to take mercy on me. He gave me the option of a drug rehabilitation program or jail.

It wasn’t a court ordered rehab really, but a choice and a decision I needed to make for myself. I chose rehab, and it led me down a path to recovery I never knew was even possible for someone like me.

Probation Officers Aren’t Trying to Ruin Your Life

Once I finally got clean, I realized that all of my probation officers were just trying to help. The court process may seem unfair, but it is there for a reason. Going to rehab on probation does end up helping a lot of addicts get clean, and there are many probation officers out there who will do their best to help you rather than just throw you back in a cell.

Through Rehabs Of Armerica, I was able to find a treatment program that was geared toward my specific addiction. I was facing a potential prison sentence, so I was determined to make it work. A subsequent offense could change the whole course of my life if I failed another drug test.

Addiction is a Complex Disease That Often Features Relapse

In a lot of situations, a probation officer will look at all of the mitigating factors that led you to where you are at. You may have mental or emotional trouble. You may have experienced a recent tragedy. It’s very easy for addicts to relapse, and very hard to stay clean. They take all of this into account when they are deciding your fate.

Probation itself is often a suspended sentence, and how and why the drug test failure and the violation occurred are often key factors in what a PO and Judge determine regarding your consequences. If you have failed a drug test once, the second time you use illicit substances before being tested is often seen as a cry for help, whether consciously or not.

All of these were things I learned long after my probation was over, unfortunately, but they are still true.

Nobody wants people who are honestly trying to get clean in jail. Not the Judge, and certainly not the probation department itself. They’ve already got their hands full, and would much rather have you trying to get clean and sober in rehab than out causing trouble on the streets!

From Probation Violations to Recovery

Once I was released from rehab, my probation wasn’t over. I still had two years of probation to deal with. I put my head down and worked on my recovery every day. I never failed another drug test again. When my probationary period was finally over, it was a surreal feeling. Failing a drug test became a normal thing for me. When I didn’t have to worry about drug tests anymore, there was a temptation there to go back to my drug abuse.

Luckily for me, two years into my sobriety, I had the right tools to continue on my sobriety path. My drug problem was under control at that point because I had put in the work. I went to meetings, as I still do regularly. Recovery is not an easy process, but it can work for you if you are serious enough about it.

Seek Support to Start Getting Clean After a 2nd Failed Drug Test

Because of the help I received during probation, and having such a great outlet such as Rehabs Of Armerica, I have been able to sustain my sobriety and not fall back into the world of drug testing and probation violations. I look forward to never having to take another drug test in my life. Should that occur, I’m fairly positive that failed drug tests are now firmly in the past!

Before you fail another test or your PO is forced to impose jail time, why not reach out to Rehabs Of Armerica? They can help you find treatment center options that will make your probation period go by quickly and smoothly, with the end result being a better circumstance for you when probation ends too!

I know all calls are kept strictly confidential, so if you’re worried about another dirty urine and your PO sending you back behind bars, give their team a call and get options for help now!

Charles F.( Content Coordinator )

Charles F. has been an active part of the Florida recovery community for over 5 years. He began as a behavioral health technician at an addiction treatment facility in Ocala, Florida and has since begun training as a Licensed Addiction and Chemical Dependency counselor in Boca Raton. Charles’ passion involves the promotion of recovery and helping spread the hope of recovery to as many readers as possible!