White County’s Probation Service Provider Target of Multiple Lawsuits

CLEVELAND, Ga. Sentinel Offenders Services, the company that handles misdemeanor probation cases for White County, has been sued more than two dozen times, including a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of two White County women and hundreds of others.

Southern Center for Human Rights filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in February alleging her clients were subjected to unsanctioned and forced drug tests to enhance Sentinel’s profits.

In a statement to the Florida Times-Union, Sarah Geraghty, the Center’s attorney, said, “Sentinel’s predatory practices have nothing to do with public safety and everything to do with turning a profit. Public confidence in the courts will be seriously undermined if these abusive practices are allowed to continue.”

Rita Luse and Marianne Ligocki are the White County plaintiffs. Luse is a 62-year-old grandmother. Ligocki is a 45-year-old mother of nine. Their crime: Driving on an expired license tag and being unable to afford to pay the fine when they went to court.

The women pleaded guilty in White County Probate Court and were sentenced to 12-months on probation. According to the lawsuit, Sentinel probation officer Stacy McDowell Black ordered them to submit to drug testing for which they had to pay Sentinel even though the judge did not order the drug test. The women say McDowell Black threatened to have their probation revoked if they refused.

Another White County woman, Kathy Thompson Cochran said she also was threatened and intimidated by McDowell Black.

Cochran said her 5-year nightmare started with the open records request she filed with the Enotah Judicial District Public Defender’s Office in 2011. Instead of receiving information, Cochran said she was charged with Computer Forgery, a charge that was dismissed two years later.

“Those are very common charges when one files an open records request on a state agency,” said Cochran, a paralegal. “I’ve never had a problem with obtaining local government records.”

Next, she was accused of Computer Invasion of Privacy and Identity Fraud. In 2014, the court ordered the charges dead docketed, a device by which prosecution is postponed indefinitely.

Both charges are felonies and Sentinel’s contract with White County clearly states, “In no event will Sentinel be charged with the responsibility of supervising a felony sentence unless authorized to do so.”

But Cochran had not been arrested, convicted or sentenced. Still, she was ordered to report to Sentinel’s Cleveland office. There, she says she was ordered to undergo drug testing, perform community service and attend a pre-trial diversion program for shoplifting. Shoplifting? Cochran was not accused of shoplifting. Cochran said McDowell Black threatened to have her jailed if she refused any of the orders.

Last month, Cochran’s attorney Barbara Cole filed a motion in White County Superior Court seeking to have all charges against her client be dismissed. That case is now pending and could be decided this month.

Fetch Your News attempted to talk to either Sentinel or McDowell Black, but our calls were not returned.

White County awarded Sentinel the contract to provide probation services in 2005. It was signed by then County Commission Chairman Chris Nonnemaker and Chief Magistrate Judge Joy Parks and has automatically renewed annually.

County Commissioner Terry Goodger said he expects commissioners will review the contract in the near future.