Police say a 23-year-old man is already a career criminal.
LEWISTON – Seven days.
That is how long Alan Roy was free before he was arrested on new charges and thrown back in jail.
About a month ago, the Sun Journal interviewed Roy at the Androscoggin County Jail for a story about the state’s overburdened probation system.
At the time of the interview, Roy, who is 23, had been arrested 48 times. He had been in and out of jail six times and he had been assigned to five different probation officers.
He was nearing the end of a six-month sentence and told the Sun Journal he was determined to abide by the rules of probation and stay out of jail.
Roy was released Friday morning. Police arrested him early Thursday. The charges: Disorderly conduct and criminal mischief.
According to police Lt. Paul Harmon, Roy was arrested at 251 Blake St. at about 1:30 a.m. after police received calls about excessive noise in that area.
Roy was walking away from the scene when the officers arrived. He was arrested after police determined he had smashed windows in the back of the apartment building, Harmon said.
His bail was set at $100, but Roy’s probation officer placed a hold on him that will keep him in jail until he appears in Androscoggin County Superior Court next week on charges of violating the terms of his probation.
Probation officers have complained that Roy and others like him are why their caseloads are nearly double the national average, why they can only afford to supervise most clients an average of five minutes a month and why they are feeling frustrated with the entire system.
The officers believe that Roy and other career criminals should serve straight sentences because they seem to violate probation no matter how closely they are supervised.
Roy’s current probation officer, Kevin Buckmore, said he may recommend that Roy be sent to state prison.
Despite his many convictions, Roy has never been sentenced to more than a year, so he has served all of his time in the county jail.
Roy’s most recent convictions include two counts of theft, assault, terrorizing, failure to stop for an officer and operating without a license.
When interviewed last month, he told the Sun Journal that he had the second largest criminal record in Androscoggin County.
“And that is only because the other guy is in his 50s or something,” he said.
Roy may now hold the lead spot.
Local police and probation officers believe “the other guy” was Charles Mason, a 50-year-old local transient whose body was found floating in Portland’s harbor earlier this week.
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