One good idea shot down

[longnecker]

DOVER — The General Assembly’s Joint Finance Committee today rejected Gov. Jack Markell’s request to abolish the state Board of Parole.
Markell had sought to abolish the board and fold its duties into the Department of Correction, a move that could save some of the $501,200 that is budgeted for the board.
But the JFC, which had heard pleas from members of the board and from crime victims who worried the Department of Correction would not do as good a job as the board in deciding whether to release inmates, roundly rejected Markell’s plan.

When the motion to retain the board was made, several legislators shouted out “Second,” to second the motion. Before calling for the vote, Sen. Nancy Cook, D-Kenton and JFC co-chair asked with a grin, “Second? Third? Fourth?”

The vote to retain the parole board was unanimous.

Parole was abolished in Delaware for crimes committed after June 30, 1990. Crimes committed after that are covered by the Truth in Sentencing Act and those convicted eventually are released on probation as part of their sentences.

As of June 30, there were only 270 parole-eligible inmates remaining in prison and another 231 were out on parole. The board evaluates inmates who are up for parole and decides whether to release them.

Board members had argued that the Department of Correction is under pressure to reduce inmate counts and might be more prone to release dangerous inmates than the Board of Parole.

The JFC’s action today will become part of the budget for fiscal year 2011, which begins July 1. The budget bill will be voted on in late June.

[Kid Lester]

As of June 30, there were only 270 parole-eligible inmates remaining in prison

So basically the board's job is to evaluate 1 person per day, on average, for parole?

Yeah. That sounds like it couldn't be done by the DOC.

If the majority of inmates are sentenced under the Truth in Sentencing act, and aren't even eligible for parole, then WTF is the big deal? The DOC is under pressure to reduce inmate population? How in the hell are they supposed to do that? That's like saying Christiana Hospital is under pressure to reduce ER patients. They show up, you deal with them. You have no say in who comes in.

[Crabby]

Uh, that's not always true. Hospitals do on occasion go on bypass for the ambulances...we have to go somewhere else. I'll not bore you with the details.

[Kid Lester]

Uh, that's not always true. Hospitals do on occasion go on bypass for the ambulances...we have to go somewhere else. I'll not bore you with the details.

Well, sure. But it's still another hospital accepting the patient as part of the overall system. I'm simply saying you can't determine how many people are going to need medical attention any more than the Dept. Of Corrections can control how many people get sentenced to prison.

[Joe Walther]

This has been one of the easiest POLITICAL decisions that the Joint Finance Committee has ever had to make. The decision had absolutely NOTHING to do with economic feasibility via economies of scale. If this were a Phillies game, this vote would be a hanging fast ball right down the center of home plate with Chase Utley at bat looking for it.

Markell had sought to abolish the board and fold its duties into the Department of Correction, a move that could save some of the $501,200 that is budgeted for the board.

The Parole Board consists of a full-time chairperson and four part-time members, plus a support staff of five (a specialist, a budget analyst, and 3-administrative assistants). And, to these, toss in office expenses and supplies.

On top of this, consider the fact that the Department of Corrections already has a division of Probation and Parole and has had one since Delaware the Truth in Sentencing Act. And THESE folks already do ALL of the probation and parole administration and supervision of parolees under the DOC budget, which has nothing to do with the amount listed above.

Therefore, the financial savings would have been close to 96% ($481,000) in the year of dissolution and 100% thereafter! But, the JFC is not in the business of sound economic management. It's in the business of influential-crony appeasement no matter the cost.

Sometimes political feasibility (crony-appeasement) is a difficult thing to hide and they (the JFC) have to go to great lengths of covert imagination to cover their tracks. But, once in a while they come across a gift like this one. The amount at issue is a pittance along side of a $3-billion budget. Hallelujah and wowser! Thankya, Jesus, Love... Nancy C.

But the JFC, which had heard pleas from members of the board and from crime victims who worried the Department of Correction would not do as good a job as the board in deciding whether to release inmates, roundly rejected Markell’s plan.

And, herein lies all the ammunition the JFC needed to dismiss Markell's request: FEAR in the complete absence of common sense. Yes, dangerous people receive parole, but it has nothing to do with the Parole Board. The bulk of potential parolees are paroled as part of their sentences as mandated by the Truth in Sentencing Act.

Think about it. There are approximately 20,000 parolees out there, but only 231 of them came through the Parole Board. I understand the fear on the part of the victims of crime, but thinking they'll be safer by keeping this BOARD is pure irrationality.

As of June 30, there were only 270 parole-eligible inmates remaining in prison and another 231 were out on parole. The board evaluates inmates who are up for parole and decides whether to release them.

Forget the 231 inmates already on parole; they're a sunk cost and in basic differential analysis have no bearing on any decision involving future costs. The 270 remaining parole-eligible inmates are the only ones to consider. And, as such, come down to an administrative cost of about $1,900 per year per potential parolee. And, if the BOARD approves their parole, this cost will be on top of the per parolee administrative costs attached to the DOC's Probation and Parole Division because these people will be the ones supervising them NOT the Parole Board.

Board members had argued that the Department of Correction is under pressure to reduce inmate counts and might be more prone to release dangerous inmates than the Board of Parole.

Of course they argued this point. However, what the JFC conveniently overlooked was the fact that the pressure is coming from the GENERAL ASSEMBLY. The prisons are operating at around 160% of capacity on average due primarily to the stupid way our lawmakers force sentences, and then they insist on the DOC to fix the problem!

The JFC’s action today will become part of the budget for fiscal year 2011, which begins July 1. The budget bill will be voted on in late June.

Let me summarize. Under current Delaware law, inmates become eligible for parole as part to their sentences. It costs money to administer this fact. But, since we'll continue budgeting the Parole Board, the administrative costs will be DOC administrative costs PLUS Parole Board administrative costs. All of this so that the members of the JFC can pretend to care about victim fears, appear tough on crime, and, most importantly of all, maintain those critical crony appeasement "friends."

But, like McDonald's, they do it all for us! The sad thing is, though, that some voters simply don't get it, but most simply don't care.

Regards,

Joe Walther

[Kid Lester]

Holy crap, am I glad I was on Joe W.'s side before I posted on what I basically know nothing about

I suppose it goes to show what exactly a no-brainer this was.

[lewin]

yeah nothing like sex offenders working at McDonalds in Dover across from the Ag Museum.

[Joe Walther]

yeah nothing like sex offenders working at McDonalds in Dover across from the Ag Museum.

This has nothing to do with DOC’s Probation and Parole Division nor does it have anything to do with the State Parole Board. Work Release is a separate internal function run by the DOC. Once inmates qualify for work release and begin working in various communities, the DOC considers them on probation every second they spend outside the correctional facility. As such, DOC Probation and Parole Officers monitor them the same as they do all other inmates with probation requirements.

Every state in the country has some type of work release program. They’re voluntary as far as employers are involved. Various state prison systems, including the federal system, recruit employers for work release programs. Employers not wishing to participate simple say no thank you and that’s it.

Those that do participate, screen work release applicants the same way they do regular off-the-street applicants. Work releasers fill out the same application forms as everyone else does, after which the employers either accept or reject them. If they accept an application, the process proceeds to the next phases of background checking and a possible interview.

Work release inmates do not get any special breaks. In fact, if anything else, both the prison and potential employers scrutinize them much more meticulously than regular applicants. And, once work release inmates land a job, they earn the same hourly rates that regular employees earn. They must follow the same workplace rules, too. The difference is that if regular employees get fired, they simply go find another job. If a work releaser gets fired, the DOC violates them (meaning they consider them probation violators) and the consequences are severe.

Once employed, the inmates must find their own transportation (at their own expense) to work and back to the prison. They have to pay room and board to the prison on a weekly basis out of their wages. If they miss a payment, the DOC violates them. If they’re late returning to the prison (their fault or NOT) the DOC violates them. And, if any work releaser violates any of the prison rules (program related or otherwise) the DOC violates them.

VOP facilities (violation of probation) are mini maximum-security units where probation violators wear prison-issued uniforms. Even their underwear is prison-issue... and NOT new, either. They are subject to work detail during the day. If not assigned to a work detail, they remain inside their cells seated on their beds and must maintain a 90-degree angle between their bodies and the mattress.

In other words, they can't lie down until lights out at night. The minimum time spent in a VOP facility is 7-days, but can be as long as 90-days. And, the kicker is that NONE of it—not so much as a single second—counts toward the original prison sentence. So if you get 90-days in VOP, the time is simply tacked on to the end of your sentence. As a result, most work release inmates do well. The ones that fail do so big time.

I don’t know if the work releasers you referred to in your post are sex offenders or not. Sex offenders, generally speaking, have a hard time qualifying, let alone, getting hired through work release. And, it's justifiably so. I wouldn't hire a sex offender to work in a business where a significant part of my income comes through children. But, if so, the DOC didn’t force McDonald’s to hire them. They applied through the same process as everyone else did and McDonald’s made an informed decision to hire them.

Work release is a successful program for all concerned. In Delaware, at any given point, there’s probably anywhere from 600 to 1,000 inmates on work release. The walk-away list usually contains an average of 25 or 30 people. The DOC maintains the list at State of Delaware - Work Release Absconder/Walk-Away Listing A-Z - Department of Correction

As well, employer participation is significant in terms of the numbers. The establishments begin at the Pennsylvania/Delaware line to the North and go all the way to the Delaware/Maryland line to the South. Many of them have participated in the program for decades.

Regards,

Joe Walther

[TattdMom]

Mr. Walther,

Again thank you for your intelligence and tact. I work for DOC and there is definately a stigma attached to it. I'm in the administrative office however when I tell people that's where I work the reactions are the same as if I were a CO or even Commissioner Danberg.

I agree with everything that you have said, the Parole Board is a useless entity and should have been abolished, however they never will until the "cronies" are voted out. The only way that's going to happen is if the people of Delaware take a more active role in the decisions to keep them there or get them out. I am a firm believer that if you don't like something, then try to change it; if you choose to sit back and let it happen to you then don't complain.

[BillW]

I work for DOC

Say it ain't so TMom. Just kidding.

[longnecker]

Mr. Walther,

Again thank you for your intelligence and tact. I work for DOC and there is definately a stigma attached to it. I'm in the administrative office however when I tell people that's where I work the reactions are the same as if I were a CO or even Commissioner Danberg.
.

I guess I'm just not well informed. Down here where there re not a lot of real jobs ANY state job looks good .

[FixStateGovt]

I guess I'm just not well informed. Down here where there re not a lot of real jobs ANY state job looks good .

State jobs ARE good. And there are a lot of intelligent, hard-working people in state govt, contrary to popular belief. One of the most intelligent is in fact Governor Markell, and the opportunity to abolish the Parole Board is a sound business decision.

Delaware's citizens are always saying government needs to be run more like a business. We've finally got a Governor who's trying to do just that. The JFC and the legislature should allow the Parole Board to go away. Real savings are at stake.

[Curly]

But, like McDonald's, they do it all for us! The sad thing is, though, that some voters simply don't get it, but most simply don't care.

That's right! They want it have it their way, like Burger King.
I know, that was sad.