(Note: Some supervisors who work directly with parolees also provided answers to these questions) Gang affiliation and sex offender violation with victims
The ability for the offender to understand the violation and be up front taking responsibility for their actions. There is a strong culture of administrative overview which prevent agents from making appropriate offender management decisions.
Illegal aliens should not be placed on parole. The ability to offer them resources for treatment funding or treatment itself is non-existent. When dealing with illegals either have them serve an amount of time and terminate or deport.
LSI scores are counter-indicated for sex offenders. It should never be used as a tool to measure risk of sexual recidivism, only generic criminal risk.
14.
[Agent-Only Section] Comments about perceived flexibility/discretion in decisions about
reporting violations to the Board:
(Note: Some supervisors who work directly with parolees also provided answers to these questions) (3/6) Some on very, very minor violations, but the law says to report all violations.
(0/6) All notable violations must be reported to BOP.
(0/6) All violations are 'reported' to the Board. We have flexibility and discretion on what we recommend to the Board as a sanction---but all violations are to be reported and the Board ultimately decides what happens to the offender.
(5/6) I have offenders keep a probation/parole book requiring them to document all of their supervision progress/violations. I can tell by how well/poor they keep track of such documentation as to how well they are doing. I would really like to see our Dept spend a little money on providing offenders with resources to track and record their supervision requirements/progress/violations just as us parole officers do. If you look at our school system they provide our children with day planners. Why don't we do that for those placed on formal supervision. I can't tell you how nice it is to have them trained to bring their probation/parole books to my office or get such while at their homes. I can review payments, treatment attendance, employment efforts, community service hours, court appearances/violations, all in the field without a computer. The ones who can't find their probation/parole book are the ones not trying to make it. Those that are got it together and know where it is and can produce such. If the Dept was to provide a folder to the offender similar to the file folder's we probation/parole officer keep then we are both (offender and agent) tracking and documenting the same thing. Employment, payments and treatment compliance are the big three things that I target. Knowing their education and family support structure round out my top five. I wish you could see the value of having an offender produce such a book to not only me but when they see their therapist, Judge/BOP, and family they can show what they are doing. Without it they are lost... they don't track things very well. Recording their monthly appointment, last appointment, last dirty urinalysis, how many times they have tested clean, all have huge psychological benefits to them. The state holds me accountable to a great degree on documenting the
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compliance of an offender, f-track entries, UDOCA, and a hard physical file. Why are we not holding the offender to some accountability on doing the same with keeping a hard file (probation/parole book). I would really like to see us develop something like this.
(0/6) I think the Board should be notified of each violation. If the question is really asking if I feel I have discretion in the actions taken for a violation. I feel the parole agents are given an abundant amount of discretion, but it seems that we choose to take the "cookie cutter" approach and treat certain violations the same regardless of the history behind the violation and offender's past history. Our discretion is valuable in helping the offender. I just think most parole agents don't realize that, with the larger caseloads of late, I believe revoking and offenders parole, is often viewed as an opportunity to relieve the case load of a problem case, and allow the parole agent to focus on offenders that are actually trying to make their parole successful. (0/6) All violations need to be reported with flexibility to recommend alternative event
(0/6) All violations should be reported to the BOP.
(3/6) I believe I have some flexibility but I believe all parole violations should be reported even if no action is required or requested.
(0/6) We are to report all violations.
(0/6) ALL VIOLATIONS ARE TO BE REPORTED. (2/6) Curfew violations, lack of employment
(0/6) have been told to report all violations no matter how small.
(0/6) We have no discretion, we are ordered through our Supervisor, who is in turn ordered by the Board. We notify on everything. Not only violations, but we notify of speeding tickets.
(1/6) All violations must be reported to the BOPP in a timely manner.
(0/6) This is because of our director and supervision being micro managers and give us very little discretion. (0/6) All violations must be reported.
(0/6) All violations must be reported.
(5/6) I try to report all relevant violations even if we are requesting no action. The non-relevant violations such as not making payment and employment are not reported every time due to the current state of the economy. (5/6) The BOPP has always been open-minded about alternatives to incarceration if it is reasonable. There are times when pressures from DOC Admin regarding prison crowding has made all our jobs a bit difficult, but for the most part the BOPP supports the recommendations of AP&P if they are reasonable and in good faith. (0/6) Policy states ALL violations will be reported to the BOPP. I do have flexibility and discretion in regards to recommendations on alternative events and/or revocations.
(1/6) Per policy, all violations must be reported. (0/6) We should, but we don't.
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(3/6) The Board should be notified of any negative progress and all violations. They are responsible for issuing sanctions
(0/6) ALL violations must be reported to the Board.
(0/6) I am a little unsure what this question is asking. All violations need to be reported but I do have a lot of discretion as to the recommendation for the violation.
(3/6) All violations should be reported to the BOPP, even if an Alternative Event or Verbal Warning is given. The BOPP does not have to agree with the sanction.