Officials from the State Board of Parole faced a committee of angry legislators Wednesday. They wanted to know why officers continued to report on more than 80 parolees, even after they died.
The parole board’s Gary Tullock says at least two officers have already lost their jobs, but that wasn’t enough for Republican Representative Barrett Rich.
“Rich: Were they criminally prosecuted?
Tullock: They were not.
Rich: Why is that?
Tullock: I don’t have a good answer for you. I…is it a crime? I…
Rich:Falsifying documents, certainly state documents, would be a crime and if that hasn’t been referred to the District Attorney General then I think certainly would be imperative for you to do so.”
A State Comptroller’s audit revealed that the two officers lied about the parolees’ status. In the other instances, parole officers never had to make face-to-face contact with offenders. The parole board’s Tullock says officers will now be required make routine checks of death records.
The report found other issues, including lax supervision of sex offenders and inadequate notice of public meetings. The legislative committee gave the parole board one year to fix all of the problems found in the audit.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM