CLASSIFIED AS LOW-RISK OR NON-VIOLENT OFFENDERS (5)

Here is yet another example of inmates who were or would have been classified as low-risk or non-violent offenders before they were released from prison:

DEAD MAN WALKING
By Bob Walsh

PacoVilla Corrections blog
February 19, 2010

On February 14 a non-serious, non-violent, low-level parolee, John Aguilera J-62291, was terminally rehabilitated by a SWAT sniper in beautiful West Covina. The cops responded to a shots fired call which turned into a stand-off. The SWAT team rolled up and Aguilera was spotted holding a handgun to the head of a hostage. The SWAT sniper rehabilitated Aguilera and four hostages were released unharmed.

A review of Aguilera's parole face sheet shows all problem areas as left blank. Similarly the distinguishing marks and tattoos section was left blank.

Does that mean DAPO [the parole division] was preparing to drop him into the Non-Revocable Parole category?

As a further interesting note it appears that, as of today, Aguilera is still being carried as an active parolee. I don't know how long it takes to bump someone off officially in DAPO but in the institutions it was a matter of less than an hour usually. Four days seems a bit excessive to me, but I have never been a parole agent and I don't know what normal is out there.

EDITOR’S NOTE - While early releases come fast and furious, it seems to take quite a while to terminate a dead parolee from the active parole roster. Here is how a parole agent explained it in response to Bob’s post:

Discharging a dead parolee actually can take some time. A proof of death letter is required by the county coroner, and in LA that alone can take weeks.

Once the documents have been obtained, a discharge review goes to Case Records North/South and is provided to the BPH for final discharge. BPH can kick it back for more info, and the crime reports/coroner reports can take a while to obtain for this process to happen.

The case is normally dropped to MS pending discharge and the comments updated in CalParole to reflect deceased. The problem areas and other areas left blank in CalParole are likely left blank because agents are being furloughed three days per month [for budget cutting purposes]. In addition, the department is NOT paying proper overtime to correctly manage caseloads. Since the division is not paying agents overtime, things are not getting done.

Things are not likely going to change, as our new director thinks that parole units getting a ZERO PERCENT error rate on data reports is more important than doing home calls, arrests, or protecting the community.