POOR PAROLE SUPERVISION CAN HAVE DELETERIOUS CONSEQUENCES

Cop murdered, three parole officials fired, parole board sued

Bob Walsh says the parole agents “apparently screwed the pooch big time, leading to the murder of a cop. However, I have a problem with the firing of the actual supervising agent because he wanted to arrest the parolee, but was told by his supervisors that the matter would be addressed later.

THREE FIRED FROM PAROLE BOARD IN COP’S KILLING
By Allison Steele

Philadelphia Inquirer
November 30, 2012

The state board of Probation and Parole on Friday fired three employees who oversaw the case of Rafael Jones, the man accused of killing Philadelphia Police Officer Moses Walker in August.

The board declined to name the employees, but multiple sources identified them as parole agent Juan Rodriguez, and his supervisors, Michelle Rivera and Rosa Hernandez.

The three were fired after an internal investigation, the board said in a statement.

"These employees were terminated due to violations of Board procedures, the Board's Code of Conduct, and shortcomings in the manner in which Jones was supervised," board chairman Michael C. Potteiger said.

Jones, the 23-year-old man charged in Walker's killing, was released from prison 10 days earlier.

Jones had served four years in prison on a gun charge and was supposed to be under electronic monitoring as a condition of his release, but the monitoring was never set up. Jones also remained free after he failed a drug screening - despite a judge's explicit order that he be arrested after even one positive test result.

Rodriguez reportedly requested that Jones be arrested after the failed drug screening, but multiple sources with knowledge of the case have said he was told that the matter would be addressed later.

Last month Walker's family sued the board, arguing that a "systemic breakdown" caused Walker's death.

Also Friday, the board announced several changes that will be made as a result of an internal review of the Jones case. In the future, the board said, sentencing judges should be made aware when certain offenders have been denied parole and are approaching their maximum sentences.

Jones was paroled after serving his maximum sentence. Additionally, the board said it is pursuing the idea of using GPS technology as a replacement for the board's current monitoring system.