Three Indicted In Massachusetts Probation Hiring Scandal

Former Massachusetts Probation Commissioner John J. O'Brien and two of his top
former assistants have been charged in a federal indictment with "racketeering
conspiracy" for their role in setting up and running a sham hiring process that
systematically funneled jobs to politically connected candidates, the Boston
Globe reports.

Florida Cuts Probation Officer Visits, Raising Public Safety Concerns

Buckling under the weight of a $79 million deficit, Florida's prison system is cutting back on the visits that probation officers have with offenders, says...

L.A. Probation Officers Accused of Abusing Juveniles In Their Care

Even under the watchful eyes of federal monitors, Los Angeles County probation officers are still being accused of using excessive force on hundreds of juveniles in their care, says a report from the Office of Independent Review quoted by the Contra Costa (CA) Times. The report said that some teachers in juvenile halls and juvenile camps were found to have instigated "gladiator fights" among the wards in their classrooms, but could not be disciplined fully.

The local watchdog agency had been ordered by the county Board of Supervisors to take a closer look at how the Probation Department investigated the conduct of its employees. "Severe misconduct is frequent enough to have resulted in the discharge of 14 employees last year," the report said. "The reasons for the discharges ranged from lying about an improper use of force against a client minor to defrauding a federal loan program to carrying on a covert relationship with a felon."

California Probation Failures Drop Under Incentive Plan for Counties

California's probation failure rate declined 23 percent in 2010 after a state law provided an incentive for counties to reduce such failures, says the Pew...

30,000 Offenders Missing From Florida Corrections Supervision

Nearly 30,000 offenders, about 5,600 of them violent, are currently missing from Florida state supervision, some since the 1970s, reports the Sun Sentinel. The majority walked away from work camps, work release programs or stopped calling a probation officer. Others may have died and their families did not notify authorities.

The department says it makes every effort to find them through checks of the probation system, hospitals, jails, death records and at offenders' homes, jobs and with families and friends. It also publishes profiles of the missing on its website, and accepts anonymous tips to forward to police. "We look for everyone and are doing the best we can to find everyone," said Ann Howard, a Florida Department of Corrections spokeswoman. "Taxpayers don't want us wasting money. They want us to be smart, to use resources wisely and protect them. And we take all of that seriously." Another spokeswoman added, "Women, liquor and drugs seem to be the most common reasons for fleeing."

Chief Justice Urges Probation, Parole Fixes That Could Save Millions

Missouri Chief Justice Richard Teitelman has urged legislators to make changes to the state's probation and parole systems that potentially could save the state millions of dollars, reports the Associated Press. He favors measures to reduce the number of people in prison for probation and parole violations. "I support your efforts to help make sentencing practices more cost-effective, helping Missouri to become [ ] both tough and smart on crime," Teitelman told a joint session of the House and Senate.

A group that included lawmakers, department heads and two judges recommended changes to Missouri's sentencing laws in a December report. Teitelman was not part of the group, but the Supreme Court was represented by former Chief Justice William Ray Price Jr. The group said the state should shorten the length of probation and parole terms and allow people who violate their probation or parole to serve shorter jail sentences. Such violations accounted for more than 40 percent of all admission to Missouri prisons in 2010, with prisoners spending an average of 10 months behind bars.

Maine Makes Probationers' Records Public; Some Advocates Worry

Thirty-six convicted murderers and 24 kidnappers live on probation in Maine communities, says a new database created for the Maine Department of Corrections. The website allows people to search through the database of state’s 9,160 adult prisoners and probationers, reports the Bangor Daily News. The goal is to allow victims to track their abusers and to reduce the workload for corrections staff members who typically handle information requests.

Prisoner advocates say the new database is a scary tool that might prevent probationers from integrating into their communities. The database can paint a frightening picture, says the newspaper. The Bangor area has 1,888 convicts on probation. Of them, there are 370 drug offenders, 36 arsonists, 202 sex offenders, 20 people convicted of manslaughter, four kidnappers and one man who was convicted of criminally using explosives. “Knowing offenders are running around might change the way people think about where they live,” said Judy Plummer, Maine Department of Corrections director of special programs. “This puts an awareness out there that people released from prison are out there.” Prisoner advocates worry about how the new database will affect the lives of people who are now on the right path.

U.S. Prison Population Fell Last Year, First Drop In Nearly 40 Years

The total U.S. prison population fell last year for the first time in nearly four decades, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics said today. The 1.6 million behind bars was a decline of 0.6 percent. The number of state prisoners fell by 10,881 while the federal prison population continued to grow, adding 1,653 to reach a total of 209,771.

BJS said the number of offenders under adult correctional supervision fell 1.3 percent in 2010, the second consecutive year of decline. At year-end 2010, about 7.1 million people, or 1 in 33 adults, were under the supervision of adult correctional authorities. Half of states reported decreases in their prison population during 2010. The largest decreases were in California (6,213) and Georgia (4,207), followed by New York (2,031) and Michigan (1,365). The largest increase was in Illinois (3,257), followed by Texas (2,400) and Arkansas (996).

Seattle Trial Of Swift Sanctions For Convict Violations Working

A Seattle pilot program that imposes swift, certain punishment with as little as three to five days in jail for violations of community supervision...

NC Cites Probation Improvements 3 Years After Student Murder

Probation Numbers Down, Parolees Up Slightly in 2010: BJS Survey

The number of adult offenders on probation or parole declined by 1.3 percent last year, dropping to 4.9 million, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics said...

Senior MA Probation Officials Being Suspended in Hiring Scandal

Probationer, Parolee Substance Abuse Disorders Down, Federal Study Finds

Spending a Day With a Georgia Juvenile Probation Officer

The Juvenile Justice Information Exchange spends a day with Georgia juvenile probation officer Ronaldi Rollins, who the story says is "in charge of 20...

Ex-MA Probation Commissioner Indicted on Corruption Charges

Ex-Massachusetts Probation Commissioner John O’Brien’s corruption indictment was the result of his refusal to testify against elected politicians, his attorney, Paul Flavin, tells the Boston Herald. O’Brien and anther former official were indicted yesterday on charges they conspired on a “quid pro quo” scheme six years ago to land O’Brien’s wife, Laurie, a Lottery job in exchange for his throwing a fund-raiser for the state treasurer.

After more than 30 years with the Probation Department — 12 as commissioner — O’Brien retired Dec. 31 and collects a monthly $4,738 pension check. He has received close to $43,000 so far.