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| What about community safety? |
| By thenewstribune.com |
| Published: 03/19/2009 |
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Under a money-saving measure being considered by the Legislature, the state Department of Corrections would stop supervising thousands of low- and moderate-risk offenders after six months instead keeping tabs on them for up to two years. Additionally, 190 officers and support staff would lose their jobs – that’s about 12 percent of all community corrections employees. The measure, which passed the Senate, 38-8, on Feb. 13, would save more than $32.8 million during the 2009-11 biennium and $46.6 million the following biennium (accompanied by the loss of 79 more workers), according to the bill’s fiscal note. It awaits approval or modification by the House. Washington ranks 12th in the nation for the number of people on parole or probation. One of every 37 adults in the state is under supervision, according to a study released in March by the Pew Center on the States. Supervision of released offenders is of particular interest to many in Pierce County, which officials and neighborhood leaders say has become a dumping ground for a disproportionate share of offenders. “Of course Joe Lakewood wants to know what this is going to mean for public safety,” said officer Nancy Waggoner, who works out of the Offender Minimum Management Unit on Bridgeport Way. But there’s no crystal ball. “What’s going to happen is that they’re not going to be supervised,” said regional community corrections administrator Armando Mendoza. Here are some perspectives about the job of community corrections and the upcoming possible changes from officers, offenders and others. ON THE JOB Community corrections officer Russell Alfaro wears many hats. In his own words, he’s a referee, a drill sergeant, a mentor and a brother to the offenders on his caseload. The job is part law enforcement, part social work. And it might be about to radically change. In the car, Alfaro and his partner, Mike Ford, crack jokes and squabble like a married couple over the GPS unit. Outside the car, they’re all business, watching each other’s back in case an unannounced visit goes sideways. Checking up on offender Fagalulu Filitaula at his sister’s home on a recent afternoon, Alfaro joked, “OK where’d you hide everything?” He’s on a nickname basis with most of his of his offenders, calling Filitaula “Lulu” and asking his 8-year-old nephew, “Jose, is he being good? Are you keeping an eye on him?” Filitaula, who has a tattoo that reads “underestimated” on his muscled forearm, said that unlike past times when he was “on DOC,” he feels hopeful. “They helped me see the light,” he said. Neither officer Alfaro nor Ford wanted to discuss the proposed cuts – “We leave that to the administration” – but both agreed they could do a lot more if they had more resources at their disposal, from staff to social service programs. A trip to a home where several sex offenders live near downtown Tacoma shows one example of this, what Ford said was a need for housing programs. The offenders, who often have a hard time finding work in the best of times, pay $400 per month for a room that is perhaps twice the size of a jail cell. “Now you or I wouldn’t pay that much,” Ford said. One resident at the home told the officers he had to take time off from his construction job because the company is doing work at a juvenile detention facility – a double no-no for the sex offender. Ford listened to him and empathized. “It’s always about three things, being fair, firm and consistent,” Alfaro said. UNION UNHAPPY The proposed cuts have rankled the community corrections officers union. Read more. If link has expired, check the website of the article's original news source. |
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