Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and 16 of Orange County's police chiefs have sent a letter to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California lawmakers opposing a plan to release "low risk" felons from prison and place them directly into the community without parole supervision.
The letter began:
We, the undersigned members of Orange County law enforcement, are writing to express our concerns over a recent proposal for the release of convicted “low risk” felons on “no parole.” It needs to be noted that parole as “constructive custody” has operated as a protection of society against those who have historically exhibited an inability to comply with the law or respect the rights of others. Doing away with parole without a reasonably certain assurance that those released will comply with the law on their own subjects the law abiding public to an avoidable risk of harm. The safety of the law abiding public is the first and foremost obligation of government. The proposal as presently written will seriously compromise the efforts of local police, sheriff’s and district attorneys to control crime in their communities and protect the public from the harm it entails.
The public has a right to expect that the government will provide some degree of supervision to ensure that those previously convicted of crimes, incarcerated and then released back into society will lead productive lives and not continue to victimize the innocent. In our view, failure to do so is contrary to the very purpose of the criminal justice system, to protect the public. Local law enforcement undertakes great expense and effort to protect the communities from those who commit crimes, and we are concerned that this proposal will not only increase their burdens, but undermine these continuing efforts by failing to provide the needed tools.
To read the entire letter click: Letter - No Parole Early Release.pdf (6.98 mb)