Amnesty for parole violators?

I am not sure how I feel about the program now underway by Arkansas Community Correction.

Essentially, if you are on parole and haven't reported as required -- and don't have new criminal charges pending -- your slate will be wiped clean if you contact your parole officer. No more parole violation hanging over your head.

Technically, however, haven't you broken the law by not reporting?

I understand there are nearly 100 parole violators in each of the Benton and Washington county jails, and they cause crowding issues. And, yes, the prisons are crowded, but is this the way to clear beds?

Dina Tyler, deputy director of Community Correction, said it is possible some of the folks who haven't reported just haven't been able to -- maybe their jobs have gotten in the way. They can't schedule time to get in to see their parole officer.

Sure, that's it. And a leprechaun is going to bring me the pot of gold from the end of the rainbow next week.

If indeed Tyler is right and some of the parole violators haven't been able to report due to scheduling conflicts, maybe Community Correction needs to extend office hours.

The truth is, some violators might forget a scheduled report-in once or twice, but more than that? They are violating the terms of their parole because they don't care. They probably figure it will be a while before they get caught, and if they do get caught, well, they got parole once, they can get it again.

I don't see how amnesty is going to to reinforce the need to be responsible for one's actions. Isn't that something people convicted of crimes need to learn? Seems to me it reinforces the "look what I got away with" lifestyle. Do we really want to encourage people to think that way?

And how do you know that in the period they haven't reported, they haven't committed a crime they just haven't been charged with? Just because they haven't been charged means nothing except that they haven't been caught.

Certainly there are probably people who deserve the break amnesty would give them. I am not sure who that would be, but I am willing to accept there are some. Maybe the individual who forgot to report that first month and didn't know what to do after that. I am sure there are folks like that.

I've covered cops and courts enough years to become acquainted with some parole officers, and I know most would make some allowance for an individual whose job won't let him make it to the parole office during business hours. And forgetting that first session, well they wouldn't be happy, but they probably would not have revoked parole just because someone forgot.

Mostly, I think these are people who are taking advantage of the system and don't deserve anything but to be put back in jail. I think my friends who are or were in the parole business would agree.

This amnesty business is short-lived -- it's due to expire March 31. Community Correction has, however, already gotten serious on parole violators. They created a team of parole and probation officers who are going after absconders. They have arrested 73 since January.

Sounds like a plan.

Round them up and let them learn something that apparently didn't take in childhood: Actions have consequences.

Commentary on 03/13/2014