City of Philadelphia - File #: 130569

• File #: 130569
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: LAPSED
• File created: 6/20/2013
• In control: CITY COUNCIL
• Title: Urging the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office to initiate an investigation into the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole's policies and procedures that are a risk to the public safety of the citizens of Philadelphia.
• Sponsors: Councilmember O'Brien, Councilmember O'Brien, Councilmember Jones, Councilmember Jones, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Green, Councilmember Green, Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember Oh, Councilmember Oh, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Quiñones Sánchez, Councilmember Bass, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Henon, Councilmember Henon, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Blackwell

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
6/20/2013	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced and Ordered Placed on This Week's Final Passage Calendar - Rules Suspended	Pass
6/20/2013	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced and Ordered Placed on This Week's Final Passage Calendar - Rules Suspended	Pass

Title
Urging the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office to initiate an investigation into the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole's policies and procedures that are a risk to the public safety of the citizens of Philadelphia.

Body
WHEREAS, The defined mission of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole (the Board) is to protect the safety of the public, address the needs of crime victims, improve county adult probation and parole services and assist in the fair administration of justice by ensuring the custody, control, and treatment of offenders under the jurisdiction of the Board; and

WHEREAS, Parole is the release of an inmate from prison prior to his or her sentence's maximum date, but after the minimum sentence date, to continue serving the balance of the sentence under supervision in the community; and

WHEREAS, The Board has the legal responsibility to parole, recommit for violations of parole, and discharge from parole offenders sentenced to two years or more; and

WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, parole is a privilege, not a right; it is not automatic or guaranteed. Parole is a conditional release that requires parolees to abide by rules that do not apply to other members of society; and

WHEREAS, Probation and parole is an integral part of the criminal justice system. While probation and parole are responsible for a variety of services, the most important is the supervision of offenders in the community. The people responsible for this supervision are the parole agents; and

WHEREAS, Many offenders on parole carry a high risk for violence and a high risk to reoffend. Parole agents work hard to make sure that these rehabilitating criminals in the community stay on the right path and do not go on to commit more crimes; and

WHEREAS, The Public Safety Committee held two investigatory hearings. At the first hearing on April 12, 2013, the witness list included three retired State Probation and Parole Agents; Michael C. Potteig...