The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion to send a five-signature letter to the state legislature and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger requesting to amend the criteria for the non-revocable parole program so that known membership in a street gang will disqualify an individual from the program, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.
SBX13 18 requires the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to screen offenders for eligibility to unsupervised parole prior to release from State Prison.
“Excluding known street gang members from non-revocable parole will ultimately make our communities safer,” said Supervisor Knabe. “Known gang members require intensive supervision and potentially pose a significant risk to public safety.”
While SBX3 18 contains provisions to disqualify individuals from non-revocable parole if they are validated members of a prison gang, the program does not include criteria to exclude known membership in a street gang. Offenders who are placed on non-revocable parole are not required to report to a parole agent.