As a former Probation Officer myself, I can attest that probably the most significant mistake was the initial misclassification of "Low Risk" offender.
Most PO agencies follow a Best Practices Model: concentrate most of your efforts on those most dangerous offenders, those that will most likely reoffend.
The theory goes that, if someone has been evaluated as low risk, they are most likely going to be compliant with the Court's conditions. Think of a first-time DUI offender who's arrest has scared the pants off of him, has a lot to lose and is afraid of jail. Not every time, but most of the time, this person is going to comply with what he has to do to stay out of trouble.
I'm willing to bet that once Garrido was classified as Low Risk (although how that happened with him being a violent sex offender is beyond me) he was not was not scrutinized as frequently or thoroughly as other, seemingly more pressing, cases.
For me, caseloads were so high, the training and support were so lacking, and the probability of "High Risk" parolees reoffending so great, that my worst nightmare, the one that actually woke me up at night, was the one where one of the offenders on my caseload had done some unspeakable act to another human, and that it was all over the news. Thankfully this never actually happened (that I know of...)
One more thing that may have played into the Parole Officers' lack of supervision, both actual and perceived, is that these violent, psychopathic, sexually sadistic, and frightening offenders require such a high level supervision and immersion into their dark, sordid minds, that in some ways, it was a relief to have a couple of "Low Risk" offenders on the caseload.
Not to pick on California, but I feel like this is sort of same shit, different day ([jezebel.com]) in regards to California institutions being woefully underfunded and admins. being overloaded and overworked. #phillipgarrido
@dreamweave: well some state's have better tax laws. We had a lengthy discussion yesterday about California capping property taxes and how that's hurt the state in the long run.
@dreamweave: California seems to always be on the extreme. Propositions have created an impossible situation where the legislature has ever growing mandated spending requirements and very limited ability to increase revenue. #phillipgarrido
@bluebears: oh please know I wasn't being a smartass, I was being sincere. I missed yesterday's discussion, but am definitely aware of how Prop 13 jacked up CA's future in any number of areas. I guess it's all relative, but I am curious as to which states are doing it significantly better. My state (NC) desperately needs to broaden its tax base and EVERYONE knows it, but getting politicians to stand up and support it is like pulling teeth. Do you (or anyone reading this) know of states where state workers are well-paid and not overworked in relation to their pay? #phillipgarrido
@dreamweave: I couldn't tell if you were being a "smartass" or not, I was just trying to respond to you in a serious way. And to answer your question I think there are gradations depending on the state.
@dreamweave: Eve Carson was murdered by two guys who were on probation but were not being followed closely enough. Their probation officers were overworked and underpaid.
I too can't think of a state where this is not the case. This is one reason why lots of states are farming out prisons to private enterprises with the lowest bids, just to save a little money. Ideally they'd be raising taxes, reforming drug punishments, and hiring more parole and probation officers, but of course anyone who proposes that would be shot down and never get re-elected. People hate taxes, and they hate "criminals" even more. "More walls and fewer rights" is the refrain regarding prisoners. #phillipgarrido
but, Garrido was classified "low-level" supervision. And under the proposal stated above, people like him would still not be caught, because they're going to take resources away from those "low-level" parolees.
Before they do anything like that, they'll need to go back and *heavily* scrutinize their low-level parolees, to make sure that is where they really should be classified.
I think there's a simple solution: as a condition to parole for pedophiles the authorities should be entitled to do random searches of their homes...not just for kidnaped kids but things as simple as pornography on their computer.
Are there any lawyers out there who can tell us if that is permissible? #phillipgarrido
@Oryx Hearts Crake: Parolees essentially lose their 4th Amendment rights, so their parol officers have every right to search their homes and probably their computers as well. #phillipgarrido
The more I read stuff like this, the more I agree with Sen. Webb, who said, to paraphrase roughly, "Either we have the worst people in the world in America or we're doing something wrong." I hope Webb makes some traction in fixing things. I'm all for being "tough on crime," but I think legislators are so focused on that they've forgotten what it really means. #phillipgarrido
@Flackette Goes Retro: When we went house-hunting, you wouldn't believe the number of houses we saw that had rooms with padlocks on the outside. It's a scary, scary place out there. #phillipgarrido
According to the report, California failed to follow parole protocols for Garrido 90% of the time — which, for those of you keeping score at home, is an F.
Well, that depends on what your perspective is. If you're grading them on Overal Suck, they get an A-. #phillipgarrido
California is by far one of the worst states in respect to sex offender registry info, from what I remember of what I've read: most of their offenders have not checked in and given change of address info, and a good chunk of them stop showing up to parole meetings- as much as I hate, and I do mean hate, the registries, if you're going to have them, you might as well actually use them as they are supposed to be used. #phillipgarrido
@Cimorene: I've gotten into it before on other sex offender related posts but here is my basic reason for hating it - and mind you, I have done a lot of school related research as well as job related work on this subject, so it's not just some from the air bullshit theory:
Sex offenders, generally speaking, offend because it makes them feel better about themselves. So, Offender A touches little girls because it makes him feel better. Offender A gets caught, is sent to jail, and gets released a few years later. Offender A is then put on a registry list where he has to go to his neighbors houses and tell them that he is on the list. A parole officer often comes by Offender A's house to remind him that he is a piece of crap and no one likes him. Offender A's neighbors have made it well known that they dont' want him living there, to a point where he is looking to move, but he can't move anywhere really because of zoning laws that restrict his living abilities. He can't get a job because he has to disclose that he is an offender. How do you think Offender A is feeling? Shitty. How does Offender A make himself feel better? Offending. Continue Cycle.
In all, while registries are a great idea for protecting society, sex offenders who are given proper treatment actually do not re-offend as much as many other types of criminals, and people are most likely to be offended against by people they know, not the bogeyman who jumps out of a bush and attacks them. So, registries = more stress on both society and the offender which = bad things. #phillipgarrido
@wooden_shoes: You got me thinking about Offender A having to tell everyone he's an offender. So now he's made a name for himself in town, he's got an identity as Mr. Offender. Why should he reform himself? He's got an identity. Maybe he's the kind of majorly maladjusted freak who likes shocking and offending the norms, or maybe he hates himself so much that he likes seeing the disgust in other people's faces when he tells them how disgusting he is.
Who the hell can ever become normal when their entire life is about the worst thing they ever did? #phillipgarrido
@BytheSea: Erving Goffman wrote two books "Stigma" and "Asylums" both which really touch upon this idea of becoming what people what expect of them. Which is exactly what happens to sex offenders.
Also, to anyone who is reading this: may I suggest "The Woodsman" with Kevin Bacon...it's what I make people watch when they ask me why I do what I do. I saw that movie and cried because I felt like someone else understood what I was trying to talk about. #phillipgarrido
Parole officer, public school teacher, public defender, social worker all jobs that don't pay enough to get most people to do them when they have other options.
These jobs should be reserved for the best and brightest, and should be respected like people respect doctors and lawyers who work at expensive firms, but they're not. And then we wonder how we got ourselves into this world where those in vital but under-resourced and under-respected jobs just want to punch the clock. #phillipgarrido
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@Lizard in the Wires now with even MORE metal in the face!: I agree that these vital public functions need more funding and attention, but disagree with your assessment of the quality of the people in these jobs. Here in DC the public defenders are top quality attorneys. Some of my most highly regarded law school professors came from that office. The public school teachers I know went into that field because they are passionate about teaching - not because they didn't have any other options. Ditto for social workers. People in these professions struggle with huge workloads and not enough resources, which can lead to poor outcomes, such as in this case. But that doesn't mean these are sub-par individuals. #phillipgarrido
@Benevolent_Dictatrix (patently absurd): All the people I know who are public defenders are extremely smart people who are PASSIONATE about their jobs. I hate the whole, "oh public defenders are the lowest" presumption. #phillipgarrido
@Benevolent_Dictatrix (patently absurd): yeah but their caseloads are out of control, and cities like DC with highly trained, specialist corps of public defenders are the exception rather than the rule. Most places it's just court appointed counsel and it blows. I think lizard's point is that we as a society don't value this work properly. #phillipgarrido
@Benevolent_Dictatrix (patently absurd): I didn't mean to imply that everyone working in these jobs is bad at them. I'm on food stamps and my social worker is very nice and helpful and a wonderful lady.
But the way things are set up they drive away a lot of people who have the skills to get work elsewhere. If you're going to a law school that's making you pay out the nose, the $10,000 a year the government is giving you (with a lifetime cap of $60,000) you can't afford to become a public defender.
The system is set up in such a way that it drives away well-qualified people who aren't extremely passionate about working as a civil servant and that shouldn't be the case.
(Also I think DC is a bit of a special case) #phillipgarrido
@Benevolent_Dictatrix (patently absurd): @bluebears: I could not agree more that there are extremely well-qualified people in these kinds of public sector jobs (including most of my friends and relatives). I was mainly supporting the original poster's point about them needing adequate compensation for their impossible jobs. People got up in arms in my community about a horrible crime where the perps were poorly supervised parolees, but the caseload put on the officers was/is impossible for anyone to manage well.
I do think it's true that there are many people who whether worn down by the environment and bad pay over time or just beginning this way, do a shitty job in their shitty job because they have little incentive to do better.
That said, I must reiterate that public defenders are some of my favorite people. #phillipgarrido
@bluebears: Again, didn't mean to imply that. But with burn out and extreme case loads you HAVE to be passionate to want the job. If you aren't and you are a good lawyer you don't even consider it.
It shouldn't be that way. It should be like working in regular law firm. You shouldn't have to martyr yourself with extreme caseloads to do the job. #phillipgarrido
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@Lizard in the Wires now with even MORE metal in the face!: I definitely get your point. I'm a recent law school grad with huge loans who would rather be working in a non-profit than what I'm doing now. It's a terrible system where the only people who can afford to do public interest law are ones with other, independent sources of income. I just had to stand up for the dedicated people who make it work on the low salaries and put up with insane workload because they are so dedicated. #phillipgarrido
Also, Garrido had been sentenced for a sex crime, correct? No one with that in his past needs "low level" supervision. I'm all for atoning and shit, but if you've fucked with a kid, you should be watched pretty carefully until you're dead. #phillipgarrido
Unacceptable. If I perform 90% of the time, I'd be fired. And I only set up windows and stuff.
I would like to know this, though. Is this a case of overwork/understaffing? Individuals? A systemic problem? I want to know what happened in this particular case. #phillipgarrido
@Penny: no no no. It's much worse than that. [i]According to the report, California failed to follow parole protocols for Garrido 90% of the time[/i] ... meaning that the parole officers performed only [i]10% of the time[/i]
This is an incredible example of how tough on crime policies can back fire. California incarcerated so many people for drug use that the system can't function. They had to stop education and reform programs because they didn't have the money, so people left prison with no skills to get a job. They overburdened parole officers so they can't do their job. That is when mistakes happen. #phillipgarrido
The thing about this case that terrifies me is the sheer inefficacy of the authorities. There were reports! And witnesses! And concerned neighbors! And the police and parole officers not only did nothing, they actively ignored danger signs. She could have been saved so much earlier. #phillipgarrido
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Most PO agencies follow a Best Practices Model: concentrate most of your efforts on those most dangerous offenders, those that will most likely reoffend.
The theory goes that, if someone has been evaluated as low risk, they are most likely going to be compliant with the Court's conditions. Think of a first-time DUI offender who's arrest has scared the pants off of him, has a lot to lose and is afraid of jail. Not every time, but most of the time, this person is going to comply with what he has to do to stay out of trouble.
I'm willing to bet that once Garrido was classified as Low Risk (although how that happened with him being a violent sex offender is beyond me) he was not was not scrutinized as frequently or thoroughly as other, seemingly more pressing, cases.
For me, caseloads were so high, the training and support were so lacking, and the probability of "High Risk" parolees reoffending so great, that my worst nightmare, the one that actually woke me up at night, was the one where one of the offenders on my caseload had done some unspeakable act to another human, and that it was all over the news. Thankfully this never actually happened (that I know of...)
One more thing that may have played into the Parole Officers' lack of supervision, both actual and perceived, is that these violent, psychopathic, sexually sadistic, and frightening offenders require such a high level supervision and immersion into their dark, sordid minds, that in some ways, it was a relief to have a couple of "Low Risk" offenders on the caseload.
You can see how that would backfire.
And yes, I'm a former Probation Officer. #phillipgarrido
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I too can't think of a state where this is not the case. This is one reason why lots of states are farming out prisons to private enterprises with the lowest bids, just to save a little money. Ideally they'd be raising taxes, reforming drug punishments, and hiring more parole and probation officers, but of course anyone who proposes that would be shot down and never get re-elected. People hate taxes, and they hate "criminals" even more. "More walls and fewer rights" is the refrain regarding prisoners. #phillipgarrido
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Before they do anything like that, they'll need to go back and *heavily* scrutinize their low-level parolees, to make sure that is where they really should be classified.
What a mess.
#clusterfsck
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Are there any lawyers out there who can tell us if that is permissible? #phillipgarrido
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Well, that depends on what your perspective is. If you're grading them on Overal Suck, they get an A-. #phillipgarrido
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Sex offenders, generally speaking, offend because it makes them feel better about themselves. So, Offender A touches little girls because it makes him feel better. Offender A gets caught, is sent to jail, and gets released a few years later. Offender A is then put on a registry list where he has to go to his neighbors houses and tell them that he is on the list. A parole officer often comes by Offender A's house to remind him that he is a piece of crap and no one likes him. Offender A's neighbors have made it well known that they dont' want him living there, to a point where he is looking to move, but he can't move anywhere really because of zoning laws that restrict his living abilities. He can't get a job because he has to disclose that he is an offender. How do you think Offender A is feeling? Shitty. How does Offender A make himself feel better? Offending. Continue Cycle.
In all, while registries are a great idea for protecting society, sex offenders who are given proper treatment actually do not re-offend as much as many other types of criminals, and people are most likely to be offended against by people they know, not the bogeyman who jumps out of a bush and attacks them. So, registries = more stress on both society and the offender which = bad things. #phillipgarrido
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Who the hell can ever become normal when their entire life is about the worst thing they ever did? #phillipgarrido
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Also, to anyone who is reading this: may I suggest "The Woodsman" with Kevin Bacon...it's what I make people watch when they ask me why I do what I do. I saw that movie and cried because I felt like someone else understood what I was trying to talk about. #phillipgarrido
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These jobs should be reserved for the best and brightest, and should be respected like people respect doctors and lawyers who work at expensive firms, but they're not. And then we wonder how we got ourselves into this world where those in vital but under-resourced and under-respected jobs just want to punch the clock. #phillipgarrido
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But the way things are set up they drive away a lot of people who have the skills to get work elsewhere. If you're going to a law school that's making you pay out the nose, the $10,000 a year the government is giving you (with a lifetime cap of $60,000) you can't afford to become a public defender.
The system is set up in such a way that it drives away well-qualified people who aren't extremely passionate about working as a civil servant and that shouldn't be the case.
(Also I think DC is a bit of a special case) #phillipgarrido
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I do think it's true that there are many people who whether worn down by the environment and bad pay over time or just beginning this way, do a shitty job in their shitty job because they have little incentive to do better.
That said, I must reiterate that public defenders are some of my favorite people. #phillipgarrido
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It shouldn't be that way. It should be like working in regular law firm. You shouldn't have to martyr yourself with extreme caseloads to do the job. #phillipgarrido
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I would like to know this, though. Is this a case of overwork/understaffing? Individuals? A systemic problem? I want to know what happened in this particular case. #phillipgarrido
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