Parole data in study is disputed by state officials

3-29-2011 Oklahoma:

Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board officials say data kept by the agency show parole approval ranging from 31 percent to 55 percent during the last 10 years, which contradicts a study released earlier this week by a Colorado-based research organization.

Despite the differences in the numbers, some board members say they agree with most of the recommendations made in the study by the Northpointe Institute for Public Management.

The study found that 11 percent of Oklahoma inmates up for parole get approved, based on the board and governor actions. It is estimated that that costs taxpayers an average of $80 million a year.

"I don't understand where they got their data, and I didn't talk to anybody associated with the report," said Richard L. Dugger, chairman of the board. "I'm concerned about the statistics in the report and the way they've been used to imply that the Pardon and Parole Board or the governor has not been diligent in granting parole to the best of our ability, because we have."

Dennis Schrantz, senior policy analyst with Northpointe, said the study used Department of Corrections data of all parole-eligible inmates, including those with waivers or other automatic delays.

"My inclination is that the difference is probably comparing apples to oranges," Schrantz said. "We would not simply look at people who appeared before the board. There's a selection process limiting the number of cases they actually interviewed."

The study has a 170-page technical report explaining the researchers' approach, data sources, methodology and recommendations.

"Oklahoma is particularly complicated, and it took quite a bit of time to understand the way the process works and variations of the way cases go through the board," said Schrantz, who is the former deputy director of corrections in Michigan.

"The state, Legislature and Department of Corrections can take the report, assess it and take the next step. If there's a need to do further analysis of our data and their data, we are willing to do that, but it's not going to change the recommendations. We firmly stand by our findings."

Recommendations include:

Taking the governor out of the parole decisions for nonviolent offenders;

Expanding prisoner community re-entry programs;

Requiring the use of risk-assessment tools by board members in decision-making;

Setting minimum education and experience standards for board members.

Dugger was district attorney for 27 years in the 2nd Judicial District, which covers five rural counties. He said support services for released inmates and community sentencing courts are lacking in small towns.

"Our resources are so limited in community sentencing," Dugger said. "We didn't have the DUI schools or drug counseling like they do in the larger, metropolitan areas. Also, funding went more to the metropolitan areas. We need community sentencing in the state, and that would lower the prison population a large amount.

"Part of a district attorney's job is prosecuting. But if we can divert from the Department of Corrections, we try to do that. But you can't if you don't have services available."

Oklahoma is the only state requiring the governor's approval of all paroles, which has caused a lag of up to three to four months after a parole board recommendation.

The governor can also add release requirements or stipulations after release, which is a concern for board member Currie Ballard.

Inmates have died while waiting for a decision on a medical parole, or they may decide not to take the added requirements. Also, some inmates may commit an infraction while a decision is pending, erasing the board recommendation, said board members.

"The public was not aware of how many cases the governor made through rejection, went far beyond 30 days and added more stipulations onto the inmate paroles," Ballard said. "The governor threw a horrible monkey wrench into a system already crippled."

Ballard said the recommendations are viable for Oklahoma, but he disagrees with setting minimum standards for members. He is a former Langston University historian, served as assistant secretary to the Oklahoma Senate and previously served on the board for four years.

"This is supposed to be a citizens board," Ballard said. "Why are you going to have more requirements to be a parole board member than the governor of the state? To me, that makes no sense."

Inmate waivers to parole have risen from 16 percent of inmates in 2000 to 34 percent last year.

DOC officials say three main reasons are behind the waivers: The sentence is shorter than the parole process; a person serving 85 percent of a sentence is near the end and would rather be released later with no stipulations; and a law disallows people denied parole to be part of an early release GPS program

"People waive parole when they lose hope," Ballard said.

Ballard said expanding prisoner re-entry programs is crucial to keeping down the rate of re-offending.

"One thing that had me in tears is the number of people that had no to place to go," Ballard said. "Literally, if the person was released tomorrow, they would be homeless.

"Corrections reform has to do with the overall attitude of Oklahoma. We have a church on every corner, but having compassion for inmates and their families is low on the totem pole, especially when it comes for people getting hired."

The report was commissioned by the Tulsa-based George Kaiser Family Foundation, which has supported projects designed to reduce inter-generational poverty.

Executive Director Ken Levit said the foundation sought the study as an education tool to be shared with the policymakers and the public.

The foundation has been addressing the state's No. 1 ranking in female incarceration, including the support of Women in Recovery, which is an alternative program to prison.

"It was one of a number of projects we've launched to get a better understanding of what is driving up the incarceration rate, especially for women and mothers, in the state," Levit said. "Corrections is the fastest growing part of our state's budget. We wanted to look at what policy options other states are now taking in reducing prison populations, especially with respect to nonviolent offenders.

At least four of the recommendations in the report are included in House Bill 2131, written by House Speaker Kris Steele, R-Shawnee.

"All of the recommendations are significant," Steele stated by e-mail. "However, because Oklahoma is the only state that requires the governor to sign off on every parole, limiting her involvement in the parole process for nonviolent offenders is important. And if we limit the governor's involvement in the parole process, we must ensure proper training and education requirements are in place for parole board members so informed decision are made." ..Source.. GINNIE GRAHAM World Staff Writer