State Senator Rich Funke says the people in his district feel if the parole system isn't broken, it's severely cracked.
During a joint legislative hearing on Public Protection today, he cited several instances where parolees were involved in other crimes, including Thomas Johnson III, who shot and killed Rochester police officer Daryl Pierson.
Funke questioned Anthony Annucci, the acting commissioner of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, about the merger of the Department of Correctional Services and the Division of Parole...
"Have parole issues become lost in DOCCS, since the two have been merged together?"
Annucci responded that the community supervision aspect of the agency is extremely important.
"What is going on in Rochester has caused us great concern. And we've rolled out several initiatives that we think are making a difference."
Among them, Annucci says before someone is released in Rochester, there's a screening process, and if they are identified as high risk, they are placed close to a correctional facility, GPS bracelets are placed on them, and they are transported to the field office for an official report.
He says that way there is no break in the release, and the parolee isn't in the community before they officially understand that they're still serving a sentence and still subject to jurisdiction.
Annucci adds they also work with local law enforcement to round up absconders.
Funke also noted that there are 30 parole officers in Rochester, responsible for 12 hundred parolees, and they have three vehicles.
Annucci says the agency is working on a business plan to provide more vehicles for use by parole officers.
