For Immediate Release

Contact:
Eric Rose (805) 624-0572 or
Paul Haney (626) 755-4759

Los Angeles – May 5, 2009 - The Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL), representing the 9,800 sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department, wrote to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to express its “deep concerns” about a program that allows parole violators to remain free rather than returned to prison.

The Parole Violation Decision Making Instruments (PVDMI) currently being implemented by the Schwarzenegger Administration is “simply being used to avoid sending parole violators back to prison in order to save money, instead of protecting public safety,” said LAPPL President Paul M. Weber. “Public safety must trump all other concerns – economic or political. We believe there are better solutions to cutting costs and we urge the governor to not implement the PVMDI program.”

The text of the LAPPL letter to the Governor follows:

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:

We are writing to express our deep concerns about the Parole Violation Decision Making Instrument (PVMDI) currently being implemented by your administration. On paper, this program has laudable goals. However, in practice we believe it is simply being used to avoid sending parole violators back to prison in order to save money, instead of protecting public safety.

Recent statements by CDCR Secretary Matt Cate only confirm our belief. Just last week Secretary Cate announced that he wanted to reduce the prison population by 8,000 inmates, eliminate supervision of “low-risk” offenders, and have parole agents supervise only “serious and violent” offenders. These proposals require legislative approval, but we are troubled that the PVMDI system is already being used to accomplish the same goals through the back door.

We have learned that during the pilot implementation of the PVMDI program in the San Fernando Valley, starting in November 2008, very few “non-violent” parolees were returned to state prison for parole violations. Prior to implementation of this system, this was not the case, making us wonder: is there truly a drop in repeat offenses, or are violations simply not being reported or acted upon?

Parole agents are in direct contact with parolees and in the best position to judge the seriousness of a violation. A computer system simply cannot perform that function. Yet, now this system prevents agents from applying their best judgment unless a supervisor personally approves going against the PVMDI pre-programmed decision. We are very disturbed that the public safety of Los Angeles residents is now being gamed by bureaucrats in Sacramento, determined to “save money” by implementing a program to block the return of parolees to prison before the legislature has approved this approach.

When a person is sent to prison, it is because they have demonstrated by their recent crime – or a life of crime – that they are a danger to the community. If they were truly “low risk” they would not have landed in prison. Labeling them as such, and releasing them on parole, doesn’t change that fact.

Only recently, you attended the funeral of four Oakland police officers gunned down by a parolee. Although this murderer would be labeled a “violent” parolee under the PVMDI, we urge you not to wait for a police officer to die at the hands of a “low risk” parolee, kept on the street by the PVMDI, before directing Secretary Cate to change his direction.

Public safety must trump all other concerns – economic or political. We believe there are better solutions to saving the state money and we urge you to not implement the PVMDI program.

Very truly yours,

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Los Angeles Police Protective League

PAUL M. WEBER
President

Cc: All Members of the California State Legislature
All Members Los Angeles City Council
Chief William Bratton
Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo
District Attorney Steve Cooley

About the LAPPL
Formed in 1923, the Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) represents the more than 9,800 dedicated and professional sworn members of the Los Angeles Police Department. The LAPPL can be found on the Web at www.LAPD.com.