|
Updated: 4:03 PM Feb 16, 2010
Garrido Case Spurs Changes at Calif Corrections
The state has revamped the way it monitors parolees following the botched supervision of the man accused of kidnapping Jaycee Dugard and holding her prisoner for 18 years, the head of California prisons said Tuesday.
Posted: 1:24 PM Feb 16, 2010Reporter: Brooke Donald AP Email Address: news@kolotv.com |
|
2 Comments 
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The state has revamped the way it monitors parolees following the botched supervision of the man accused of kidnapping Jaycee Dugard and holding her prisoner for 18 years, the head of California prisons said Tuesday.
Corrections Secretary Matthew Cate testified at a Senate hearing that his department has "greatly improved" supervision of parole agents and field training, and is revamping the parole academy.
He also said the department has changed the way it uses electronic tracking of parolees to have better follow-up after the Office of Inspector General blasted corrections for ineffective GPS-monitoring in the Phillip Garrido case.
Garrido, 58, and his wife, Nancy, were arrested in August on allegations that they kidnapped and raped Dugard and held her captive in their backyard for 18 years. They have pleaded not guilty.
Garrido was under California's supervision starting in 1999 for a previous rape conviction in Nevada.
The corrections department was sharply criticized in the Inspector General's report for missing opportunities to apprehend Garrido earlier.
The report noted that parole agents neglected to interview Garrido's neighbors, misclassified Garrido as a low-risk offender and failed to adequately investigate the relationship between Garrido and a young girl seen by an agent during a home visit.
Cate's testimony Tuesday was an opportunity to update lawmakers on the lessons learned from the Garrido case, and to let them know where things stand on improving the system.
Cate said the department also now requires agents to press for more information from out-of-state agencies when a parolee is transferred to its supervision.
Cate again acknowledged missteps in Garrido's supervision. Questioned by state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier about an agent not following up after seeing a young girl at the house, Cate said, "It is frustrating."
The agent "got an explanation from a particularly smooth operator and made a judgment mistake," Cate said. He added there is not one day the agent doesn't regret that error.
Cate wouldn't comment on whether any parole agents were being disciplined because of their actions on the Garrido case.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Latest Comments
True, because of the Garrido case it's obvious the CA Corrections Dept. (those responsible for supervising and monitoring the DEVILS (sexual predators, especially those who prey on children) needs to be completely overhauled (fixed so they function efficiently). Obviously, seven months after locating Jaycee Dugard, nothing has been done to correct these problems; because, the same failures by the CA corrections dept. surfaced in San Diego involving the Chelsea King abduction and murder. Furthermore, the Federal Government needs to be investigated and held responsible for their failures to manage and operate the National Programs that have been established to help find and prevent Missing Children. If the Federal National Program "NALC/USPS Child Alert Program functioned as it's intended and as it's written directions describe, the odds of locating Jaycee Dugard within the first few days of her abduction would have been greatly increased, and Dillon Groene would still be alive today.
Whatever the amount she gets will never be enough. California must pay so she can spend the rest of her life trying to overcome the horrid treatment she received from those awful people! If the Garrido's have one cent to their names it should go to the daughters of Jaycee and that sperm donor of a creepy ugly man. The Judge should not allow them to have even a dollar from the sale of anything they own.
