Email From Parole Agent Association of California - KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News

Email From Parole Agent Association of California

From Todd Gillam, Vice President of the Parole Agent Association of California

Here is our report on AB109 with the real numbers related to the realignment. What is not being talked about is how this will effect the education budget. Specifically, if the 6 billion dollars that is collected from the VLF, sales tax and income tax goes to the counties first, then back to the state, is the Prop 98 mandate to provide education a portion of the money avoided? And, is that the real motivation?

Ultimately, the counties do nothing special or different then the sate, and we are all equally Peace Officers, citizens and tax payers. To imply that the local government can do a better job then the state would be to imply that they know a secret about recidivism and have been keeping it to themselves all this time. Never mind that a large portion of our Parole Agents started as Probation Officers, or that Probation has a higher rate or recidivism then Parole, or that statewide, probation uses banked caseload which provide no supervision at all, etc, etc.

In the end, AB 109 will put more money in the state's pocket at the expense of public safety, and when there is a public outcry the Governor will point to the counties and blame them. It is a win-win for the state, and a big loss for the citizens. Remember, J Brown admitted that the biggest mistake of his first term was eliminating the "Indeterminate Sentencing Law," and now it appears he is ready to move on to his next "biggest mistake."