Legislator says more paroles may be coming

By CLAY ROBISON
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN - With a new report forecasting continued prison crowding, a key legislative chairman said Thursday that the state may need to consider a small increase in the parole rate.

Rep. Jerry Madden, R-Plano, chairman of the House Corrections Committee, said a limited number of additional paroles could be approved without endangering public safety. The goal is to help the state avoid the multimillion-dollar expense of building and staffing new prisons.

"I don't think we'll be turning out any more dangerous people than we are now," he said, adding that he was "very happy" with how the parole program is conducted.

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"I don't think we'll be turning out any more dangerous people than we are now,"

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And, of course, if we do it certainly won't be his fault

Well, I'm not happy with how parole works now, which is, to wait until a crook is convicted of a new crime before revoking parole. A lot of crooks are afraid of pleading out because they fear parole consequences. If parole went ahead and revoked them asap, it would provide more protection for the community, and make our jobs a lot easier. But of course, parole is not about to be the least bit aggressive about revoking parole violators with a lack of prison space to put them in.

Maddan's statement seems to suggest that only "dangerous" criminals should be in prison in the first place. What kind of a world would it be if theives never went to prison? Or burglars? Or meth cooks? Even if you put them all on probation (where in fact most end up), what does he propose doing if they don't abide by their conditions of probation, e.g. paying restitution? Probation without the threat of prison only works for the errant Boy Scouts on the probation officer's caseload.

You and I know that in fact there are very few Boy Scouts wasting the Prob. Officer's time on probation. But at least one high ranking legislator seems to think that is the majority of probation's case load. That is how out of touch the legislature is.

Maybe we need to take our case "on the road" like the Dark Siders are doing, and explain to our local Rotary Clubbers, Lions Clubbers, etc. what is going on.

If the legis. is serious about its First Responsibility to the people (which is protection from the criminal element), it's first order of business will be to build several new prisons.