Cuts imperil safety, officials warn
$2 million slashed from agency that monitors habitual criminals free on probation, parole
South Carolina is gambling with the public’s safety by cutting $2 million from the agency that monitors thousands of habitual criminals free on probation and parole, top law enforcement officials warned Thursday.
Just last month, legislative leaders talked of boosting money for the state Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, saying the agency is seriously understaffed and needs more resources to effectively perform its mission. But that was before the current economic crisis sent South Carolina’s budget into a tailspin.
Now the struggling agency is facing a deep cut that will leave less money to keep tabs on criminals in the community, monitor sex offenders and perform other duties. The agency has an annual budget of about $50 million and oversees some 48,000 criminals across the state.
“I don’t know how you can expect them to do anything close to adequate supervision when they continue to lose resources,” Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen said. “This is going to make it more difficult for us to deal with the repeat violent offenders who are released on probation and parole.”
The Post and Courier described the probation and parole agency’s difficulties in the five-part series “Law and Disorder,” published in August. The series described how criminals free on probation or parole kill, rob and rape all too often in a state where repeat offenders are routinely released into a system ill-equipped to maintain control.
Previous budget cuts and a slumping economy already had left the state with about 130 fewer probation and parole agents than it had in the late 1990s. Some agents juggle more than 170 cases each, and lack cell phones, cars and other resources to do their jobs.
State Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell said the agency clearly needs more resources and he said he wished lawmakers could do more, but the current budget crisis required cuts throughout state government.
“I recognize what a threat the shortage is going to pose for the criminal justice system,” said McConnell, a Charleston Republican. “The public’s safety is compromised when we do not fund the criminal justice system.”
McConnell said he’s still hopeful that lawmakers can craft a budget in the upcoming session that will boost funding for the probation and parole system. “Come January, I will argue for trying to restore their budget plus increase it.”
S.C. Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, also plans to push for more money and manpower for the agency. But he said the state’s financial constraints will dictate how much can be done.
“I want to help improve the plight of that agency, which is pretty dire,” Harrell said. “I don’t know how much we will be able to do, but I know it’s a priority.”
Peter O’Boyle, press officer for the probation and parole agency, declined to comment on specifics of the budget plan and how it will affect the agency.
Lynne Moldenhauer is the supervising agent for probation and parole in Charleston County, home to nearly 3,900 offenders. Her 18 case agents supervise about 175 offenders each.
She said she doesn’t know how the cuts will affect her office’s already limited resources, but she and her staff will do their best to make do.
“It’s an ever-present challenge,” Moldenhauer said.
Mullen and North Charleston Police Chief Jon Zumalt said they will continue to do everything they can to assist the agency, including teaming officers with probation agents to check on offenders and conduct warrants sweeps.
Zumalt, whose city is home to about 1,000 offenders on community release, said he understands the tough decisions state lawmakers had to make, but the cuts will hurt.
“It puts more on us to try to make up for it,” Zumalt said. “We’re going to have to prioritize, focus on those who are the highest risk and work them first. … We’re going to do everything we can, but we really need some help here with probation and parole.”
By Glenn Smith
The Post and Courier
October 25, 2008
