By Don Thompson
The Associated Press
SACRAMENTO—A state audit says nearly 5,000 California parolees—including hundreds of sex offenders and those convicted of violent felonies—have been released from supervision without proper review.
When ex-cons are approaching the end of their parole terms, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation must file what’s called a discharge report. Those reports can recommend that a violent parolee remain under supervision.
If no report is filed, the parole automatically ends.
The Bureau of State Audits released a report Tuesday saying corrections officials failed to file discharge reports for about 9 percent of 56,000 parolees between January 2007 and March 2008.
As a result, about 775 ex-cons who had committed violent or sexual offenses were automatically released from parole. They might have been retained on supervision had discharge reports been completed.
About half the 4,981 convicts in question were deported immediately after their parole ended.