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New Tenn. parole guidelines anger victims

Parolees in Tennessee can now check in by phone and can fail two drug tests before being sent back to prison, according to new rules

By C1 Staff

KNOXVILLE — Parolees in Tennessee can now check in by phone and can fail two drug tests before being sent back to prison, according to new rules.

The guidelines went into effect in July of last year, but many were not aware of the changes until just recently, according to Local 8 Now.

Joan Berry, whose daughter was stabbed to death in 2004, said that they never would have found the man who killed her daughter had he not been picked up on a parole violation. With the new rules, he could have gotten away.

“I think it puts the public at risk to have these people walking around on the street,” she said.

When she brought up her concerns to local lawmakers, they too were surprised about the changes.

“Had we been consulted, we wouldn’t want probationers or parolees reporting by telephone,” said Deputy District Attorney General Kyle Hixson. “Plus, we would want to know if they failed one drug screen, much less two.”

Lawmakers are now putting pressure on the Department of Corrections to change the rules.

“If they are dangerous enough for the general assembly to think they need to be supervised after release, then that shouldn’t be happening over the telephone,” Hixson said.

The DOC said that the telephone monitoring allows them more time to monitor high risk offenders. The multiple failed drug tests allows offenders to go to rehab before returning to prison.

The telephone reporting has now been suspended until they can educate the local district attorney’s office on why the changes were made.

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