Corrections Department Fails To Locate Dangerous Parolee

This case involves negligent supervision of a parolee in Missouri. The parolee was a 68-year old male and registered sex offender on supervision for a prior sex offense. After a few weeks, the parolee failed to check in as required by his supervision terms. The department of corrections conducted a search of the parolee’s residence and place of employment but the parolee was not found. No further searches were conducted to locate the parolee. Two weeks later, the parolee raped a 9-year-old boy in the public restroom of a local gas station. It was alleged that the department of corrections failed to conduct a thorough search to locate the dangerous parolee.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Please describe your experience supervising parolees over the course of your career.

2. If a parolee fails to check in, what reasonable measures are taken to find and apprehend the parolee?

Expert Witness Response E-239832

As a senior probation and parole officer (PPO), I have supervised well over 300 parolees (mostly drug and sex offenders) and about 1,500 probationers. Our caseloads typically ran about 100-125 parolees/probationers at a given time. I had the parolee caseload in the largest district in my state for several years and supervised the offender recovery team. When I or one of my officers had a parolee/probationer not show up on report day, or we couldn't find them at the reported address, we would initiate contact with the local police and sheriff's department immediately. We would actively engage the drug task force or the police department's repeat offender program detectives to assist in locating the person. If we could not, I would issue an agent's warrant in conjunction with filing for a parole violation. This would put more resources at our disposal to find the parolee.