Politics & Government

Odell: Release of Parolees is State's Responsibility [POLL]

She said that closed psychiatric hospitals in the region would make for "safe living arrangement for released prisoners."

The release of sexual predators from prison back into society is a "continuing problem" in this area, according to County Executive MaryEllen Odell.

She is calling for New York State to reevaluate the prisoner sentencing process and step in when it comes to release costs. Odell also announced plans to assemble a task force aimed at "successful ... reintegration" for both the recently released and the community at large.

Her office issued the following in a press release Monday afternoon:

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The placement of persons released to community supervision under the supervision of the former Division of Parole is a process dictated by the State. The cost to the County to manage the re-entry into the community of released prisoners range from the housing cost for those released as 'homeless' to the administrative expenses incurred on our Sheriff and local police departments for the community notification laws for sex offenders. Additionally the expenses borne by the various social services required to help those under supervision make a safe re-entry into the community are all unfunded and underfunded state mandates.

And the most onerous mandate of all is borne by the law abiding taxpayers of the community who live in fear whenever a released state prisoner returns to the community.

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It is the responsibility of the state to plan and implement and pay for the release of persons under community supervision (parole). We call on the State of New York to review the sentencing guidelines by which persons are released to the community and assure that the sentencing of these persons is adequate. And we insist that the state pay for the cost of these onerous discharges. 

Obviously in Putnam County the release of sex offenders back into their county of origin has proven to be an unsolvable burden on the county. 

We ask the Governor and the State Legislature to recognize the unique quality of Putnam County that makes it impossible to carry out these state mandates and to take responsibility and create a state-led, regional solution to this problem.

One solution would be for the state to use abandoned state property, such as one of the several closed psychiatric hospitals in the region. These hospitals, while not in residential neighborhoods, are relatively remote but still near good sources of transportation. There is plenty of space there and the buildings already exist that would ensure a safe living arrangement for released prisoners while they re-enter society.

However the County Executive states that Putnam will not sit inactive while waiting for New York State to take action. 

Today she announces that she has asked the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to assign GPS tracking devices to those sex offenders that have recently been released to the Putnam County Community. In response DOCCS has announced they will do so. The County Executive appreciates the timely response of DOCCS to her request.

Additionally the County Executive announces that she has directed that Putnam County develop a 'County Reentry Task Force.' This task force will have three goals. The first is to do provide education and  public outreach to the entire community. The second will be to provide strategic planning for the reentry of persons into the community in order to develop a comprehensive plan that addresses the needs of the individual as well as the community in an atmosphere where community safety is paramount. The stakeholders for this goal will include the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, the County Probation Department, the Department of Mental Health and Social Services, the Sheriff’s Department, the District Attorney, other human service agencies  and all of the Law Enforcement Agencies in the county. The third goal will be in individual case management to ensure that the offender reentering the county is given the best possible chance of a successful community reintegration. This task will be performed by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in concert with the human service agencies of the county.

The controversy surrounding the housing of homeless sex offenders released from prison into Putnam County is not new. Discussions that began years ago and public opinion has now caused the county to be in the position where the responsibility to house these individuals cannot be met without extreme measures.

By taking these steps, the County expresses its commitment to perform its duty under the law with the utmost protection of the community in mind.

I thank those agencies that are willing to be part of this process to make Putnam as safe as it can be.

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