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USPC NEWS
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 Edward F. Reilly |
As we begin 2005, the Parole Commission has already found this to be a year of great opportunity as well as a source of many new challenges. Nevertheless, I look forward to the year with optimism about the future of our agency as well as the future of our country. This is a time of change, but despite any difficulties the future promises to be a bright one.
I am extremely pleased to announce that for the first time in many years the Commission has its full complement of five Commissioners. First Commissioner Deborah A. Spagnoli, who I introduced in an earlier newsletter, has been confirmed as a Commissioner after serving five months as a recess appointment. Commissioner Deborah Spagnoli has been serving a recess appointment for the past five months, and she has now been confirmed by the Senate to serve a six-year term. Commissioner Spagnoli brings with her a background as a former assistant county prosecutor. More recently, she served in the Department of Justice and the White House in the COPS Program and on victims programs. Commissioner Spagnoli brings to the Commission a deep commitment to public safety and an abiding concern for the rights of victims. We welcome Commissioner Spagnoli as a permanent Commissioner.
In addition, two new Commissioners were also named to the Commission, Commissioner Patricia Cushwa and Commissioner Isaac Fulwood. Commissioner Cushwa served in the Maryland Senate prior to being named as a Commissioner and Chair of the Maryland Parole Commission. Commissioner Cushwa has worked closely with the victims of crime and established herself as a nationally recognized leader in the field of parole while serving in Maryland. Commissioner Cushwa brings a vast amount of experience in parole to the Commission along with a deep sense of justice and fairness.
Commissioner Fulwood is well known to residents of the District of Columbia. Commissioner Fulwood is a true Washington native, who was born and raised in Washington. He joined the Metropolitan Police Force and worked his way up through the ranks to serve as a well-respected Chief of Police and later served as Executive Director of the Mayor's Youth Initiatives Program to coordinate at-risk youth programs for the District. Commissioner Fulwood retired from the police force after service of 29 years. Commissioner Fulwood brings to the Commission a profound understanding of how crime impacts neighborhoods, particularly in the District of Columbia. More than ever, Commissioner Fulwood will help the Commission to strengthen its roots in the District of Columbia and become a more effective partner in the effort to fight crime on the local level. The Commission welcomes the latest in a long line of individuals who have served the Commission over the last seventy years beginning with the establishment of the United States Parole Board in 1930.
I am pleased to announce that the Parole Commission will hold its next Public Forum on parole policies affecting District of Columbia prisoners on Saturday, March 12, 2005 at the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church, 3000 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. This is the second time we have met at this location, and I would like to sincerely thank Reverend Dr. Kendrick Carey for his hospitality. The Public Forum, which will last from 10:00 until noon, is intended to acquaint the community with the policies and procedures affecting the parole and supervision of persons living in the District of Columbia who have been convicted of federal and District of Columbia crimes. Representatives of the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency of the District of Columbia and the Federal Bureau of Prisons will also participate in the Public Forum. Nancy Ware, the Executive Director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for the District of Columbia, will once again moderate the Forum.
The previous Public Forum in September raised several thought-provoking issues. The Public Forums give members of the community a chance to find out how the Parole Commission carries out these responsibilities in cooperation with other agencies, such as the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Every effort is made to answer all questions directed to the Commission, and answers to questions from all of the Forums that do not concern a specific individual are posted on the Commission's webpage (www.usdoj.gov/uspc). I strongly encourage anyone with an interest in the Commission's activities to attend the Forum.
There continues to be extensive discussion about the concern expressed by some that the Commission issues warrants without exhausting alternative sanctions for administrative violators. The Commission's response has been that CSOSA has been directed by the Commission to use alternative sanctions prior to requesting a warrant in appropriate circumstances.
To confirm that alternative sanctions are being employed, the Commission reported at the last Public Forum and in the last newsletter on a study that reviewed all the warrants issued for District of Columbia offenders in May and June of last year. The review showed that every administrative violator, excluding those involving loss of contact, had at least one alternative sanction imposed prior to CSOSA requesting the warrant. In fact, over 80 percent of the offenders had three or more sanctions applied prior to a warrant being requested. This study has now been repeated on warrants issued in October and November of 2004. The later study confirmed the previous results. Every case but one (which involved special circumstances) had at least one alternative sanction imposed prior to CSOSA requesting the warrant and over 75 percent of the offenders had three or more sanctions applied prior to a warrant being requested. It is clear that CSOSA is making wide use of alternative sanctions prior to requesting a warrant. This will be discussed in more detail at the upcoming public forum.
Like many federal agencies, the Parole Commission is faced with a tight budget while needing to address new requirements. One area that has seen rapid growth is the area of information security. Despite additional requirements without additional resources to meet these needs, I am pleased that the Commission is among the leaders in the Department of Justice in implementing information security procedures. I am proud of our staff in meeting these new challengers.
I am also proud of our staff in answering the call to assist others in the Combined Federal Campaign. The Parole Commission collected more than double the monetary goal established by the Department of Justice, which placed the Commission among the leaders in the Department. I commend my staff for their effort and generosity.
Again, I hope to see you at the Public Forum. I look forward to working with
you in the coming year and I welcome any suggestions you may have to improve
the effectiveness of this agency.
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Sincerely, |
