Division of Parole
The enacted budget makes the following changes to the Executive Budget (analysis as of April 3, 2007):
Increases the division’s All Funds budget by $5.1 million, all of which is for the Parole Operations program. $4.9 million of this increase is for personal service. This change reflects the rejection of the Governor’s proposal to amend the parole violation process, which would have allowed State incarceration of alleged parole violators pending a revocation hearing, with participation in revocation hearings via teleconferencing in local jails.
Accepts the Governor’s proposal to eliminate the minimum six month reincarceration for a violation of parole conditions.
The Assembly recommends (analysis as of March 16, 2007):
Adds $5 million to the Parole Operations Program in a Maintenance Undistributed appropriation. This funding could be used for additional parole officers.
The Executive Budget recommends (analysis as of February 6, 2007):
A FY 2007-08 workforce of 2,069. This is a decrease of 10 FTEs from the adjusted FTE level for FY 2006-07. The Division of Budget informed PEF that Governor Pataki did not fill all 50 positions added by the Legislature into this year’s budget. Therefore, there will not be a reduction of 24 FTEs via attrition as reported on Budget’s summary sheet because these positions were never filled. According to the Senate and Assembly these 24 FTEs were not filled due to a re-estimation of the resources necessary to administer the Local Conditional Release program. Therefore only real change in the Parole workforce is the addition of 14 new FTEs. The following chart identifies adjustments in current fiscal years FTEs along with the recommended differences in FY 2007-08 FTEs by program (if the FTE’s are the same the program is not listed).
Program
FY 2006-07 Adjustment
FY 2007-08 Difference
Parole Operations
+8
+14
The total appropriation for Personal Service is $122.4 million, an increase of 1.1%.
An All Funds increase of $2.8 million, (+1.7%) from SFY 2006-07.
An Article VII bill which would allow DOCS to incarcerate parole violators, relieving pressure on participating local jails. DOCS management estimates that this could result in DOCS housing up to an additional 5,000 inmates/parole violators. The parole violators will participate via video teleconferencing in the revocation hearing that will be held at the local correctional facility. In addition, administrative law judges will be given greater latitude in tailoring the sentence to the violation, including reducing some time assessments for certain parole violators, based on a recommendation submitted by a supervising parole officer. The Executive Budget expects this move to save $13 million and appropriates $1.1 million of this savings to pay for the additional 14 FTEs.
An increase of $3.46 million (+10.2%) in nonpersonal services in Parole Operations. This is made up primarily of an increase (+$2.9 million) in contractual services. The purpose of this increase should be explored at statewide labor management.
Eliminates the $2.15 million maintenance undistributed appropriation added by the Legislature to the Parole Operations program when they rejected the Governor’s proposal to eliminate local conditional release.
An Article VII bill which would create a second commission of experts to conduct a comprehensive review of State laws governing how persons are sentenced to and released from prison, as well as a close examination of the use of alternatives to incarceration
The Executive Budget shows that the Division of Parole employed an estimated 2 employees under consultant contracts in SFY 2006-07 at an estimated cost of $284,000 or an average cost of $142,000 per consultant contract employee. It is estimated that the number of employees employed under consultant contracts will remain the same in SFY 2007-08. Interestingly consultant contract employees will be paid $250,000 in SFY 2007-08 or an average cost of $125,000 per consultant contract employee, a 12% decrease over the average cost in SFY 2006-07. The purpose of these contract employees and whether their work can be done by state employees should be discussed at statewide labor management.
The Executive Budget calls for; “As part of the effort to reduce recidivism through a focus on community re-entry, a thorough review will be conducted to assess the roles and responsibilities of the Division of Parole and the Department of Correctional Services in this regard.” The goal of this review is to “create a more seamless system for assessing the needs of offenders, ensuring access to services, maintaining accurate records of offender information, and addressing other factors essential to successful community re-entry.”
The Executive Budget proposes creating re-entry transitional centers which involves DOCS transforming existing facilities into transitional centers. Facilities which will be transformed into transitional centers were not identified in the Executive Budget. DOCS and the Division of Parole would coordinate their efforts to transition an inmate as their release date approaches. According to the Executive Budget the role of parole officers in the transition planning process will be strengthened. According to the Senate, the Executive Budget proposes additional parole officers to provide support and supervision in the community. We assume this is the purpose of the additional 14FTEs.for SFY 2007-08. This issue should be clarified at statewide labor management.
Division of Parole Program Details-State Operations Enacted Proposed Enacted Change in Percent Program 2006-07 Budget 2007-08 Budget 2007-08 Budget Appropriation Change All Funds $160,498,000 $163,256,000 $168,356,000 $7,858,000 4.9% General Fund $159,173,000 $161,931,000 $167,031,000 $7,858,000 4.9% Special Revenue - Federal $500,000 $500,000 $500,000 $0 0.0% Special Revenue-Other $825,000 $825,000 $825,000 $0 0.0% Personal Services $121,383,000 $122,728,000 $126,628,000 $5,245,000 4.3% Contractual Services $31,932,000 $31,932,000 Administration $8,727,000 $8,954,000 $8,954,000 $227,000 2.6% Personal Service $7,102,000 $7,230,000 $7,230,000 $128,000 1.8% Regular $7,203,000 $7,203,000 Holiday/overtime compensation $27,000 $27,000 Nonpersonal Service $1,625,000 $1,724,000 $1,724,000 $99,000 6.1% Supplies and materials $40,000 $40,000 Travel $282,000 $282,000 Contractual Services $1,384,000 $1,384,000 Equipment $18,000 $18,000 Parole Operations $151,771,000 $154,302,000 $159,402,000 $7,631,000 5.0% Personal Service $114,281,000 $115,498,000 $119,398,000 $5,117,000 4.5% Regular $111,081,000 $114,981,000 Temporary service $87,000 $87,000 Holiday/overtime compensation $4,330,000 $4,330,000 Nonpersonal Service $34,015,000 $37,479,000 $38,679,000 $4,664,000 13.7% Supplies and materials $1,253,000 $1,253,000 Travel $4,374,000 $4,374,000 Contractual Services $30,098,000 $30,098,000 Equipment $1,754,000 $2,954,000 Maintenance Undistributed $2,150,000 $0 $0 ($2,150,000) -100.0% Special Revenue - Federal (SRF) $500,000 $500,000 $500,000 $0 0.0% Special Revenue-Other (SRO) $825,000 $825,000 $825,000 $0 0.0% Federal Projects (SRF) $500,000 $500,000 $500,000 $0 0.0% Parole Officers Memorial (SRO) $425,000 $425,000 $425,000 $0 0.0% Nonpersonal Service $425,000 $425,000 $425,000 $0 0.0% Supplies and materials $50,000 $50,000 Contractual Services $300,000 $300,000 Equipment $75,000 $75,000 DOP Asset Forfeiture (SRO) $400,000 $400,000 $400,000 $0 0.0% Nonpersonal Service