Parole to Military Service

By Mervin Leon Evans

Parolees - Give these Young Men Something to Do!

Evans, indicated that he felt that many young first time offenders could get their lives back on the right tracks if given a Second Chance. Evans is a Army Veteran , having served in the 1/10 Air Cav.

Letter to Follow

Richard Cheney Care

Office of the Vice President

Sir:

As you are well aware Los Angeles County has a large number of Parolees released by our State Prison system. 1 of 3 of our minority young people pass through our Criminal Justice process. Mr. Vice President, there is not single young person who would not be a better American after military service. I urge you Mr. Vice President, to request the Department of Defense to conduct a Study and a Pilot Program of Parole to Military Service.

There are several key issues. Military Service gives a young person a moral foundation that lasts a lifetime. Service restores pride in the young person and the family of that young person. The Military offers job training, life skills and a second chance with a new life path.

As you are well aware many in the National Guard, have been asked to stay beyond, what they expected. Many are facing tough times with the loss of their private sector income. These Citizen-Soldiers deserve better! As you are well aware not every job in the military is a Air Force Fighter Pilot, Navy Seal or Army Special Forces Commando. There are dozens of support positions that reflect valued service.

Los Angeles will be a Better City, if we can divert some parolees into boot camp and service. This process will reduce crime and restore pride to our community.

Thank You

Mervin Evans

Summary findings

Probationers include adult offenders whom courts place on community supervision instead of incarceration. Parolees include those adults conditionally released to community supervision whether by parole board decision or by mandatory conditional release after serving a prison term. They are subject to being returned to jail or prison for rule violations or other offenses. ·

At yearend 2003, over 4.8 million adult men and women were under Federal, State, or local probation or parole jurisdiction; approximately 4,074,000 on probation and 774,600 on parole.

· The 1.5% growth in the probation and parole population during 2003 -- an increase of 73,574 during the year -- was about half the average annual growth of 2.9% since 1995.

· At the end of 2003 --

-- Among offenders on probation, half (49 percent) had been convicted for committing a felony, 49% for a misdemeanor, and 2% for other infractions. Seventy-one percent of probationers were being actively supervised at the end of 2003; 9% were inactive cases and 11% had absconded.

-- Nearly all of the offenders on parole (95%) had been sentenced to incarceration of more than 1 year.

-- Women made up about 23% of the nation's probationers and 13% of the parolees.

-- Approximately 56% of the adults on probation were white, and 30% were black, and 12% were Hispanic. Forty percent of parolees were white, 41% black, and 18% were Hispanic.

· State inmates released from prison as a result of a parole board decision dropped from 50% of all adults entering parole in 1995 to 39% in 2002, while mandatory releases based on a statutory requirement increased from 45% to 52%.

· 45% of State parole discharges in 2002 successfully completed their term of supervision, relatively unchanged since 1995. 41% were returned to jail or prison, and 9% absconded.

· By the end of 2000, 16 States had abolished parole board authority for releasing all offenders, and another 4 States had abolished parole board authority for releasing certain violent offenders.

On December 31, 2003,
-- 2,085,620 prisoners were held in Federal or State prisons or in local jails -- an increase of 2.6% from yearend 2002, less than the average annual growth of 3.5% since yearend 1995.
-- there were an estimated 482 prison inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents -- up from 411 at yearend 1995.
-- the number of women under the jurisdiction of State or Federal prison authorities increased 3.6% from 2002, reaching 101,179 and the number of men rose 2.0%, totaling 1,368,866. At yearend 2003 there were 3,405 black male prisoners per 100,000 black males in the United States in prison, compared to 1,231 Hispanic male inmates per 100,000 Hispanic males and 465 white male inmates per 100,000 white males

In 2003, 6.9 million people were on probation, in jail or prison, or on parole at yearend 2003 -- 3.2% of all U.S. adult residents or 1 in every 32 adults.

State and Federal prison authorities had under their jurisdiction 1,470,045 inmates at yearend 2003: 1,296,986 under State jurisdiction and 173,059 under Federal jurisdiction.

Local jails held or supervised 762,672 persons awaiting trial or serving a sentence at midyear 2003. About 71,400 of these were persons serving their sentence in the community.