Sunday, July 27, 2008

Parole Board, what the fuck?

O.k., I'm not the world's hugest advocate for parolee's rights or anything, but this is ridiculous.

Paroled parents not allowed to live together.

For the linkaphobic: Parolees were placed together in a shelter, fell in love, she got pregnant, their parole officers found out, he was jailed for parole violation, and now they're not allowed to associate with one another. The article states that he helps to take care of the baby, which probably means that his parole officer is looking the other way on that, but not allowing them to live together? When convicts are released from jail and put on parole, they're supposed to be easing back into normal lives as productive members of society. But when these two people have a child and try to do the right thing and raise it together, they're not allowed? In addition to extending their parole, let's put them under the financial strain of raising a family in two separate households; that's an absolutely brilliant idea. It won't cripple their reintegration into society at all.

I understand the reasoning behind the rules forbidding convicts to associate with one another. After all, why take the chance of people banding together, enabling criminal habits and backsliding into their old ways. But if the parole board is going to enforce that rule, then getting more housing and spreading the parolees out a bit more thinly would be a good idea. However, there probably isn't enough money for that, so let's look at punishment for the violation. In this case, separating these two individuals isn't going to do anything good because the kid's already been conceived. In this case, separation is probably worse for rehabilitation than anything else; it's putting them under unnecessary financial strain and diminishing their support network. How is the mother supposed to work if the father's not allowed to come over and watch the child?

I'm just going to whistle and ignore the fact that consenting adults should have the freedom to date each other and form romantic relationships if they so choose, because the initial relationship was a violation of the parole, but once there's a kid in the picture, I think allowances should be made on a case-by-case basis. If they're obeying their paroles in every other way, perhaps allow the couple to live together for a probationary period; if there are no domestic disturbances or calls to social services, let 'em shack up. This is one tale of the prison system that could have a happy ending, if only people would let it.

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