SEATTLE (AP) — As it faces budget cuts, the Washington Department of Corrections is considering ending supervision for about 12,000 felons on parole in the state.
The Seattle Times reports (http://bit.ly/q0PPMv ) the union leaders for prison guards and the state employees who monitor released inmates say ending the supervision will endanger the public.
The state has about 17,000 felons under supervision, also known as parole.
In addition to cutting about 600 community corrections workers, the state also is considering early release of low- and moderate-risk inmates and increasing health care costs for inmates.
Cuts to the Department of Corrections are some of the decisions lawmakers will have to make at a special session in November.
