Parole system reform bills advance

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

SB12, which passed 15-5, tightens the level of supervision the state Division of Parole and Probation maintains over parolees and probationers and requires a review of their supervision level every six months.

The bill came out of an interim subcommittee assigned to examine the system and recommend changes after the 1995 murder of a Sparks policeman by parolee Donald Cameron.

The subcommittee, chaired by Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, drafted five bills and made 29 recommendations that were implemented by the agencies involved.

Another provision in the bill sparked concern from several senators who ultimately voted against the bill. It requires a parole officer who goes through training and then leaves the job within two years to reimburse the division for the entire cost of training.

Sen. Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, questioned that condition.

"Is it cause for trouble in the future?" Coffin asked. "It appears to be a form of indenture to the state that could lead to difficulty down the road."

Judiciary Chairman Mark James, R-Las Vegas, said he had received a letter from the State of Nevada Employees Association requesting that the list of exemptions be expanded.

"But that was the only opposition, just one letter," James said.

The bill exempts an officer who takes a different job with the state or leaves because of a serious illness or undue hardship.

"The committee found that there was a need for increased supervision and a need for supervision and training for the people doing the supervising," Raggio said. "We need better and more adequate training."

The training costs the state a lot of money, so the bill attempts to discourage those who wish to take their knowledge to another state, Raggio said.

In the end, Coffin and Democrat Sens. Joe Neal, Mike Schneider, Ray Shaffer and Republican Bill O'Donnell voted against the bill, which now moves to the Assembly.

SB8, which requires psych-panel certification before an offender who pleads guilty but mentally ill can be released on parole, passed unanimously.

The panel must be made up of an administrator of the mental hygiene and mental retardation division, the director of prisons and a psychologist.