Would you keep a home security system that works only one-third of the time? Well, that's what Utah legislators seem to be doing with a failing parole system that returns two-thirds of the 3,696 parolees to prison — a system that is supposed to keep us safe from crime. Any business that had that kind of success rate would be broke.

Utah's parole system is broken and the safety of our communities is at risk. The current adult corrections system is in need of legislative reform so that the responsibilities between the Board of Pardons and Parole and the Department of Corrections are clearly defined. The parole board currently has the authority for determining what the newly incarcerated inmate is required to do while in prison, the length of stay, setting a hearing date for parole, and the authority to determine when an inmate is eligible for parole and the conditions that must be followed.

One major problem is that while the board has the authority and responsibility, prison and parole staff members report to Corrections. The board has no authority over either. So, when things go wrong, those in charge can revert to the usual, "it's not my responsibility," and lawmakers do nothing. Another critical problem is that there is no management reporting system to monitor and ensure programs work; do prison staff follow through on the programs ordered by the board? Do parole agents assist, supervise and make sure parolees follow the conditions of parole? While board members set the conditions of parole, they have no records to show what works and what doesn't.

Does parole even work? Do parolees commit fewer crimes and return to prison less frequently than those who complete their sentences and return to the community? Legislators should know this before spending tax money on a product they know nothing about. While the board has requested funds to conduct research, legislators have denied the request. The whole system is run as a crap shoot, and as long as a parolee doesn't commit a crime that gets public attention, legislators and administrators will keep running the same programs where everyone and no one is responsible. Then when things go wrong, lawmakers are the first to show outrage and call for tougher penalties and blame the line workers, but they never follow through as they are charged to do.

Legislators should renew the systems — Corrections and the Board of Pardons — so they have clearly defined roles. They should start by requesting a legislative audit on those two bodies. Among the questions to be answered: Who should have the authority to make sure the requirements the board sets forth for inmates are followed while in prison? Who is responsible for supervising and ensuring parole agents are carrying out the orders of the board regarding supervision of parolees? Should the parole agent's role be redefined or eliminated and replaced with allowing parolees to assume responsibility for their own rehabilitation by issuing some kind of card/coupons so they can negotiate for services the board has made as a condition of parole? Crime suppression is already what local police do.

It's time lawmakers created a management and reporting system that allows them to determine what programs work and make decisions based on sound information, rather than doing business as usual. Can you imagine any company staying in business without management information? Managing government is big business and demands sound practices. Citizens should expect no less when it comes to safe communities.

John Florez has served as a juvenile probation officer, as a member of several local and national corrections boards and on the President's Commission on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. E-mail: jdflorez@comcast.net