New York – State Loses Track of 4,391 Parolees

New York – The state New has lost track of nearly one of every 10 paroled felons – criminals who have been released from prison but are now missing or on the run.

These 4,391 so-called parole absconders are jail-hardened cons who pose a serious threat to public safety as they try to avoid a return to prison, according to law enforcement experts.
"These are the baddest of the bad – people who just don't want to go back inside," said Paul Ragonese, a retired NYPD detective who trains FBI agents on counterterrorism and dealing with weapons of mass destruction.

Union leaders say one surefire way for the state to find more bad guys is to beef up its staff. "They could hire a lot more parole officers and put them on the streets to go after the absconders," said Darcy Wells, spokeswoman for the Public Employees Federation, which represents New York parole officers. [NY Daily News]