Reports: Utah Probation Ill-equipped, Understaffed
Audits released by the Utah Legislative Auditor General’s office argue that these agency deficiencies present a risk to public safety in the state.
Landwebs
New audits released this week show that Utah’s Adult Probation and Parole agency does not have enough experienced staff or the tools to handle supervision for “high-risk” offenders, Paighten Harkins reports for the Salk Lake Tribune. The audits, released by the Utah Legislative Auditor General’s office, argue that these agency deficiencies present a risk to public safety in the state. One of the reports counts at least 16 cases where someone actively under the agency’s supervision committed a serious crime, including the murders of six people. The reports also detail the dysfunctional relationship between the probation agency and Utah’s courts and jails, which often move people under supervision without considering the agency’s capacity.
“We acknowledge that prisons and jails, like AP&P, have limited resources,” one Auditor General report noted. “However, to better manage public safety, all Utah justice entities should be aware of each other’s capacity limits and more closely work together to minimize public risk.”
