Senator Dale M. Volker Urges The State To Hire More Parole Officers
(ALBANY, N.Y.) Senator Dale M. Volker (R-C-I, Depew) today urged the State Division of Parole to hire additional parole officers to better monitor convicted felons reentering our communities. Senator Volker will negotiate with the Governor’s Office and the State Assembly to increase funding this year, in an effort to ensure that new classes of parole officers are instituted.
"In light of the tragic murder of Sister Karen Klimczak, it is painfully clear that New York State, and specifically the Division of Parole, must hire new parole officers to improve the monitoring of convicted felony offenders who are released from our state’s correctional facility and are reintegrated back into our society," said Senator Dale M. Volker. "The current caseloads for parole officers, depending on the region of the state, vary from one parole officer for every 75-100 parolees. The ratio for sex offenders can range from one parole officer for every 50 parolee. This is ridiculous and it is impossible for parole officers to perform their dangerous duties under these current conditions. They are working with both hands tied behind their backs."
Sister Karen Klimczak was murdered by Craig M. Lynch, 36, who yesterday confessed that he was high on crack cocaine, and wanted more, when he went on to murder Sister Karen Klimczak. He was recently paroled and In January, he was released from Wyoming Correctional Facility on conditional parole, after serving 21/2 years for stealing a car. Lynch was out of the Wyoming prison just a few days when he failed a drug test and was incarcerated for three months.
"This drug-related murder also brings to the forefront those who continue to push for a misguided approach for more leniency in our state’s drug laws," said Senator Volker. "So much for those thousands of nonviolent felony offenders locked up in our correctional system. Craig Lynch is the poster child for why we must continue to have strong drug laws on the books. In fact, Craig Lynch’s mother said it best-- "Its the drugs,.... Its the drugs."
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